Chapter three
787 Words
She had been counting the seconds since dinner ended.
Two thousand and twelve.
That’s how many heartbeats had passed since Konstantin’s eyes met hers over the rim of his whiskey glass. Cold. Possessive. Daring her to move.
Anya had excused herself early. She had smiled like the perfect wife and walked up the stairs without looking back, her hands trembling only once the door shut behind her.
Now, in the dark sanctuary of her bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing the emerald satin gown he liked most — the one with the low back and cruel neckline. Her shoes had already been kicked off, her bare feet resting on the cold floor. The window was still latched. Locked. But not for long.
The hidden key beneath the floorboard was in her hand. Tonight was her only chance.
The guards would be rotating soon. A ten-minute window. Enough to slip out the back entrance and run. Even barefoot, even bleeding, she’d rather crawl through the snow than stay another night in this house.
She stood up, heart thudding in her chest.
Few more minutes,and she will be out of this place.
Then the door creaked.
She froze.
The handle turned.
No knock. No warning.
Konstantin stepped in, the scent of cologne and whiskey clinging to him like a second skin. His jacket was gone, shirt untucked, his pale blue eyes darker than usual, almost lazy with drink. His smile was slow and dangerous.
“I thought you’d be asleep,” he said, closing the door behind him.
She tried to hide the key behind her back, slipping it beneath a pillow as she forced a tight smile. “I was just about to.”
He took a step closer.
“No kiss for your husband?”
Her stomach turned. “Konstantin, you’re drunk.”
He laughed. “Not enough to forget what’s mine.”
Her breath caught. No,not this. Not tonight please. The thought of what was going through her mind was enough to make her stomach turn.
He had never touched her but why start now? she wondered at what bad timing this was
He stepped toward her, slow, deliberate. She took a step back.
“Please,” she said quietly, “not tonight.”
“Oh? And who gave you the right to say no?”
His voice was still soft, but the violence underneath it was louder than any scream.
“I’m tired,” she tried, voice shaking. “Just let me sleep.”
“Are you tired of me?” he whispered, now only inches away.
“Don’t do this.”
His hand lashed out before she could move.
The slap cracked across her face, sharp and sudden. Her head jerked sideways, a sharp cry escaping her lips. The taste of blood bloomed against her tongue.
Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t fall.
Not this time.
“Don’t talk to me like I’m some beggar on the street,” he hissed, grabbing her by the arm, yanking her close. “You forget who made you untouchable. Who let you live.”
“I didn’t ask for this!” she cried, struggling.
He shoved her backward onto the bed. She landed hard, her breath leaving her in a gasp. Her head hit the edge of the pillow. She reached to push him off, but he pinned her wrists, his grip iron.
“Konstantin, please!” she screamed.
He didn’t stop.
No matter how she begged, no matter how she cried.
The room blurred.
Her mind fractured.She went still after.
Silent. Eyes on the ceiling. Skin burning.
He lay beside her like nothing happened, breath heavy but satisfied. Her dress was torn. Her legs were cold. Her body didn't feel like hers anymore.
She heard his words in her head:
Mine.
Always mine.
But she wasn’t his.Not anymore.
When he finally got up,he whispered "I'm pretty sure I've given you too much freedom, that was amazing though,I'll be back for more later. I'm going to enjoy breaking you"
and he left the room, not even bothering to look back, she didn’t move right away.
Her body ached.Her soul screamed.
But her heart stayed steady.
Because this time, something inside her had cracked.
Not broken to the point of no repairs, just shifted.
And when she sat up minutes later, quietly sliding her hand beneath the pillow to find the hidden key still there, her fingers didn’t tremble. They clenched.
Looking at the pool of blood on her bed,a tear dropped from her eyes but the resolve strong as pain surged through her legs,she cleaned herself up pretty nicely and waited till the guard shift.
"Just few more minutes" She whispered.
- Writer
