Page 88 of Sweet Deception

He studied me for a long moment. “I am. Because you aren’t like your family. You don’t deserve my hostility.”

I nodded slowly.

His voice dropped lower. “You wanted to know why I’ve never touched you. Why my body feels dead?”

I leaned down, my lips brushing his ear. “You can tell me another time.”

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. I felt the steady rise and fall of his chest, the quiet tension in his muscles.

I buried my face against him, my heart aching for the man beneath me. How much had he lost?

His voice was barely above a whisper. “You aren’t crying, are you?”

I rubbed my face against the pillow, hiding the wetness in my eyes. “No. I’m not crying.”

But I was.

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the emptiness beside me. The warmth of his body was gone, the sheets cold. My stomach clenched. Where was he?

And... I was covered with a duvet. He must have placed it over me before he left.

I sat up and swiped open the window, seeing the soft hues of daybreak. Had he left without telling me?

I freshened up quickly, the question still nagging at me. Has he gone for another business trip? A sharp pang of irritation ran through me.

Downstairs in the dining area, Zoya greeted me.

“Good morning, Anna. Would you like me to bring you breakfast?”

I shook my head. “I just want coffee. But I’ll make it myself.”

She followed me into the kitchen. “Are you sure? I can make it for you.”

I turned on the coffee machine. “My legs may be weak, but my hands still work just fine.”

Zoya nodded. “Okay, if that’s what you want. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

I glanced at her. “Do you know where Gleb went?”

She hesitated for a moment before answering. “It’s family dinner night,” Zoya said. “He never misses it.”

Compulsory family dinner? He never mentioned that.

“Oh. Thank you,” I murmured. At least he hadn’t left the country this time.

I took my coffee to the dining area and drank it quietly. the warmth spreading through me. Four months ago, I couldn’t have stood here making my own coffee. Now, I could stand for minutes at a time. Small victories.

After finishing my coffee, I wandered to the library, hoping to find something new to read. A historical novel set in 1880s Russia caught my attention. The blurb intrigued me, but as always, I flipped to the last page first. Tragic ending.

I sighed and shoved it back onto the shelf. reached for another book, skimming the back cover. Boring.

Another. Predictable. I sighed, my fingers drifting back to the first book.

Fine. If I was going to cry, I’d at least be prepared.

Curling into a chair, I opened the book and began reading.

The male lead, the emperor at that time, was rumored to be the devil’s brother. His past six empresses had died after their first night with him. Doctors had examined him, searching for an explanation. None had found one.