Page 63 of Tarnished Queen

I don’t even see her move—I just feel the crack. Her palm hot against my cheek.

Then the room explodes.

Other diners gasp in shock. Howard yelps. But it’s all drowned out when Nikolai steps forward.

He moves around me easily and wraps his hand around my mom’s throat. As soon as that happens, the entire restaurant goes blaringly silent.

“Touch my fiancée again, and I’ll kill you.” His voice is measured and calm, which makes it even more terrifying. Because it’s clear this is no idle threat. He means it.

A waitress moves over reluctantly, her eyes wide. “Sir! I’m sorry, but… you all need to leave.”

My mom’s face is turning red, but it’s mostly with embarrassment. He isn’t holding her tightly enough to cut off air. Just enough to make his point. He lets go one finger at a time, peeling back slowly. Then he retreats back to my side.

“Are you okay, Belle?” he murmurs.

My cheek burns, but it’s actually a nice feeling. It means she’s desperate. Bothered enough that she can’t just ignore me. She can’t just shut me away in a closet and forget I exist.

Right now, finally, my mom has to look me in the face and hear what I’m saying.

And she fucking loathes it.

“I’m okay.” I give him a small smile. “I just need another minute to talk to her.”

“You need to leave,” the waitress says again. “I’m sorry. But my manager wants you out. He’s going to call the cops.”

“My fiancée said she wants another minute,” Nikolai snaps.

The woman jumps, but I hold up a finger. “I’ll leave as soon as I’m done. Nikolai, could you take Howard outside?”

Nikolai leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek. The same cheek my mother just slapped. I know it’s just his way of claiming his property, but the gesture sinks into my skin and shoots warmth straight through my chest.

“Howard,” Nikolai barks, “let’s step outside.”

Howard seems relieved to be free of this disaster. He gets up quickly and follows Nikolai outside, leaving me alone with my mother.

She’s sitting down again, looking up at me with a smug smile. “Howard is Elise’s father. In case you wanted to know the results of the paternity test. Sorry to disappoint you. I’m sure you would have loved it if it came back negative. Just one more reason to hate me.”

“I don’t need another reason,” I tell her. “I have plenty.”

Her smile slips slightly. I want to wipe it all the way off. So I keep going.

“You’re not taking Elise home with you. I know that’s why you came here, but it isn’t going to happen. She belongs with me. With someone who will actually take care of her.”

“I took care of her for fourteen years.”

“You didn’t kill her,” I correct. “There’s a huge difference. But now, she is well taken care of. She can be a kid. She can have a family.”

She snorts. “A family with you and that woman-beater out there? How sweet.”

“You want to know a secret, Mom?” I blurt suddenly. “I’m pregnant.”

Her eyes widen. Then she looks me over quickly, trying to see how far along I am.

“Nikolai and I were broken up when I found out, but Elise called him and told him. Him, not you. Because she trusts him, not you. Because she wanted us to be together again. Not with you.” There’s no reason I can’t fudge the truth a little bit here. I don’t plan to ever see this cunt again after today, anyway. “And Nikolai loves us.Allof us. Me, Elise, our baby. We are going to be a family, and you can’t be part of it.”

Her jaw twitches with built-up tension. “You’d really keep me away from my daughter and grandchild because of your feelings towards me?”

“I’m not doing any of this because I hate you,” I tell her. “You might not believe that, but it’s true. If the only problem was that I hated you, I’d grin and bear your presence. I’d endure. But the problem is that you’re toxic. You ruin everything you touch. You are a parasite, latching on and sucking everyone else dry. And I won’t let you do it anymore. Not to me and sure as hell not to the people I love.”

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