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The flight to Colombia was as long as normal.

Fourteen hours.

A set amount of time that I had spent contemplating what the fuck Sevan had been up to.

It was one big circle in my head.

Sevan.

Another woman.

That's all I could think about.

Which left me angry.

And irritated.

By the time the flight was over, I wanted to physically rip my brain from my head and never think another thought again.

I refrained.

Only because I needed a few decent words to yell at Sevan for not answering me.

I had never rehearsed what I imagined myself saying to someone.

I never had to.

But oddly enough, I felt a little nervous.

Because what if there is that small chance that Sevan is not with a woman?

I would need something better to say to her.

A better explanation.

Especially since she specified for us to take space.

And I didn't listen...

But do I ever?

Because I don't recall ever claiming I would listen.

I suddenly glanced up from my bright phone displaying the three delivered texts to Sevan—noticing the steel black gates we pulled in front of.

There were some quiet words exchanged with the guards.

Who seemed bent on not letting us through?

Odd.

Something isn't right.

But finally, after dropping my name along with the guards glancing to the backseat where I remained—they opened the gates.

And I couldn't tell if it was out of recognition or if Sevan had previously told them to.

I'm going to assume it was recognition since she can't answer her phone.

I furrowed my brows, noticing the tall palm trees lining the long illuminated driveway.

The night sky was no match for the lights installed all over the huge property.

Especially when you made it to the front of the large mansion.

It was made of classic white marble with pillars and three levels that sprawled beyond the acres of land.

The entire front of the house was illuminated by lights—along with the three fountains that had lights installed in the clear water.

It was very beautiful.

Especially with the palm trees lining the sides of the driveway.

It felt like some tropical hideaway.

I drew in a deep breath when my driver opened my door, realizing I had no real game plan from here.

Do I just knock on the door?

Or walk in?

Whose house is this?

I suddenly glanced over, noticing the double doors opening and a tall figure sliding out into the night.

Their stance was calm, their walking smooth as they past the porch where the light remained off—descending the small amount of marble stairs.

Where the lights against the house revealed their face.

Or her face.

"Sevan," I said almost immediately, eyeing the black dress pants and vest she wore—which left her arms bare and roaming with her usual tattoos.

Her short dark hair was perfectly messy, remaining tucked away from her bare face that looked beyond glowy under the dim lights.

She looked very good.

Annoyingly so.

I would've rather have seen her losing her mind being away from me.

So this will just not satisfy me.

"You shouldn't be here, Zinovia," was the first thing she had to say to me.

The audacity?

"You should have mentioned that when you texted me back," I purposely said, crossing my arms over my chest, "Oh but you didn't... text me back."

Sevan shook her head as she stopped in front of me, "I don't have that phone on me," she said, eyeing my face for such a long moment.

It made weird tingles ripple down my skin.

"You don't that phone on you?" I repeated back to her as if her words were the epitome of unintelligent.

Because they are.

Very much so.

"It was destroyed out of precaution," Sevan explained, and I couldn't help but glance down to her hands still remaining in her pockets.

She does not touch me like usual?

Odd.

"I still have eyes on you and you're good," Sevan went to speak again when I remained silent, "But you can't be here."

I raised a brow, "Why? Another woman?" I purposely asked her, attempting to walk past her.

Sevan sharply grabbed my wrist—tugging me right back to her.

"Zinovia you're leaving," Sevan said, her tone as serious as ever—along with her stare.

But of course I didn't listen.

She didn't bother to provide any explanation.

Especially not to my assumption about another woman here.

So I only crossed my arms over my chest, standing my ground.

Which earned a long sigh from Sevan, clearly growing irritated with me, "I don't want to raise my voice with you," she murmured, never once glancing away from my eyes, "But this is crossing the line."

I shrugged, "You do not explain what line," I said, narrowing my eyes at her skeptically, "If you have other woman, you tell me with confidence—don't be coward."

Sevan shook her head to herself, "It's not another woman," she said, letting out a deep sigh as she walked past me to the car, "Now leave."

I furrowed my brows, weirdly feeling affected by her distant body language and her words.

Which seemed less warm with me.

She overall felt less warm.

I am confused.

"You are being very..." I trailed off, eyeing her as she stood by the car, "Are you mad at me Sevan?" I couldn't help but ask, abandoning my first sentence entirely.

Because I wanted to say she is being very mean.

But it sounded too pathetic in my head.

"I'm mad that you came here," Sevan said, her tone still nothing but serious, "I'm mad that you couldn't listen to me for fucking once—even when both of our reputations are on the line," she added, shaking her head yet again as she glanced away from me, "I gave you one task, Zinovia."

I bit back the urge to scoff, "If you followed up on that one task I would not be here," I countered back, my tone growing so obviously irritated with her.

"You shouldn't be here at all," Sevan corrected me, motioning her head toward the car that she wanted me in.

But before I could take a step forward, Sevan's dark eyes darted past me—immediately making me turn around.

Mostly out of curiosity of who she is with right now.

