JADE
The drive back was quiet.
I was glued to my side of the car, staring out the window, watching the sun set on the beautiful high-rise buildings and mansions in the distance.
Roman was seated up straight, like this was some sort of etiquette class.
His legs were crossed, and his eyes stayed steady on the road ahead.
I could see his laser focus—from the glances I snuck at him—almost as if we were in a class and he were the top student.
I was replaying his demand in my head.
He knew how well to handle the Sterlings.
To them, public opinion and their image were everything.
His asking for a public apology was like asking them to choose death.
I was eager to see how they were going to handle it.
I was sure that Naomi was throwing the biggest tantrum while Victoria was looking for a way to pull them out of this before it spiraled into a mess.
Jack would probably be obsessed with the share prices.
We finally arrived at home.
Ana was waiting by the door for us.
One look from Roman, she bowed and excused us.
Roman took my hand.
His grip on my wrist was tight.
He pulled me through the house and then up the stairs, but we didn’t stop at my room.
“Mr Volkov…
where are we going?” My heart was pounding in my chest.
I knew I shouldn’t be thinking about sleeping with him now, but after that sex dream, I couldn’t stop myself from continuously fantasizing about him in very ungodly ways.
‘Ungodly ways, Jade?
He is your husband.
This is supposed to be normal.
It’s only supposed to be normal if you both love each other.’
“Mr.
Volkov?” I called again when, instead of responding, he just pulled me until we were in the master sitting area.
He pushed me onto the couch and towered over me.
“Jade, it’s Roman, not Mr Volkov.” He pointed to my cheeks.
“You have to treat that.”
My hand went up to my face as a stabbing pain coursed through it.
I stood up and shook my head, ignoring how close we had come.
“I am fine; I will just grab a bag of frozen peas from the kitchen and…” The words got stuck in my throat when he held my shoulder.
“Sit,” he commanded.
He didn’t sound like he was angry.
He was just not going to let me have my way.
I sighed as he helped me back onto the couch.
He took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
I couldn’t stop looking at his arm and the way veins popped in it.
I swallowed and tried to look away.
I couldn’t, not with the way he worked so efficiently at the wet area of the room to make the cold compress.
He sat on the couch beside me, so close that I could feel the way the hairs on his arm stood when our bodies brushed.
He held the compress to the side of my face, and I flinched from how cold it was.
A shudder ran through my body, followed by goosebumps filling every inch of my skin.
“I can handle it.” I tried to take it from him, pulling my head back.
He didn’t let go of the compress.
His other hand went to the back of my head as he pulled me closer.
“Stay still,” he murmured.
I froze, blinking rapidly as he pressed the cold bag to my face.
His hand on the back of my head steadied me, but felt warm against the coldness running against my skin.
“I don’t like seeing you like this,” he said.
His voice was still low, low enough to make my stomach tumble too many times.
“You don’t deserve it.”
“Well, life doesn’t give us what we deserve now, does it?” I tried to laugh, but the movement made my lips hurt.
He didn’t look amused by my joke.
He must think I was some kind of weakling who allowed things to happen to her without even trying to fight back at all.
“I was raised in a poor household, and while my adoptive family was the best, people in the world are monsters.” I paused to be sure he was listening.
I didn’t know why I was speaking, but I wanted to tell him.
I also didn’t know why I cared that he listened to me, but maybe I wanted him to hear my story.
To know the reason I couldn’t bring myself to fight back.
“They only care about you when you have power, wealth, and the kind of authority you have.
Otherwise, they would trample on you every chance they get.”
My voice slowly lost its texture.
“And when you don’t have the power to fight back, the best you can do is stay silent.”
I let the silence between us simmer in the air.
I shouldn’t be telling him about my pathetic life.
I couldn’t stop myself.
I didn’t know if it was the cold compress, the way the cold water trickled from my cheeks down my neck, or his hand on the back of my neck.
His lips parted.
I didn’t know what he was going to say, but I knew I could take a scolding.
Not from him.
“It’s easier to say ‘fight back’ when you’ve yet to wear the shoes.
I tried fighting back; all I got was more wars.
I am tired of wars; if I can avoid them by being silent, then I would gladly.”
“You might not have had power before, but you have now.” His eyes scanned my face and settled on my lips.
When he dragged his eyes back to mine, I could barely recognise him.
His lips were slightly parted.
He looked away so fast he didn’t look like the almighty everyone saw.
He was human after all.
“You have me,” he said without meeting my eyes.
His finger traced my lip that was torn from Victoria’s slap.
I had to say she was quite strong.
I swallowed, feeling my heart rate increase on its own.
“I will take care of you for the rest of your life; you don’t have to worry.”
His words didn’t sound like something one said to their contract wife.
It sounded like an oath that needed to be honoured.
I knew I was not supposed to, but I couldn’t stop myself.
I wanted to kiss him.
‘It is normal for a married couple to kiss.’ My heart leapt as I leaned closer.
My hands were clutching my skirt on my lap.
I closed my eyes and pressed my lips onto his.
I allowed it to linger for a second.
He was frozen.
I had done something I shouldn’t have.
I tried to pull away a bit, but the cold compress fell into my lap, and his hand on the back of my head pulled me closer.
Before my eyes could open, he was already deepening the kiss.
I gasped, and he took the opportunity to push into my mouth.
My tongue swirled with something unexplainable.
We both pulled away, our eyes on each other.
His breath was ragged, beating against my face with intensity.
My heart was ramming against my chest, begging for a release.
I waited for him to speak, but he just stared at me.
I had no idea what to say next after a kiss, so I got up and rushed out of the room without a thought.
I didn’t stop until I was in the safety of my room.
Maybe I had gotten ahead of myself.
Maybe I had made a mistake in kissing him.
I stood inside my room, my back to the door and my hand over my beating heart.
“Jade, you have just kissed your husband.”