Page 150 of Konstantin

I grip his wrist, the urge to go back to those last few days, before everything fell apart, overwhelming me. But it’s too late. The life we could’ve had is gone.

“None of it was real, Konstantin. You never truly knew me.”

In an instant, he presses the tip of the knife to my jugular. “I knew you. I still know you.” He fists my hair, dragging his lips and tongue across my mouth. “You think you can walk away from me after everything you’ve done?” His lips drop to my jaw with a growl. “After the way you slid into my heart? No, malyshka. You’re mine now, until I decide otherwise.”

“So, what’s the plan? Drag this out, then kill me?”

His fingers tighten around my hair as he pulls back, his gaze cold. “I should. But I still can’t do it. What does that say about me, dorogaya? Have I gone weak like my brothers think?”

“So, how does this end, huh? You keep hiding my identity and forcing me to stay as your wife? Because we both know it’s over, right? You won’t trust me after this, no matter what.”

The words taste bitter, and my gut twists with the finality of it. I hate that it’s over, that this is the end. All I want is to throw my arms around him and beg him to love me. For once in my life, I want to be loved with nothing in return, to have that unconditional devotion I never felt as a child.

His mouth curls into a twisted grin as he lets me go, and every inch of me turns ice cold. “You’ll stay here until I figure out how to keep my brothers from killing you.”

I shake my head, a harsh laugh escaping. “You’re insane. Youcan’t keep me locked up here.”

My heart beats louder, fear and adrenaline racing through me. I can’t stop him, but I won’t let him think I’m just going to let him walk all over me.

His eyes gleam with dark delight. “Give me your phone.”

He reaches for it, waiting. When I don’t move, he shakes his head.

“Either you give it to me, or I’ll take it. The choice is yours.”

I glare at him, but with a sigh, reach into my pocket and hand it over.

“I’ll keep it safe for you while you reflect on your life choices.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

He chuckles, turning away. In that second, something inside me snaps. Without thinking, my body moves faster than my mind can keep up. I lunge at him, and the knife slips from his grasp, clattering to the floor.

My fingers close around the cold handle, and for a brief second, power surges through me.

But he’s quicker. Before I can react, he’s effortlessly twisting my hand, sending the knife flying across the room.

He towers over me, a smirk still playing on his handsome face. “What now, Emilia?”

My breath comes in uneven bursts, my chest heaving, skin slick with a mix of sweat and the violent energy rushing inside me. Without warning, I kick him in the chin, and blood bursts from his mouth as he lets out a sinister laugh.

“You always know how to excite me. Both in the bedroom and out.”

I rush for the knife, fingertips grazing its tip, but he drags my legs before I can reach it. In the last second, though, I snatch it up.

He flips me over, teeth gritted, his fists on each side of my face. “Do you want me to bleed, Tessa?”

When he calls me by that name, I almost wonder if it’s on purpose,if it was him reminding me of my betrayal.

“Then let me bleed for you the way I always have.” Before I can process what he’s doing, he pushes his abdomen onto the blade.

“What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?!”

He laughs as his blood drips down onto my white tank top. Removing the knife from my hand, he tosses it across the room.

“You are mine, do you understand me? Mine!” In an instant, he yanks my shirt, tearing it violently, exposing my bra and bare skin beneath.

His fingers graze the cut on his abdomen, and without hesitation, he rips off his shirt, while his blood continues to drip, warm and sticky. The rawness of him stirs something dangerous inside me. He’s fearless, his grin wide, as though nothing can stop him. Rising onto his knees, he cups my jaw, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that starts soft, but quickly deepens, leaving me breathless, my body strung tight.