The Beast

Chapter 5

Chapter Five
The Start of a New Obsession

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LEV

   This place is so fucking white. Repulsing.

   Has this become a trend? Painting a room white and labelling it as polished? Even the kitchen feels like I'm in a sanitary hospital. White walls. White counters and cabinets. The furniture that came with the penthouse were even white.

   It could be considered heaven, but I already knew that it had no place for me. I already doomed my soul, so I prefer that I spend the rest of my living years not acting otherwise.

   I stood in the centre of the room, twisting the SRK in my hand when a phone rang. Pressing my teeth together, I looked fixatedly at the view of the Hudson River and pulled the phone out.

   "Somov," I answered impassively, only to be met with silence.

   "Lev Somov, you bought a penthouse?" Roza shouted in my ear. I cocked my head with indifference to her anger but said nothing. She began to ramble nonsense. "I cannot believe you. Papa had a place in New York. Why didn't you just stay there? Or rent? Or buy something smaller? Or stay with me? You're not going to be here long, and you decide to buy a twenty million dollar penthouse?"

   "It was thirty-six million."

   "Thirty-six?" She screeched before she took a few long breaths. "Lev..." Roza started slowly, as if controlling herself from erupting, as she always did. "This was a reckless purchase."

   "I convinced papa it will be useful for the future."

   Groaning, she exasperated, "How? He didn't agree to sell his old penthouse. He said it holds to many memories with him and mama, so why in the hell do we need two penthouses?"

   "You can give it to your children."

   She scoffed. "I have no children, and I don't plan to have any for a long time. Don't try to make it seem like you bought it for a selfless reason."

   "Okay. I didn't."

   For a moment, I appreciated her silence. Until I heard her make a disappointed noise. It instantly brought a rage inside me, and I gripped the SRK tighter to stop myself from digging it into my skin.

   "Levvy," she began in a soft whisper, "When are you going to visit? You've been here for over a month, and you still haven't come over. Daemon said he offered to take you hunting."

   Please. That was a poor proposition encouraged by my sister.

   "I've been busy, Roza. Someone has to be responsible for our families duties." I meant it as an obvious statement—neither Vladik nor Roza would step up and sacrifice the things I have. That's why I was the obvious heir to papa, despite being the youngest.

   It was never meant to be mine. It was supposed to belong to him.

   Spinning the SRK in my hand, I held a breath until the blade dug into my skin. Only then did I continue. "Is that all you had to say?"

   It sounded like she choked on something. The phone vibrated with a notification, and I pulled it back to read the message, only to loosen the grip on my SRK.

   I have a Hannah Elliot asking for entrance.

   Let her up. Put her on the list.

   My kukolka has arrived. The fun can begin. 

   "How about we continue this conversation another time," I said coolly, not waiting for a reply before hanging up.