Chapter Seventy-Nine

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Marco was waiting for me in the exact same spot he dropped me at this morning. I don't think he left. I said goodbye to Layla and settled in the backseat as the car's engine came to life. Marco kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror as if he was expecting me to talk incessantly like I used to do before.

I wasn't feeling like it anymore. I used to feel happy and so damn lucky for everything Nikolai did for me before but now; with him behaving the way he is doing, everything feels wrong. I feel like I have married a complete stranger and we never knew each other and now here we are bound in a loveless marriage.

Everything felt like a lie.

"Evangeline, we're here" Marco announced.

I looked to my side and saw the front door. I mumbled a quick thanks and stepped out of the car, heading inside.

I went straight upstairs and changed into some comfortable clothes. I sat on the bed and pulled my books out of the bag and started studying. I wanted to busy myself, I wanted to ignore all these stupid emotions that I was feeling, and the best way to distract myself from all of it was to study and put my mind to good use.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand and I picked it up to see a text from Nikolai. I immediately opened it, and the glimmer of hope died down when I read the text. I thought he wanted to finally talk to me.

╭───────────────╮

   Nik:
  Be ready by eight.
╰───────────────╯

A sardonic laugh escaped my lips as I threw my phone on the bed. So much for pretending that Nikolai didn't exist. I couldn't even get him out of my mind for a mere second.

A dress, heels, and jewelry was delivered to my room. I showered up and wore the light blue gown and the jewelry, did my make-up, and waited for Nikolai to call me downstairs.

I have no idea how this dinner will go with us acting the way we are. Nikolai refuses to talk to me because of something stupid I said in a rage fit. I actually thought he was more mature than that.

It was almost seven-thirty when the door knocked, I went outside, and the maid smiled as she saw me all dressed up. We went downstairs and Nikolai was sitting on the living room couch in a black tuxedo, he was using his cell phone. Black was his color and he knew that he looked amazing in all black, it contrasted with his skin perfectly.

From the clicking of my heels, he knew that I was here but he didn't care enough to notice. He ran a hand down his tie and got up from the couch.

"Come on," he ordered, without even looking at me and walking out of the house.

Of course, he didn't care to look. Why would he? I'm not anything special. Get off your high horse, Evangeline, you're not that special—those were his words. I don't think I'll ever forget those words ever again. 

But I didn't know that I had become this insignificant that he couldn't even care to cast a short glance my way.

He still opened the car door for me as I sat in the back and then he walked around the hood of the car to get to the other side.

We didn't talk on the way to his uncle's house, we didn't exchange a single word. If Nikolai didn't care enough to talk to me then it's fine with me. It hurt me but it's alright. I'm used to isolation, I didn't need anyone before and I don't need anyone now.

The car drove into a huge mansion much like Nikolai's. The driver parked the car and we both stepped out. Nikolai came beside me and took me by surprise when he snaked his arm around my waist. I looked up at him and he was looking in the direction of the front door, where his uncle stood with a smile.

Nikolai led us inside. His uncle pulled him in a hug and then kissed my cheek. We followed his uncle inside. I met more of his family from his mother's side, they were nicer to me, way nicer than his father's family.

For dinner, his uncle led all the guests to the dining room which had a very big and the longest dining table I had ever seen. Nikolai pulled a chair back for me and then sat beside me, and on the other side, Dimitri pulled out a chair and leisurely sat on it, grinning at me mischievously.

"Hello, Mrs. Costello," he offered me a hand.

I took it and smiled, "Hello,"

"Ya obozhayu tvoyu ulibku," he said with a wolfish smile. (I love/adore your smile)

I shook my head, "What? I don't understand Russian."

"Stop flirting with my wife, Dimitri, go find yourself a single woman," came Nikolai's brusque voice. I could feel his warm breath on my bare back.

Dimitri laughed, "I couldn't help it, your wife is the most beautiful girl at this party."

"Yes," Nikolai said, he grabbed the leg of my chair and pulled it closer to him, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, "I know she is, but she is mine. I will fucking knock your teeth out if you made that kind of comment again."

Dimitri laughed, "Payback, Niko, payback," saying that he slid his chair back and got up, walking the other way.

I frowned, "What did he say?"

"He said he wanted to fuck you."

My eyes widened, "He did?"

"Yes, Evangeline."

"What did he call it payback?" I couldn't help but feel something was clearly wrong between Nikolai and Dimitri.

"I fucked his girlfriend, Evangeline and now he wants to fuck you as a payback," Nikolai explained.

My mouth dropped open, I closed it immediately and swallowed, "When?"

"A few years ago."

I let out a breath of relief, so it was way before I came into his life.

"She came to me, I didn't know they were in a serious relationship."

