Page 14 of The Pakhan's Kidnapped Bride

“I’m Anya.”

“I’m Kira, this is my annoying sister, Katya.” She walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. I wrap my arms around her awkwardly.

“Oh my word, you smell divine!” she says excitedly.

Her sister, Katya, comes to hug me too.

“How do you know Emmanuil?” I finally find my words.

“He’s our cousin. We’re from Los Angeles, and whenever we’re in San Diego for a vacation, we come and say hi.”

“Are you staying at the mansion?” I ask, almost hoping they say yes, because the company would be amazing.

“On no, please, we can’t put up with Emmanuil for that long. We have a hotel booked. Areyoustaying at the mansion?” Katya raises her brows, and a cheeky smile plays over her face.

“Yes, for a bit.” I shrug, trying to sound casual and not like I’ve basically been kidnapped and held prisoner.

“In what capacity?” Kira grins. “We’ve never actually met one of Emmanuil’s girlfriends. In fact, has he ever had a girlfriend?” she glances at her sister with her brows knitted.

Katya looks at me. “Are you twotogether, or is it just like a fling thing?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that. I’m just a guest here,” I say too quickly, my cheeks flushing pink.

“Mm. Sure. Yes. A guest,” Kira teases.

“I promise you. I’m just, uh, an old friend.”

“Well, Emmanuil’s old friend, Anya—we were heading out to the mall. Do you want to join us?” Katya asks.

“I’dloveto,” I say excitedly.

And that’s how I ended up in the Uber with Katya and Kira, humming along to the radio with two girls I hardly know, but instantly like.

Kira leans forward between the two seats and reaches for the radio. The driver ignores her; she’s already been flicking through stations and changing songs without him protesting. But this time, she turns down the volume.

“Are you going to tell us when you guys met? Was it on Tinder or at a bar or through a mutual person? We want the details,” she pushes.

Katya immediately turns towards me, her eyes locking with mine before I look away. Clearly, she’s eager to know as well.

“We met six years ago. We’ve been friends for ages,” I answer.

“Friends?”

“Yes, well, I haven’t seen him in a really long time, and we were just catching up while I was visiting San Diego.”

“So, you’re also here on vacation?” Katya asks.

I bite my lip. “Yes,” I say, wishing we could talk about something else.

“What about you two? How often do you come down?” I try to redirect the conversation.

“Whenever we get bored of hanging out with our brother and listening to him being bossy,” Kira laughs loudly.

“I have a brother, too,” I giggle. “I know all about them being bossy.”

At the mall, we share stories about Los Angeles and Phoenix. We help each other choose clothes, we browse jewelry, and we laugh. It is so good to get out of the emotional hole I’ve been in over the past few days. I’m sure this is going to help me feel lighter, to think clearer.

They’re fantastic. Both of them. So down to earth, playful, and full of energy. They are the exact type of people I adore making friends with.