Page 47 of The Pakhan's Kidnapped Bride
I stare at the mess, my breathing heavy, my chest heaving.
It didn’t make me feel any better. The pain is still there, the rejection still spinning in my head.I can smell her on my skin.
There is nothing left to do but walk away.
Chapter 14 - Anya
What happened yesterday can’t happen again.
Yes, it was incredible. More than incredible. It was so good it’s difficult to put into words.
But it’s also heartbreaking and destructive. For me to be with him—it’s too emotional. The emotions, that connection he still has to my heart is what makes it so intense. But that connection is one-sided.
From him, as he’s made clear time and time again, there is only hatred towards me, and that means he’s using me.
I deserve to be used after what I did to him.
But my heart can’t take it.
I’m heavy with emotions today, and it’s going to be a long one.
My ears pop, equalizing as the plane lifts off from the runway into the air. It’s still early morning, and the sun hasn’t fully risen yet.
I open my jaw, easing the pressure from my ears, then sigh, staring out of the window as San Diego gets smaller beneath us and golden fluffy clouds fill my view.
We’re on the way to LA to visit Emmanuil’s family. There is some kind of family event, and he didn’t want to leave me alone in the mansion. I assume it’s because he doesn’t trust me, but whatever his reason, I’m glad to be going along. I liked Belle and Ardalion when they visited, and they’ll both be there.
And I’m happy not to be stuck alone doing nothing with guards watching me twenty-four seven.
“Do you want some champagne?” he asks, the usual caramel tone to his voice that sets my heart racing.
“Yes, thanks,” I say, thinking the alcohol will ease the tension in my stomach. There’s been a knot of anxiety in my body ever since that very intense moment we shared in the kitchen. Thinking about it sets me aflame with desire again. I can’t believe how he reads my mind and knows exactly what to do with my body. But it’s not what I should be thinking about.
The after effects were not worth it.
The hurt. The shame. The guilt tripling and that deep knowing that I will never truly have him again. No matter how many times I sleep with him, I won’t have his heart.
I was so overwhelmed with emotions afterwards that I thought I was going to cry. I had to run from the kitchen to hide it from him. I can’t imagine what he would have thought of me if I’d burst into tears right after.
Anyway. Think of something else. Have champagne. Watch the sky.
Keep a safe distance from the gorgeous man sitting next to you.
The champagne does help, thank goodness. It takes the edge off. Emmanuil and I even chat a little about nothing specific, and then he reads the latest news while I listen to music with some headphones on.
It’s awkward.
I’m relieved when we arrive in LA and bundle into the back of a car, heading straight for the family event.
Of his family, I hadn’t met Ardalion until recently. Because our relationship was quite secretive in the past, we got lost in each other, and no one else mattered. Emmanuil doesn’thave parents—he was orphaned as a baby, they both died in a terrible accident—and he never had any siblings. Ardalion is like a brother to him, though. I know that. He speaks of him with love.
As we step into Ardalion’s home, Belle comes rushing to say hello. She wraps her arms around me in a warm, welcoming hug.
“I’m so happy you came with. Come on in, let me introduce you to Kira and Katya. You’ll love them.”
“I’ve actually met them,” I giggle.
“Are you serious?” Belle says, surprised. Her eyes go wide as Kira runs from the patio, crashing into me and almost making me fall over.