A smile crept up as he explained to me what had happened. The agitation that rolled off his shoulders told me that he didn't want to explain himself but he still did because he didn't want me to get the wrong idea.

The dinner was served; everyone talked and enjoyed the dinner. They spoke mostly in Russian and my eyes widened when Nikolai replied to everyone in Russian. How many languages did he know?

They joked around in Russian and I couldn't understand a single word. I again felt like an outsider between them.

The conversation reeled towards Nikolai's mother and I felt him inhale sharply at her name. A mask of apathy fell over his face.

Anastasia...

Everyone loved her, I could see how their eyes twinkled as they all talked about Anastasia. Nikolai didn't talk much, he just gave a few tight-lipped responses to his family.

The way everyone talked about her made me want to see her, meet her, talk to her.

"She died too early, she was only forty-nine, she could have lived much longer if not for that fucking disease," Nikolai's uncle slammed a hand over the dinner table, "My sweet sister..." his speech cracked as he looked down.

"She is in a better place..." one of the women on the table said.

"She was a good god-fearing woman..." another one added.

"She was so nice"

"So beautiful..."

Everyone chimed in, describing how wonderful his mother was. I turned to Nikolai and saw him glare at nothing in particular.

"I wish I had met her..." I told him.

And for the first time since this night had started Nikolai looked directly at me. He frowned as his eyes wandered all over my face, "If I still had her, you wouldn't have been here."

"What do you mean?"

Nikolai didn't answer, instead, he turned toward his uncle and listened to what he had to say.

"Your father loved her, Niko. He loved her very much. He isn't a good man but he was good to my sister. For that, I respect him very much."

"He did..." Nikolai nodded.

His uncle pointed a finger at me, "You love her as much as your father loved your mother?"

I held my breath as I waited for him to respond.

"I don't think any man can love their wife as much as Luciano Costello loved Anastasia Ivankov."

Of course... It was Nikolai Costello, he knew how to twist his words to not answer the question he didn't want to answer. A little heartbroken smile pulled on my lips, I closed my eyes to keep the hurt inside.

"...but I will do anything for her. I'll do anything to protect her," Nikolai added.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was staring at his uncle, not meeting my eyes.

The women put their hands over their hearts, and the men around the table laughed, one of them patted Nikolai on the shoulder.

It gave me a little courage to put my hand over his, under the table. I didn't look at him as I held his hand resting over his lap. What surprised me the most is that he squeezed my hand back, just a little.

The dinner ended with his relative singing and dancing in the living room. Nikolai sat in the corner with his uncle; they smoked cigars and talked; probably about their illegal business all around the country.

When the night was over, Nikolai's uncle walked us to our car.

"Luciano said that it was murder, he didn't tell me anything else, he didn't say who's responsible or anything. He just said that he knows now that she was murdered. That is why I came here, Niko. I wanted to find the man who did this to my sister."

His mother was murdered?

"He didn't give you a name?" Nikolai asked, his grip on my hand tightening painfully.

"No, but Niko, if what Luciano said is true and someone did kill my sister, I won't hesitate to wipe out his bloodline from this earth!"

"I can take my mother's revenge myself," Nikolai answered.

"I have no doubt about that, Niko, but I'd appreciate it if my nephew would let me have a part in destroying that man, I won't let him or his loved ones breathe for another second if I found them."

"I'd let you know if I find anything about it."

"Please do, son," he hugged Nikolai and then turned to me, "My beautiful daughter-in-law," he kissed both of my cheeks before we sat in the car and the driver drove off.

"Everyone really loves your mother..."

"She was an amazing woman, loved by most," he answered.

I smiled, he seemed better than before, at least he was making small talk with me now. I slid closer to him and put my head over his shoulder, holding his muscled arm closer to my heart. I kissed his arm from over his jacket and pressed myself into him more.

"I'm sorry, I take back what I said, you're the only person in my life, you're the only one I have, Nikolai and If I don't even talk to you, I think I might go crazy..."

I wasn't going to force him to love me. I know he cares and I'm willing to wait.

He didn't push me away, instead, the hand that rested in my lap softly caressed my bare thigh through the slit.

I looked up at him and he turned his head to look at me, I inched up while his frown deepened. The tension hung in the air. My heartbeat accelerated as I stared into his darkness-riddled eyes. It felt like it had been days since I last looked him in his beautiful eyes.

I adjusted in my seat and turned fully towards him, I placed my leg between both of his and fisted his shirt, getting closer to him.

His control was hanging loosely by a thread. I knew he just needed a little push, I placed a short kiss over his lower lip to see if he'd push me back. He didn't... I opened my mouth and sucked on his lower lip.

And it was enough...

Enough for him to grab my face and kiss me back.

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