I remembered the pill in my possession. Salva had given me a sliver of hope that my father was still doing everything he could. And knowing Salva was Marco’s brother, what more of a miracle could I ask for?
This was it. This was the miracle I had been waiting for. Marco trusted me. Even if he was the reason I was in this mess, I had to go through with it. For my sake and my parents’. The plan had to go off without a hitch.
After my shower, I dressed in a fitted black skirt and a white shirt. I tucked the pills into my bra, adjusting them as I walked out of my room. The plan was in motion.
As I made my way down the hallway, I ran into Matvet. He looked distracted, pacing around, unsettled. “The boss is in his office,” he muttered, his phone pressed to his ear.
If he were working on both sides, I couldn’t let anyone know that. The stakes were too high. But now I understood why he’d been nice to me since I came here.
I knocked twice before entering Artur’s office. He sat behind his desk, engrossed in his laptop. He didn’t even acknowledge me. His gaze remained fixed on the screen while his fingers tapped away at the keys. The man I had seen on the brink of death last night was gone.
“Sir, where do you wish to have your lunch?” He didn’t respond. Silence stretched between us like a taut wire, and I had to fight the instinct to shift my stance. “Sir?”
His eyes flicked up. “What are your plans for tonight?”
The question hit like a blade to the ribs. My pulse kicked up. Did he know? I straightened my spine.
“Sir,” I began. “I will do whatever you ask of me.”
His stare pinned me in place, as if he could peel back every lie I was hiding. “Only pick a fight you’re ready to bleed for.”
The words landed heavily. It wasn’t a warning, but a message meant to rattle something loose inside me. For a second, I feltthe crack in my loyalty to Salva’s plan. One wrong move and I was done. But how else was I supposed to claw my way out of this world, if not by doing exactly what my father was trying to set in motion?
“Should I bring your lunch?”
“Find Matvet and do what he says.” His attention dropped back to the laptop, voice clipped. “You can eat my lunch. Tell Matvet to feed the dog.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped. With a nod, I exited his office with only one thought.What the hell was I getting myself into?
Chapter Twelve
Alessia
If Salva had never enteredmy life with his idea, maybe I could have seduced Artur if my freedom demanded it. But now, my parents were relying on me, and that weight crushed the anxiety gnawing at my chest. The plan was reckless, but I couldn’t see another way out. Artur’s words earlier lingered in my mind. He wasn’t the type to let things slide. Action was his language, and he spoke it fluently.
Then there was Matvet. Every time we crossed paths, his gaze would flicker. It felt like a signal I wasn’t sure how to interpret yet. If my parents were attacked and Marco saved them, it meant I had to stick to their plan, even if it meant putting everything on the line.
Earlier, I found Matvet like Artur instructed me to. He gave me another elegant dress, saying I would accompany the boss toa meeting later this evening. It meant I had to execute my plan before the night unraveled.
My freedom was worth the risk.
All day, the mansion hummed with its usual activities. I moved through it on autopilot, my mind locked on the plan. Each hour dragged like wet cement. But when the sun finally bled into the horizon, painting the windows in a shade of rust, the wheels were already in motion.
I got ready to serve the boss, fixing my face into the quiet obedience he liked, even if my heartbeat drummed against the pills tucked in my bra. One slip and they would know.
From the girls’ quarters, I stepped into the long hallway, its walls swallowing the last of the daylight. I had almost reached the main kitchen when a deep, familiar voice slid through the air and froze me in place.
“Alessia.”
I turned to find Renat leaning against the wall, a cigarette balanced between his fingers. His smirk always disgusted me.
I sighed, annoyed but unable to show it. “Can I help you?”
He studied me for a moment, then took a slow drag of his cigarette. “I’m curious. How was the party?”
Renat was second in command, yet he seemed to know less than he should. A smirk tugged at my mouth.
“I’m afraid I didn’t take notes.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’ll remember to hand you a report next time.”