“Mine’s ten this month,” he said.
My mouth fell open. “Ten?”
He tilted his head. “No, eleven.”
I gawked at him. “That’s—”
“If business didn’t keep me busy, it would have been more than that.” I stared at him, utterly speechless. Before I could respond, the sound of a car roaring outside made my heart stutter. My fork clattered to the plate as I stiffened. Dmitri took another sip, eyeing me lazily. “Relax, that should be my brother. I’m done babysitting here.” He declared as he got up. “Nice meeting you.” He voiced and left the kitchen.
From the window, I saw Doctor Dorothy walking toward the entrance while Rodion stayed outside, speaking on the phone. Dmitri joined him. They were brothers, no doubt about that. They shared something unmistakable: power. But Dmitri’s character was nothing like Rodion’s.
Dorothy stepped in the kitchen. She gave me a faint smile, her eyes drawn to my cheek. “This needs cleaning,” she murmured, brushing her fingers gently along the bruised skin.
“I was about to shower and do it.”
She lifted a small bag she was carrying. “I brought you clothes. Take a shower and after that, we’ll deal with the wound.”
“Thank you.” I whispered, clutching the bag to my chest. Without another word, I turned and made my way back to my room.
She brought two black skirts and white shirts, the maids uniform. I didn’t care because the only dress I had was filthy with everything I had endured.
I took a long shower, and changed.
There was a strange peace in me that had claimed a place inside me. I would not marry a man I didn’t know or carry a child for an old man. I had escaped Renat’s hands and Marco’s fury. That alone calmed me.
Once I was ready, I stepped out of the room to find Dorothy. We had nothing in common, but at least we could hold a conversation. As I moved through the quiet house, I caught her voice drifting in from the back side of the bungalow. I assumedshe was on the phone, so I walked toward the back door to join her. As I reached for the handle, Rodion’s voice cut through the air. He was with Dorothy.
I pressed myself against the door to listen. Eavesdropping had become second nature to me. It was the only way to gather pieces of a puzzle no one wanted me to solve.
“Leonid must have found out you have Alessia. No one else knows about the donor,” Dorothy said. Rodion didn’t respond, so she pressed on. “Sir, if we lose him, finding another donor won’t be easy. Leonid is involved. Maybe visit him and see if he will accept money instead of giving him Alessia?”
My stomach twisted, what donor? Was he the reason Rodion sold me? Rodion’s voice came sharp and firm. “Don’t make any calls. I’ll handle it.” The way he said it left no room for argument.
But Dorothy didn’t stop. “With everything going on, sir, you really need that kidney.” She hesitated, then pushed, “Your condition is worsening—”
He cut her off. “Alessia stays here until I find Renat.”
Before I could react, the door opened and I stumbled, caught off guard as I was leaning on it. Rodion stepped inside. Instinct pulled me back. His eyes met mine, and everything clicked into place. He didn’t sell me to Leonid in exchange for money but…kidney? No. No.
A breath caught in my throat as my legs moved on their own. “I … I’m sorry.” The words slipped out as I turned to the hallway and made for the front door, not sure where I was heading. By the time it sank in, I was already running.
Sweat clung to me. My feet ached from running through the dense undergrowth, but I pushed forward, my body acting on pure instinct. Every breath came sharp, rattling in my chest, and yet, despite all the distance I thought I had covered, I came to a staggering halt.
Rodion stood in front of me, like an immovable force. Smokecurled from the cigarette in his fingers. His gaze locked onto me as if he had been waiting all along.
A slow exhale left his lips, the smoke unfurling in the air between us. His voice cut through the quiet. “You’re running in circles.”
Rage twisted deep in my chest. My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms until they burned. I hated him with every breath in my body.
I swallowed. “I needed fresh air.” My voice was as steady as I could make it.
Rodion’s lips curled into a smirk, and he gestured to the vast emptiness around us. “Then have it.”
Something about his indifference made me want to scream. I turned away instead, walking past him toward a fallen log. My knees buckled as I lowered myself to the ground, drawing them up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I only had one question, just one. I stared at the ground, my thoughts racing.
Would he hand me back to Leonid after he finds Renat?
He sold me, not for money or power, but for a kidney. My hands tightened around my legs. I hadn’t even noticed Rodion moving until he pushed a burning cigarette in front of me. My breath caught as I stared at it.