ZARYA ROGOV
I stared at my parents in shock.
Caesar was also there, but he wasn’t alone; there was a beautiful and elegant-looking woman on his side—the daughter of Ilya Volkov.
Anna Volkov.
She was betrothed to my brother a long time ago, but why was she here?
I noticed the buckets of fruits and sweets on the table.
What was happening?
My mother’s gaze landed on me, and she immediately stood up, staring at me with motherly yearning.
Following her gaze, everyone’s head turned in my direction.
Father stared at me with a smile, a smile I knew wasn’t genuine, and brother looked at me from head to toe as if trying to make sure I was in one piece.
I hesitantly walked over to them, and my gaze went to Sergei.
He was already looking at me.
“Uh…” I didn’t know what to say.
Last time, father was yelling and cursing at me, and now he was here with all of these gifts and delicacies.
“Zarya.” My mother walked over to me and pulled me in for a tight hug.
I was stiff at first, but eventually melted in her embrace, her scent calmed my nerves.
“My ch-child.” She whispered under her breath, her voice cracked as if she was holding her tears back.
I bit my lower lip to stop my own tears.
She pulled back and cupped my cheeks.
“Look at you, you’ve gotten so weak.” She complained while caressing my cheeks.
I hesitantly looked back at Sergei, and he was still staring, looking only at me.
Father stepped forward, and I immediately lowered my gaze.
Only if he weren’t a father like he is, maybe I wouldn’t have been here in Sergei’s cage.
“How are you doing?” He asked, caressing my head.
“F-Fine.” I gave a half assed answer, he nodded, and moved back.
Both of them sat back on the couch.
I looked at Caesar, and he nodded towards me, his fiancée just passed me a smile.
She looked like she didn’t want to be here, and it was understandable.
“Come here,” Sergei patted the couch beside him.
I first looked down at the couch and then back at him, his gaze said ‘try to deny me’.
I gulped and settled down beside him, our sides pressed together.
My butt was burning in pain.
He snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me even closer to his side.
His warmth, scent, everything made me go stiff.
My family watched the interaction quietly.
“What brings you here?” Sergei asked.
“Of course, we are here to see her.” Father laughed while gesturing towards me.
His laugh sounded so fake, my ears almost bled.
“Since when did you start to care for her?” Sergei asked, his deep voice resonating in the hall with the authority of his status.
He knew…he knew everything, and yet he made me seem even worse in front of my father’s eyes.
I slowly turned to look at him, and he was staring right ahead at my father, but I was looking at him.
Measuring my hatred for him.
Every fiber in my body hated the man I was staring at.
“What do you mean?
She’s my daughter.” Father tilted his head at Sergei, clearly not liking Sergei’s question, even though that was the reality.
“Sure,” Sergei said, looking down at all the sweets.
He raised his brow at my father. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Father smirked and looked at my brother.
“It’s for Caesar’s and Anna’s wedding.
They are getting married this month, and this is Rogov’s way of inviting their guests.” He gestured towards the sweets.
What?
Caesar was getting married?
They…planned all of that out and didn’t even care to ask how I was doing in their worst enemy’s grasp?
I bit my lower lip to prevent it from trembling.
“After all…you are my son-in-law.” Father pressed extra hard on the term son-in-law.
He was here with a plan.
He has accepted Sergei as his son-in-law.
He has realized that he couldn’t fight the Pakhan and has decided to give in to this newly formed relationship.
No…
Doesn’t he see I was trapped?
The side of Sergei’s lip curved up.
“I’m pleased…
father-in-law.” Sergei, however, seemed to have a deeper motive.
I took a deep breath and looked around before looking at my mother.
She was staring at me with concern written all over her face.
“You will be coming to Caesar’s wedding, right?” Father asked, and Sergei leaned back against the couch, his one arm draped over the armrest and the other still wrapped around my waist.
“No.” His answer was firm.
Huh!
“May I ask why?” Father asked with fake politeness, but an edge of his reality could be seen in his tone.
He didn’t like being denied, but the person in front of him wasn’t his daughter; it was the Pakhan.
“I’ve to be somewhere important.”
“Oh, then at least Zarya can come,” Mom said, her tone a little desperate.
“No.”
I looked at him.
No?
Who was he to decide for me?
Who was he to stop me from attending my own brother’s wedding?
“Why not?” This time, Caesar spoke up.
Sergei looked at me, his hand around my waist moved up to caress my hair, but even that affection held warning.
I felt it in my bones.
“She’s coming with me.”
The silence stretched in the living room.
It settled heavily on my chest, making it difficult for me to breathe.
I could feel myself on the verge of snapping, and before I could say something, my mother spoke up.
“Who are we to say a-anything if you aren’t allowing her?” I frowned at her words.
“True, a wife should always be obedient to her husband,” Father added, both of them looking at me.
Their gazes telling me to surrender as if they have already read the underlying defiance in me.
I felt like falling into the pit of darkness, a cage with no way out.
I felt suffocated.
No one was there for me.
What about me!
My choices!
My freedom!
WHAT ABOUT ME!
My hands trembled, and all I could do was turn them into fists.
I abruptly stood up and walked away.
Not even glancing back at anyone.
I realized I was alone.
There was no one on my side; everyone, even my own fate, had turned against me.
I am Zarya, I can speak…
but I am just a weak woman in a world where men ruled and women like my mother supported their oppression…
because they too were just women.
How pathetic!
*******
SERGEI MOROZOV
I stared at the broken phone on my desk.
“Everything is already done,” Boris stated, his arms behind his back as he stood straight at my side.
I nodded.
“What should I book for your stay?” He asked.
“Penthouse.” I gave a brief answer, and he nodded, but he didn’t leave like he was supposed to.
“What?” I asked, finally sparing him a look.
“Um…pardon me for such a question, but don’t you think Rogov has gotten…stronger by their ties with Morozov’s and Volkov’s?” Boris asked with hesitation.
I faintly smirked and leaned against the chair.
“Let him sway.
Let him think he has won.
That’s when one tightens the reins and watches them struggle to breathe.” Boris took his good time to process my words before his lips slowly parted.
He looked at me and nodded.
“So you will use your wife?” He asked, and I snapped my gaze up at him.
He immediately sealed his lips and lowered his gaze.
“Pardon me.”
“Leave.” My voice came out low, but threatening enough to make him step back.
He bowed at me and quickly walked out of the room.
His usual calm stance was jagged up.
Once he was gone, I lowered my gaze back to the phone.
It was ringing yesterday when I called her, but suddenly it stopped ringing after a few seconds.
It means she broke it when I was calling her yesterday, and she was awake when I came to her room.
She pretended to be asleep so she wouldn’t have to face me.
I noticed how her lashes fluttered, how her fingers twitched.
I notice everything she does, even the way she breathes, was carved in my memory.
She has started to fight back.
The side of my lips curved up.
I want her to give me all of it.
Her fight, her hatred, everything, and that’s when I would make her realize that she was never enough to break me.
This would break her, and she would be nothing.
That’s when I would take her life.
Free her from her misery.
Her death would seem like freedom to her, and I would have my revenge.
Brother…you just wait and watch, I would ruin all of them who took you away from me.