Once Upon A Lie

Thirty-nine:

Thirty-nine:

Aleksander had never appreciated how terrifying Leo Starkov could be. Alina's father was normally the quiet, reserved artist. He oversaw everything creative at The Fold. He had been responsible for some of their best movies, and the best rides at their theme parks. He normally saw him as a man with a sketch pad or who had paint all over his fingers. Alina was the same, exact way. Always sketching something or painting.

Now, he was pacing in the foyer of the Morozova mansion, angrily ranting about Alina. "This is all your fucking fault. It was your goddamn idea!" Leo shouted. Eric stood in the foyer next to him, listening to his business partner shouting at him.

Eric laughed. "My idea? Leo, you practically forced me to take the girl. You were the one who kept on bringing it up. You were terrified that the girl was going to lose her inheritance because she has a fickle heart."

Aleksander wondered if either man actually really knew Alina. The girl that they were describing wasn't the one that he knew. He checked his phone again, wishing that she would text him or call him. But there hadn't been anything. And the bad part was he didn't know her new number. Her parents had changed it when the incident with the bleachers had happened.

"Your son was the one that proposed it in the first place!" Leo said.

Aleksander couldn't take it anymore. They were arguing over nonsense. He needed to know where Alina was. He went upstairs, and locked himself in his room. Once he was up there, he called Nikolai.

"Please tell me that you're not plotting my murder," Nikolai said, "I had nothing to do with the arranged marriage. I tried talking them out of it. They wouldn't listen to me. I let Alina know as soon as it happened and I don't know where she----"

"Relax, Nik," said Aleksander, "I'm not going to kill you."

There was a pause. "Oh. Then why are you calling me?"

"I don't have Alina's new number. They changed her cell phone number when the bleachers incident happened. Do you have it?"

"Aleks, my dad's got a security guard going after her. Fedyor Kaminsky. He's ex mob, Aleksander. He's dangerous. He was told to bring Alina in no matter what. Fedyor told my father that the only reason he didn't catch Alina today was that she ran into the church of The Starless Saint."

Aleksander gripped the phone tightly. "The church of The Starless Saint? Why? The only reason she goes there is on Sundays, to please her father. She doesn't like it. Says that the place creeps her out."

"She talked to The Apparat," Nikolai said, "she explained what had happened, and she said that she had consummated her relationship with you."

Aleksander let out a breath. "I don't know why that's important, and now The Apparat knows I had sex before marriage, and I am going to be damned."

Nikolai sighed. "Aleks, that's not the important part. Fedyor said that The Apparat wouldn't let Alina out of the church unless you went to get her. In the eyes of the church, because you consummated your relationship and were in an arranged marriage, he says that the two of you are married. You're the only one that he'll release Alina to."

"What does that mean?" Aleksander asked.

"It means that she's being held hostage by the church."

"Fuck!" Aleksander exclaimed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. Nikolai, give me her phone number anyway."

"Do you think that Alina will even have her cell phone?" Nikolai asked. "She's probably locked in a room somewhere in the church."

"Give me the fucking number anyway, Nikolai!" Aleksander demanded.

Nikolai gave him the number.

"Thanks, Nik," Aleksander answered.

"Yeah, of course," Nikolai said, "just make sure that she's safe, Aleks. I don't want to marry the girl, but she's still my friend. I care about----"

"Don't push your luck," Aleksander hissed.

"Right. Okay then." Nikolai ended the call.

Aleksander dialed Alina's number.

After two rings, she answered. "Aleks!" her voice was desperate.

"Alina!" he called. "Are you hurt? Where are you?"

"I'm stuck in the church," Alina replied, "The Apparat won't let me leave. I ran in here to escape a security guard the Lantsovs had watching me. The only way I could escape was by telling him about us, and now The Apparat has me locked in a room. He thinks you're my husband because we slept together, and he'll only release me to you."

"Fuck!" Aleksander exclaimed. "Lina, don't worry. I'm going to come get you, alright. Everything's going to be okay, I promise. Do you believe me?"

"I believe you," Alina said, "but hurry, Aleksander. Please hurry."