And da, it was a woman.

Only she was older.

Very tall and skinny too.

She had dark hair that fell to her mid-back, every strand around her face nearly glistening.

It added youth to her.

The wrinkles around her eyes were the only thing that revealed her age.

She wore a white blouse with flowy dress pants and sandals, keeping her arms crossed over her chest as she approached us.

"Mierda," Sevan sighed, taking a larger step toward me.

And then another.

Almost shielding me from the woman.

"?Quién es esta?" the woman spoke, her voice much stronger than I imagined it to be.

"Solo es un amigo, madre. Tranquila, puedes volver a entrar," Sevan said back, leaving me clinging to every word she could possibly say.

Even if I didn't recognize any part of the language.

Only one word stood out to me.

Madre.

This is her mother?

I am in the presence of Sevan's mother.

Now I see why she wanted me to leave.

I am entering the territory of her family.

"Nonsense, I meet this friend," the woman finally spoke in English, leaving me slightly offended by the word friend.

But at the same time.

What else could we possibly be?

Sevan doesn't seem to want more.

It feels like we are in this very dark room and I am the only one with a flashlight—knowing that I want something slightly more from this.

"Madre," Sevan went to say, but the woman had already stepped past her.

And as soon as her dark eyes were on me, I felt oddly out of my element.

Especially with her eyes openly taking in my appearance.

I think I... cared about this woman's opinion?

Blyat.

That is a first.

"Estamos bien aquí afuera, padre," Sevan suddenly called out, causing my eyes to dart away from the woman standing in front of me.

To the man now approaching us.

He was a few inches taller than Sevan, his build much more muscular and lean.

His dark hair was lingering with noticeable grey hairs—along with his brown eyes that had an ample amount of wrinkles surrounding them.

This is Sevan's father.

Odd.

Very fucking odd.

For some reason, I had never imagined the idea that she had parents.

But everyone has parents.

Sevan just doesn't feel like everyone.

"Sev has very beautiful friend mi amor," the woman spoke, completely aware of her husband's presence without glancing behind her.

"Oh, you have friend join us?" the man spoke as he stopped beside Sevan, sliding his hands into his pockets.

And side by side, I could see so much resemblance.

Especially with their similar stance.

Sevan just appeared much more irritated than him.

"No, she's leaving," Sevan said, now motioning me over to the SUV waiting for me.

And I couldn't help but listen to her for once, realizing I should have listened this entire time.

I really should not be here.

"What is your name, cari?o?" the woman asked against what Sevan had previously specified.

Which I could tell bothered Sevan.

Mostly by the deep breath she drew in, stopping by my side as we faced her parents.

"Koslov," I spoke, furrowing my brows at the last name that I was accustomed to using, "Via Koslov," I said a little stronger, correcting my posture.

The woman and man both nodded, but I recognized the faint recognition cross their features as they eyed me.

"Viviana," the woman introduced herself to me.

The man took a step forward, "Ramiro," he said, extending his hand to me.

Which I glanced down to for a moment, almost blinking a few times in confusion.

Until I finally struck my hand out, awkwardly shaking his hand with furrowed brows.

"You are Russian?" Viviana asked me curiously as I let go of Ramiro's hand.

"Da, very Russian," I said, watching as a slow smile grew on her lips.

"We knew your father," Viviana said, causing my brows to furrow even deeper.

"Dimitri Koslov," Ramiro specified, his tone coming off as proud.

Which made my defenses lower slightly.

"He was a very good man," Viviana added with a small smile directed at me.

"And feared if you got on the wrong side," Ramiro said as he secured his arm around Viviana's waist.

Which looked so natural with them.

"Da," I mumbled almost wordlessly, unsure of what I am supposed to say to them.

Luckily, Sevan cleared her throat before I could say anything, "Via has to leave," she said, using the unfamiliar nickname.

She is mad.

She is very mad.

"Nonsense, it's very late," Viviana said, grabbing her husband's wrist to eye the time on his Rolex watch, "She stays the night and can join us for dinner."

I awkwardly pursed my lips, unsure of what to say.

Especially with Sevan growing visibly tenser beside me.

She does not want me here.

And I do not feel like I should be here either.

"It is fine, I leave and—"

"I insist you stay cari?o," Viviana cut me short, her tone much firmer than before.

And the emphasis she provided meant I would be staying.

Especially since Sevan nor her father had anything to contribute.

She runs the show here it seems.

"I stay," I determined, for once listening to someones demands immediately.

Sevan let out a deep sigh, "I'll walk you to the guest house," she determined, her words as short as ever with me.

I nodded once, unsure of what to say to her.

Especially with how irritated she seemed to be.

So I decided to leave her be, telling my driver to grab my packed suitcases from the trunk for me.

"Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes," Viviana said as Sevan and I walked past them both.

And as we grew closer to the house, I anticipated how everything would be.

The smell, the pictures, even the decorations.

It was an entirely different world.

One that Sevan clearly does not want me in.