“Sure.”
“Do you still want to escape your husband?”
“No,” I say and mean it.
“Why not?”
“I never wanted to leave him in the first place. I was just…at a point where I was lost, and I thought leaving him was the right choice. It took a lot to recognize that wasn’t true and to finally see where my actual priorities lie.”
“That’s nice.” She smiles a little. “I wish I knew where my priorities are, aside from my next meal.”
“You’ll get there. I’ll help you.”
“You…will?”
“Definitely. Everyone deserves a second chance.” I pick up the apple and start to cut it. “Tell me more about yourself.”
We spend a good part of the night talking. Winter tells me about her upbringing and how tough life was and that until she met me, she constantly thought about committing suicide but didn’t have the courage to go through with it.
My heart breaks for her and all the shit she went through despite her young age. I end up talking about ballet and everything that went down with it.
Winter hugs me when I get to the part about my broken tibia. Although I thought I was over that part of my life, tears spring to my eyes at the reminder and I have to take deep breaths to stop myself from crying.
I suggest that she see Dr. Taylor since she helped me tremendously with therapy after I got back to being Lia.
I reluctantly leave her when she yawns, promising her that she’ll be able to at least go with me and Jer to the garden tomorrow.
In the main house, I place the empty tray on the kitchen counter and load the plates in the dishwasher.
“I’ll take care of it.”
I jump, placing a hand to my chest at Ogla’s monotone voice. “You scared me. Make a noise, would you?”
The older woman stares at me with her signature snobbish expression.
Ignoring her comment, I continue putting everything in the dishwasher, then press the On button. Ogla watches my every movement with hawk attention, with both her palms placed on her stomach, but doesn’t say a word or attempt to leave.
It’s the first time she’s willingly spent more time than needed with me. She’s usually ready to leave me behind and get on with her business.
I lean against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest. “If you have something to say, go ahead, say it and spare us the suspense. If this is about Winter and how Adrian intends to keep her locked—”
“Thank you.”
If my jaw could hit the floor, it would right about now. “What did you just say? I think I’m hearing things.”
“Thank you for bringing Boss back. You’re the only one who could’ve done something like that.”
I swallow to not choke on my own spit, then clear my throat. “I…I did what any wife would’ve done for her husband.”
“No, you went beyond that.” She pauses. “At first, I thought you were the wrong choice for him.”
I narrow my eyes on her. “You preferred Kristina, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. Your honesty is cutting.”
“She was the most logical choice for him while you were…well, uninterested mostly, so I thought maybe he’d made a grave mistake. However, over the years, I’ve realized that you might be the most fitting for him.”
“Why?”
“Because you accept him the way he is. Not even his parents did that.”
My interest piques and I straighten a little. “You’ve been here since the time his parents were alive, right?”
“True.”
“Since his stepmother?”
“Yes.”
“How was his relationship with her?”
“Like yours and Jeremy’s, without the singing and dancing.”
“He missed out.” I grin, then soften my voice. “What about him and his mother?”
“Not good. She only ever used him against his father.”
“And his father allowed that?”
“Not when he was around, but he couldn’t stop her when he wasn’t.”
“At least his relationship with his father was good.”
“Not exactly. The late Mr. Volkov had…many expectations of Boss when he was just a boy.”
“I can’t believe how cruel his parents were. But I guess that’s what shaped him into who he is today.”
“Yes. Since his mother’s death, Boss has been an adult trapped in a child’s body, and he’s kept closing off more the older he’s gotten.” The harsh lines around her eyes soften for the first time since I met her. “Until you.”
“M-me?”
“He went out of his way to do things for you. Before you came along, he never even had meals at regular times, no matter how much Kolya and I nagged about it. Then he asked me to prepare lunch boxes so he could take them to you. After that, he at least started eating dinner. And ever since he married you, he makes the time to eat breakfast and lunch with you, too.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“There are a lot of things that you’ve changed about him.”
I inch closer, hungry for more. “Such as?”
“Feelings. He used to make it his mission to smother them, but you bring them out. At one point, most of them were anger, though.”
“Well, he made me mad, too.”
Her lips move in what resembles a smile, but it doesn’t quite go there. “I’m sure he did.”
“Thank you, Ogla.”
“Whatever for?”
“Being there for this family. For him.”
“I’m the one who’s supposed to thank you for saving his life, even if there will be a price to pay.”
“A price to pay?”
“Sergei and Lazlo won’t let this slide. Surely you know this.”
I do. That’s why I have to do something about it before they do.
Offense is the best defense.
Getting Adrian on board is going to be the hardest thing about this plan, though.
But then again, I have my wifely charms to use. Adrian’s guard is down slightly when he’s inside me or after he’s fucked me, and I’m not above using that to my advantage.
29
Lia
A few days later, I insist on taking Winter to see Dr. Taylor.
Of course, the tyrant, Adrian, doesn’t like it and even says that my safety is in jeopardy, especially if anyone who’s watching figures out that I have a look-alike.
So I made sure Winter and I dressed differently and I even helped her bleach her hair to a shiny blonde. It’s strange how a mere factor such as hair color can change so much about a person. When I stand beside her and we look in the mirror, there’s much less of a resemblance between us.
In fact, I’m a bit shorter than Winter and my dark hair softly frames my face. The blue of my eyes stands out in a sparkling, almost demure kind of way. I’ve never had a piercing stare or even a convincing glare. Winter, on the other hand, has her hair in a ponytail, which brings out her cheekbones that I spent some time highlighting with makeup. Her eyes are also a raging blue, but until now, that all seemed to be hidden under the surface.