Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
I’m sick of apologizing that I’m not enough. And if I wasn’t enough for them when I was doing my best to get to where I am now, then they don’t deserve me at my best. Especially when they’d intended to bring me down again because of it.
CHAPTER 46
Aleksandr
Iwalk into Anya’s office during one of the sex auctions. I realized after pulling up that I had three missed calls from her. But it made sense to just come in and see her since I was already here. I just dropped Lena off at her show and am feeling pretty proud of her for standing up to her parents.
She’d told me how much it’d hurt her before when they didn’t believe in her or her singing. Had they not been her parents, I would’ve killed them without a second thought.
I interrupt as Anya and River are making out against her desk. “It’s different on the receiving end,” I say, remembering when she walked in on Lena and me. “Shouldn’t you be managing the floor?”
“It’s managed, and it’s about fucking time you arrived.” She puts her hand on a white Styrofoam box on her desk. “A package arrived for you.”
I stride across the room and peer into the box. There’s a pinkie inside.
I shrug. Am I supposed to know something about it? I haven’t cut off any fingers as of late.
“It’s your little pet’s finger.” I freeze at that and lock eyes with her.
“Who?”
“Cinita, your little ballerina.”
My jaw clenches. I told her to leave the city. “How?”
I told her I wouldn’t chase or protect her anymore.
That old wound flares up. But then I think of Lena. I can’t drag her through this again.
Won’t make her second again.
“How the fuck would I know? I guess whoever she pissed off chopped it off, and with the finger, it asks that you bring cash. To collect her.” She takes a deep breath. “She is trouble, that one. I’ve told you as much. I thought you said you dealt with this?”
“I have,” I grit out. “Throw it in the trash for all I care.”
Anya’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “You’re sure?”
“Weren’t you the one telling me to stop protecting her because I had a savior complex?”
“Yeah, I did, but…” She hides her smile as she puts the lid back on and trashes it like it’s spoiled cake. “I’m just really happy to hear it because I can’t have you fuck this up with Lena any more. I’m shopping with her tomorrow, so I don’t want you making it awkward.”
“Who’s dating her, me or you?”
She shrugs. “You and I come as a package deal, you know that.”
I peer back at the white box in the trash, my jaw clenching.
I know I’m not the one to fight her battles any longer, but it doesn’t make it any easier to ignore.
What have you done this time, Cinita?
I know when the money’s not paid, it’ll be worse for her. Because I would send the same type of ransom.
But I promised Lena whole-heartedly that I was done with Cinita. And there is nothing that I would do to risk fucking that up again. Cinita is an old wound that I refuse to continue reopening.
Lena’s too kind, and if she knew what was going on with Cinita, despite not wanting me to be involved with her anymore, she’d tell me to go. But in this world, these types of situation will never stop if Cinita keeps dropping my name.
I have to be the one to cut this final tie, and I’m willing to do it to protect what I have with Lena.
I turn my back on the box.
I’m not a hero. I can focus only on Lena.
I promised her that much.
CHAPTER 47
Lena
“Do you want kids?” I ask Anya as we walk through the store. I have a red-carpet event tonight, and it wasn’t so much as a suggestion but demand that Anya would take responsibility for my wardrobe.
“What type of question is that? Of course I don’t want kids,” she scoffs.
She runs her hand along an expensive dress and nods to the saleslady, who takes it to the dressing room. She’s picked out four different dresses since we’ve been here, and the saleslady has grabbed every single one.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around how Alek and I might look in the future together or if I’m clinging to a fantasy. But every day I’m with him, the harder it will be to let him go.
She pauses, eyes another dress, then turns to look at me. “Are you pregnant?”
“No, absolutely not, I swear. I was just, you know, wondering whether it’s common for…” I don’t know how to say it, but Anya finishes the sentence for me as she appraises another dress.
“People like us to have families?”
I swallow at how prejudice it sounds.