Page 32 of Silent Ties

Sergei opens the door for me. My heels clack against the tile as I enter.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

The host smiles like he understands how awe-inspiring the architecture is.

But I’m talking about the desserts on display right inside the lobby.

People are snapping photos, it’s so brilliant. There’s every type of cake imaginable, all three-tiered. Chocolate, vanilla, pistachio. The icing swirls delicately and there’s different tiers of macrons and cupcakes.

I inhale the sugar, my mouth watering.

Okay, if I get to eat one of these things, maybe lunch won’t be so bad.

Yelena is already seated and for a second I think she won’t bother to stand. With the smallest of sighs, she does, tucking a white blonde strand of hair behind her ear. She’s regal, in a sweater and skirt similar to mine. She pulls it off better, with her impeccable makeup and styled hair. Dainty gold jewelry dangles around her wrist and neck.

She presses a kiss on each of my cheeks, my toes curling in my heels to keep me from rearing back like I want to.

“Do you know Marissa well?” She stabs a piece of lettuce. The conversation is a stilted affair, frequently lapsing into silence when Yelena stares off with a bored expression.

Maybe I’m slow, but I’m starting to understand how attached I’ll always be to Marissa. I could explain to these people a thousand times that I used to go out of my way to avoid her. Kept my head down as she terrorized the neighborhood I grew up in.

That caveat doesn’t matter, though.

I’m the last-minute bride Marissa substituted on the day her daughter should’ve married into bratva royalty. Even if I stay married to Max for sixty years, the story will never go away.

And even worse? Marissa won’t go away.

Sergei never leaves my side when I go out, but that hasn’t stopped me from seeing faces from my past. Gloria’s never reappeared, but I know it’s a matter of time. They’ll pressure me into getting intel and my worst fear is they’ll use Daisy to do so.

“I don’t know Marissa well.” I take a sip of water. Cucumber floats in it.

Yelena makes some little huff under her breath. “Olga says you get no visitors.”

I know Olga watches me; I’m not a simpleton. But I admit, I’m slightly taken aback by how much information she feeds to Yelena. I thought her spying went to Maxim, but maybe not.

“I don’t have much family,” I respond. And I’m not getting people involved in this crazy new life.

Another pout of the lips. “She says you don’t exercise very much. You need to or you’ll get fat.”

There’s a pointed look implying her last word should be ‘fatter’.

“I’ll take it under advisement.”

Blue eyes narrow at my perceived mocking tone. A waiter carries a slice of cake to the table beside us and I can’t take my eyes off it. I deserve one for having to deal with this.

Color me unsurprised when Yelena rolls her eyes. She pays for the meal, which consisted of two of the most boring salads ever made, and then simply says she’ll see me next week.

If she hadn’t walked me to the front, I might consider getting a dessert to go, but her eyes watch me like a hawk.

Get the damn cake.It’s Daisy’s voice, clear as day. My heart couldn’t squeeze tighter unless someone placed it in their fist.

“Can you pull over?” I ask Pavel ten minutes later. I’m sick of sitting in traffic and I’m sick of sitting at home. Pavel and Sergei share a look like always but the latter shrugs. “It’s fine,” I tell Sergei when he opens my door and I slip out. “I just need to walk.”

He says nothing, following a respectful distance behind. We’re blocks away from the penthouse, but it’s a straight shot. I’ve not explored my new neighborhood and I stare into every storefront, but I don’t take anything in.

Sergei coughs. When I glance back, he jerks his head toward a building. “Mr. Zimin enjoys spending time there.”

It’s a bookstore, spanning multiple floors. I’m not a reader like Max but I’m impressed. This is the type of store a bookworm wants to get lost in.