𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙩 - 𝙔𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙓 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙍 ✓

35.

━━━

Never have I been so terrified of a conversation in my life. Stanislav, my first real love, conversing with my newlywed husband. Leila can see it on my face that I'm restless and unsettled. 

I can only watch as Stanislav physically looks down at my husband, shaking his hand with a firm grasp and a charming smile plastered over his face. My heart pounds against my chest, forcing a smile for my husband as Stanislav clearly finds amusement in how uncomfortable this is.

"So, Y/N, this is the man that swept you off your feet, yes?" He questions with the same smile, head flicking from Ryle to me. To everyone else, Stanislav seems like a sociable and charming guest. To me, this is taunting condescendence. Because he has secrets he can use against me at any point in time, and how unpredictable he is makes this worse. 

I can only hum in agreement and nod, holding Ryle's warm hand tightly for any sort of easing comfort. But I know it can only do so much. Especially when his demon of a man is here, after six years.

"So, who are you to Y/N? a friend? cousin or something?" My husband asks with a genuinely curious smile, and Stanislav lets a short, quiet chuckle out. He pairs it with a hum of thought before speaking. 

"Ahh, No, well, I consider her to be quite close to me. She was my nurse, actually," Oh god, kill me. Just kill me. Stop talking, please, stop talking. My heart only quickens, he really is going far back. For the love of God stop talking. My stomach twists, overwhelming heat flashes and light-headedness wavering through me as he speaks. 

"Oh, really? Yeah, she's great in the medical field, isn't she?" My husband raves with proud expression, and I force a chuckle and nod. Stanislav smiles also, the way he casually laughs picks at my skin and burns against me. I hate it. The sound, because it's not genuine. He finds it funny how this is torturing me, and I can't do a single thing. 

"Yes, she is. I met her when she became a new nurse at the place I was being treated at. She was always kind, she made sure I could ask her for anything, she was such a caring nurse. She always made sure I felt just as special as her other patients," every time Stanislav speaks, it makes me feel like a gun is being placed against my head and were playing Russian roulette. 

You never know what he's going to say, and if it's going to kill me internally or not. Thats the worst part; Stanislav has an immense amount of power in both his words and actions. He changes the aura wherever he goes, and his words can make or break you. He knows how to hurt you if he truly wanted to.

And I don't know what he wants to do. 

"Thats so great, I'm glad my wife could help you so much!" My husband boasts, and Stanislav nods and chuckles. "Yes, yes, she really helped me." Stanislav assures. "So, you're from Russia, right? you'd have to be the first Russian I've ever met, actually." My husband is truly invested in Stanislav, and that's what makes sociopaths so scary. They pull you in, they know how to talk to you. They know how to change and contort themselves into whatever will please you, while still being appealing enough for the other person to be interested in. 

"Oh, really?" Stanislav cocks a brow as he sips from his wine, before refilling his glass and sipping from it once more. "Yeah, how fluent are you?" Ryle questions. "Completely." "In English too?" "I would say so, yes. Second language. You seem to have no trouble understanding me either." I watch as they converse, and the only relief I get is my husband bidding his leave. 

"Gotta go to the bathroom, see you later," Ryle excuses, and only Stanislav and I are left to our own accord.

"Nice husband." Stanislav chuckles, sighing before he places his empty wine glass down. His scent sweeps me as his large, slender hand approaches. He guides and grazes the lace of my veil behind my shoulder, gaze fixated over me for a moment. It's strong, he's analysing me.