Chapter 11
Nikolai’s arm tightened around me, his smirk only deepening as he met Ryan’s eyes. The moment I spoke, Ryan’s hand, which had been desperately trying to hold on, fell limply to his side. I turned, walking away with Nikolai.
Ryan’s voice echoed as I stood up, Nikolai guiding me gently by the hand. He cradled the tiny kitten I had been playing with earlier, its soft pink bow a stark contrast to the tension in the air. I held the kitten in my arms like a child, and I could see how much that sight tortured Ryan. He was imagining what it would be like if that were our child instead. The thought seemed to shatter him.
Unable to bear it, he turned abruptly and walked away, each step heavy with the
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weight of his failure.
“So… we’re getting married, huh?” Nikolai teased, his voice warm with amusement. “Are you planning to make me get down on one knee, Helena?”
I gave him a wry smile. “Nope. Not going to happen.”
Nikolai chuckled, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Then are you going to kidnap me and force me to marry you instead?”
I blushed at how cheesy his words were, but I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. For a moment, his gaze lingered on me, his eyes unreadable but intense. Then he spoke again, this time softer, more serious.
“If you’re not interested in the deal we made, I won’t bother you with marriage.”
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I raised an eyebrow, teasing him. “Are your planning to make me wait another five years?”
“What?” Nikolai’s eyes widened in surprise at my unexpected response.
Before we could continue, Ryan reappeared, dragging Catherine along with him.
struggled against his grip, glaringare with
barely concealed venom. When she finally
stopped, she pasted a fake smile on her face, turning to face me.
“Helena,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “I think you’re being a little childish. How could you possibly believe something like that about Ryan and me? It’s all just a misunderstanding. Since you left, Ryan hasn’t-”
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“What did you call my wife?” Nikolai’s voice was firm, a low growl that cut through her words like a blade. My heart lifted at the possessiveness in his tone, and I was about to ignore Catherine entirely when Nikolai stood up, towering over her. She looked up, her face draining of color as fear flooded her eyes.
“Do you think,” Nikolai said coldly, “that just because you’re a woman, I’ll let you walk all over me?”
Catherine’s face turned pale, the confidence she once had completely evaporating. I pulled on Nikolai’s sleeve, urging him to stop, but he didn’t move. He held me close, his arm around me like a shield.
“Let go, Helena,” Nikolai muttered under his breath. “I don’t want you to see what I’m about to do.”
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Before I could protest, Cather
sliced through the air again. “How could you cheat on Ryan?”
The words stopped me in my tracks, freezing me completely. For a split second, I hesitated. Then something inside me snapped.
I reached for the kitten in Nikolai’s arms, setting it down gently before I walked toward Catherine. Without thinking, I slapped her hard across the face. The sound of the blow rang out in the tense silence. Catherine stumbled backward, falling onto the pavement, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her tears flowed freely now, raw and real.
I grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back so she was forced to look at me.
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“Helena?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Please-‘
I leaned in close, my voice low and filled with fury. “I am Helena Alexander Durand!” I hissed, tightening my grip on her hair. “How dare a worthless nobody like you think you can walk all over me? I’ve watched men bleed out since I was three–do you really think you’re alive because I don’t have the power to bury you six feet under?”
I pulled her face closer, my words like poison. “You’re alive because I haven’t bothered with you. I’m not some disgusting animal who betrays her partner. That man standing over there?” I pointed toward Ryan, my voice dripping with contempt. “He’s not my husband anymore.”
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