Page 56 of Twisted Empire: King's Gambit

“And mine will too, for being by your side. But what’s life without a little risk?” she says, offering a brave smile that tells me she’s ready for whatever comes next.

I lean down, my lips meeting hers in a kiss that seals our pact, our united front against the world that awaits us. It’s a kiss that says I’m ready, that we’re ready.

As we pull apart, I whisper against her lips, “Then let’s face this life together,moya koroleva.”

She smiles, a radiant, unguarded smile that lights up the room and my world. “Together,” she echoes.

Tonight, I’ll ascend to a position that comes with unimaginable power and unimaginable threats. But as I hold Gabriette in my arms, embracing the love that bloomed from an arranged marriage, I realize I’m already invincible.

Together, we’re invincible. And as the Pakhan, I’ll make damn sure the world knows it too.

GABRIETTE

“Mikhail…” I cry out his name, digging my nails into his shoulders as he slams inside of me, the water from the shower all but forgotten.

With his hands on my hips, he thrusts hard inside of me with a growl. The intent of drawing another orgasm out of me at the forefront of his mind, even though I’ve come twice already.

“Please … Please…” I beg for nothing and everything all at once and I see that smirk on his face, the one that lets me know he’s aware of what he’s doing.

“Oh, my sweet girl, give me another one,” he purrs in my ear. “You take my cock so well. One more for me; you want to be my good girl, don’t you? You want to feel me coming for you, don’t you?”

“Y—yes,”

“Then you better. fucking.come.”

Three more thrusts and I swear I’m a goner. I come so hard that my vision blanks, but then I get rewarded when I feel his cock pulsating inside of me. He buries his face in my neck and groans, holding me closer while I feel boneless.

“Such a good girl,” he grumbles in my ear and kisses the side of my head. “Now that I’ve made you dirty, I think it’s only fair that I clean you up.”

“Hmmm,” is all I can muster, and he chuckles as he grabs the loofah.

Showering with Mikhail has come to be so intimate. Usually I’m left unable to walk, just like now, but afterwards he always cleans me up. It’s like our thing.

Later, as we’re getting dressed, he asks me what I’m doing for the day and I mention going to the philharmonic today to check out the place, since Mr Orlov gave me an open invitation.

I’m dying to experience it, and to hear more of Amaranthe Baranova’s work. So, after we get dressed, Mikhail lets me know that he has a few things to do in his office this morning before heading out.

I give him a kiss and something on the edge of the nightstand gets my attention; my old cell phone.

Oddly enough, I’ve ignored it since Mikhail gave it to me. You would think I’d want to dive back into my old world after everything. But… I just haven’t felt the need to.

I press the power button and the screen flickers to life. A sigh escapes my lips as I scroll through the empty inbox, my messages as barren as a ghost town. No love letters, no frantic queries about my whereabouts, not even a ‘thinking of you’ from Emma or Lucy.

The phone vibrates suddenly, startling me. A new message from Damien pops on the screen.

“I love and miss you. Wait for me, I’ll save you.”

I stare at the words, but they seem to float on the screen without sinking in. How did he know I switched my phone on and what does he mean by “save you”?

Not only that but why does my heart remain unmoved, as if the man who once had the power to send me into emotional spirals now feels like a stranger?

There’s no ache, no pull, nothing. I stare at the screen, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. “I’ll save you”—save me from what? Did he know about my life now?

With a sense of detachment, I put my phone down. I could continue to sit here, mulling over a past that suddenly feels like a distant dream, or I could seek answers. Rising from the bed, I make my way downstairs to Mikhail’s office. The door is slightly ajar, and I tap it open.

“Mikhail, do you have a moment?” I ask as I walk in.

He looks up from his papers, his eyes softening when they meet mine. “For you, always. What brings you here,moya koroleva?” he asks, putting down the papers.

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