Page 69 of The Pakhan's Kidnapped Bride
“What?” I mutter, confused.
“You aren’t going home to him, are you?”
I push away from him. “I have to,” I stammer.
His eyes darken.
“Anya—"
“Can you just take me home, please. I don’t want to talk about this at your office,” I huff. My pain is turning into anger. Anger that he’s playing me, even now, even after being so open about his plans with my brother. He’s still toying with my heart and pretending he wants me around.
Angry hot tears are threatening the backs of my eyes, stinging and burning. I turn away from Emmanuil and walk towards his office door. He runs after me, following me out of the office and into the elevator.
“Did you drive here?” he asks. “Where did you park?”
I nod, holding up the keys to the jeep. “In front of the building.” He takes them from me.
“I’ll have someone bring the car home; you can ride with me.”
I nod, not in the mood to argue, hardly in the mood to talk at all with the way my heart is splintering into smaller and smaller pieces. I can barely look at him anymore. I fell for all of it. I wanted so badly for it to be real. I wanted so badly for us to have another chance.
“How did you know your brother was here?” he asks as the elevator carries us down.
“I didn’t. But he sent me a message to say he knew where I was and that he was coming to get me. I was worried he would do something stupid. And I wanted to warn you, but you didn’t answer your phone.” I shrug, looking past him at the elevator door.
“Thank you,” he says, but his voice is tight.
We climb into the car and drive home in silence. Emmanuil keeps glancing at me, but I turn my face away, knowing that as soon as we get home, I have to pack and leave. I can’t stay another second now that I know what truth. It hurts too much. Every moment with him now is a horrible taunt, a jabbing spear into my heart. It’s a glimpse at what I can never have.
Arriving at the mansion, I push the passenger side door open before he’s even parked fully. I’m out and walking towards the front door, with him shouting my name in annoyance.
“Anya, what the hell?” he snaps angrily.
I don’t answer, I walk into the house and head straight for the stairs.
Chapter 21 - Emmanuil
“Don’t walk away from me,” I snarl, angry that she’s ignoring me again.
She huffs and spins to face me, her hand already on the railing of the stairs and her foot on the first step. Even in her darkest moments, she still looks incredibly beautiful. The way her eyes lock onto mine makes my heart pause, skipping a beat.
“What?” she snaps, her gaze is dark and moody.
“You didn’t want to talk about it at the office, but we are going to talk about it now,” I demand. “You can’t avoid this conversation, Anya.”
“Why? There isn’t any point. You’ve already made up your mind. So, I’ve already made up mine,” she says coldly.
“Of course there is. You can’t go back to your brother. Why the hell would you tell him you’re coming home soon?” I ask, trying to stop my anger from getting the better of me, but it’s difficult, fear and anger colliding.
I walk over to her and pull her hand off the railing, forcing her to face me. I grip her wrist tightly so she can’t move away again. “Talk to me.”
“Emmanuil, you and I both know that I have to go,” she sighs, deeply troubled, but not giving me any acceptable reason for her insistence.
Inside me, the anger is winning.
I snort in annoyance. “I know nothing of the sort.”
“Why would youwantme to stay?” she asks, her words being thrown at me like a challenge, an accusation. But I can’t figure out what she’s accusing me of. Things between us havebeen amazing. We’ve been growing closer, healing, the past almost forgotten as we move forward.
