Page 99 of Sweet Deception

Still, if I didn’t take something soon, I wouldn’t last long enough to find Tatiana, let alone save her.

I forced open the window, the cold air slamming into me like a punishment. It smelled like rain. Sharp, fresh, alive.

Unlike me.

I had shut the world out, but it was still moving, still breathing. And whether I liked it or not, I had to step back into it.

Then I picked up the phone and dialed Zoya. “Make me a warm coffee,” I said before hanging up.

Dragging myself to the bathroom, I forced a quick shower, hoping it would shake off the sluggishness. When I finally checked my watch, my stomach dropped.

Two days.

I had been locked away for two days.

Anna hadn’t come looking for me.

She knew I hadn’t traveled. She knew I was here, dealing with the weight of my sister’s situation. And yet, nothing. No knock on my door. No attempt to check if I was alive.

I understood what this was. A business deal sealed with a ring. No love. No loyalty beyond what was required.

But I still expected... something. A single knock. A message. A sign that my absence wasn’t just an empty space in her life.

But wasn’t she supposed to have some iota of care? Some sliver of concern, the way I did for her?

With a clenched jaw, I made my way to the dining table and took a sip of the coffee, the bitter warmth coating my empty stomach. I intended to go to Anna as soon as I finished. Demand an explanation, even if I wasn’t sure why I cared so much.

But then a fresh scent drifted into the room, cutting through my frustration.

Something warm. Familiar.

Chicken.

I turned toward the source just as the door creaked open.

Zoya walked in, holding a plate of chicken in her hands.

She set the plate down beside me with a sigh. “You need to eat, Gleb. You haven’t touched food in two days.”

I didn’t argue. My body was wrecked, exhausted, and hollow. I grabbed the plate and tore into the food like a starving man.

As I swallowed the last bite, I noticed Zoya turning to leave.

“Wait.” My voice was hoarse. “What has Anna been doing these past two days?”

She hesitated, shifting on her feet.

Dread curled in my stomach.

I shoved the plate away.

“Where is my wife?”

Zoya exhaled. “Italy.”

The word crashed into me like a wrecking ball.

I surged to my feet, knocking my chair back with a crash. “No. No, that’s not possible.”