She was lost and so was he.
Who knew that two broken hearts can connect to one.
Arabella's world has been rigged since the day she was born. Her fate had been decided for her much longer before she even had been conceived in the womb. So it came as...
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"Who the fuck are you?" I grit out, despite my head pounding in pain. My finger tightens on the trigger as she stands, but I hesitate, taking a good look at her. She wears a flowing white dress that falls to her ankles, where gold heels are strapped on. Her blonde hair is pin-straight and short, barely reaching her shoulders.
Alexei's wife.
"I think you just figured out who I am," she replies softly, her voice poised. She slowly turns to face me, and I take in her appearance—her face is clean, untouched, as flawless as the rest of her. Not a single imperfection. She offers me a gentle smile, yet my gun doesn't waver. I've fallen for the facade before and been burned.
"You really are beautiful," she says as she takes a step closer. I instinctively step back, glaring at her.
"Stay back or you'll end up just like your husband. Hint: he's not alive anymore." My voice is cold, and I make it clear with the threat, but I'm taken aback when she quietly laughs. She doesn't move, though, only raising her hands in surrender.
"I assumed," she says. A beat of silence. "They aren't here, you know."
"You're lying. I know you've kept Dominic hidden somewhere in this place. I will fucking blow your head off if you don't tell me where he is, Mrs. Petrov." I scoff, but her smile never fades. She simply shakes her head, her expression serene.
"Mrs. Rogers Petrov," she corrects me, her tone never faltering. "As in Christina Rogers Petrov."
Recognition slams into me. My eyes widen, the air around me suddenly colder, heavier. The name hits like a bolt of lightning, a jolt of realization.
Christina Rogers Petrov. I know exactly who she is now.
I loved her
I don't think I ever could stop
I love you, Chris. Don't leave me again.
Chris. Christina. Christina Rogers.
"The Christina?" I ask, my voice tight with disbelief. She nods. "Not possible. She's dead."
"You of all people should understand how easy it is to get kidnapped and have people believe whatever they want to believe." She moves to the window, staring outside with a solemn expression. "When I was 13, I was on my way home. I had taken a taxi from the library that day, deciding not to bother Isla, though I already lived with her as my guardian since my mom died. That had been one of the best and worst decisions of my life. Alexei took me then, already having decided that I would be his wife."
My gun slowly lowers, and she glances back at me with a sad smile. "You must understand what it's like to be so young and already chosen as a wife. To be a monster's child bride."
"Yeah," I say, swallowing hard at the reminder of Nicholas. The bile rises in my throat.
"My experience was slightly different from yours in the sense that it wasn't as rough. I didn't want to cooperate at first, so I was beaten a bit. But when I gave Alexei my word, he began treating me like a true wife. I was only ever hit if I did something wrong. Otherwise, I was rewarded and showered with gifts. Over time, I figured out what was right and wrong to his standard and kept it that way."
