Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
She clasped her hands together and loved the sight before her.
“Come and dance with me,” Roman said.
Couples were already joining on the dance floor.
She took Roman’s hand, and they stepped onto the dance floor together. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?” he asked.
“You might have said it a couple of times, but not a lot.” She attempted to tease.
Seconds passed.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine. Like you said, no one here had anything to do with it. There’s no point in causing a scene.” Her mother would be so embarrassed of her if she did so. “This is not my wedding and I’m not going to ruin anyone else’s big day.”
Roman’s hands danced toward her ass.
“Good.”
“I do need to use the bathroom, though. Do you think I can leave you long enough to go there?” Chloe asked.
“I’ll take you.”
She rolled her eyes as he took her hand. He locked their fingers together, and they stepped back into the main house.
They walked down a long corridor to the bathrooms. “I’ll wait here.” He pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
She offered him a smile and then stepped into the main bathroom. The moment she caught sight of the bride, she stopped. The bride looked up and then back down to her cell phone. Her lips were pursed and she tapped her foot impatiently.
“What?” the bride asked, sounding a little annoyed.
“I … you look beautiful.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what thousands of dollars will pay. Trust me, I know I look good. The perfect part?” She shook her head. “You look good as well.”
“Thank you.”
“How much did you get?” the bride asked as Chloe was about to enter a stall.
“What?”
“You’re a Bratva bride, aren’t you? You’re married to one of the men.”
“Roman Sidorov, yes.”
“Well, how much did you get paid? I know he’s closely linked to the Zaitsev, so I bet you got a fortune, didn’t you?”
“I’m not sure I follow you?”
“I’m twenty-one years old. Do you really think I’d marry a man twice my age?” She snorted. “I have to let that old dude touch me, and I wasn’t going to do that without getting some kind of deal out of it. I settled on a monthly allowance of my choice, as well as a lump sum.”
Chloe was twenty-five years old. Roman was forty years old. That was a fifteen-year age gap, but she didn’t need money to be with him.
“I … there is no money.”
The bride wrinkled her nose.
“You don’t love your husband?” Chloe asked.
“Love. Don’t make me vomit. Hell, no. Who does love in this world? Not us. We know we have a price tag on our virginity, but nothing else. He’s going to make me spit out a couple of kids as well, and trust me, that will come with a steep price.”
Chloe had thought the ceremony was a beautiful one, but watching the bride now, she understood it had all been a lie. She had no idea what to say.
No money had exchanged hands between her or Roman. There had been no deal, other than one of love. She did love Roman, and it was why she had married him. Nibbling her lip, she wasn’t exactly sure what to say.
The bride’s cell phone rang, and the moment it did, she looked down at the screen and smiled.
“Showtime. This day is looking up.”
She had clearly been paid and she stepped out of the bathroom without another word. Chloe walked into the stall. She sat down and heard several other women enter the bathroom. Chloe didn’t know how much more she could take.
“They didn’t lie, she is beautiful.”
“Yeah, but she’s clearly stuck up.”
There had to be four women, maybe five. Chloe frowned. Who were they talking about?
“My husband told me we weren’t invited because she didn’t know. Something about Sidorov’s identity being secret. I don’t know. How could she not know who Sidorov is?”
“Well, I heard it was all fake. He had to marry her to shut her up.”
“No, I’ve heard rumors that Roman does in fact love her.”
They were talking about her.
“It can’t be love. There’s no way these men love anything other than the color green. Money or gold.”
“He won’t let her leave his side. He also doesn’t force her to attend the dinners. Trust me, this is not just rumor. I even heard he’s got a little shrine he’s building for her.”
“A shrine.”
They all began to cackle.
“I wonder how she was able to snag him. I mean, I’ve heard that some of the most beautiful women haven’t been able to get him.”
Chloe flushed the toilet. She hated being talked about. Silence rang out and she opened the door, hating that her face must be bright red. She felt every woman’s gaze on her. She washed her hands, dried them on some tissue, then turned toward them.
“Ladies,” she said.