Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 172(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
“Leave,” he said.
His men stepped out of the room, but before she could say anything to him, two women entered, carrying their food.
Alix was starving. They placed the food in front of them. She wasn’t going to deny food. The silver domes were removed. There seemed to be some grilled chicken with vegetables and some kind of sauce drizzled on the plate. It looked so tasty. She picked up her knife and fork and was determined not to talk to him. She cut through the tender chicken.
“Are you refusing to even look at me now?” he asked.
“I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“Look at me, Alix.”
“No. You made me angry. You didn’t trust me and now I want to eat this delicious food because people prepared it for me, and go back to my room to salvage everything I can.”
“Your room has been cleaned. The pictures that were broken are being repaired as is the jewelry.”
“They shouldn’t have been broken.” Alix lifted her head to look at him. “You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone.”
“Not a single person? Not even all the men that guard your home?”
“I don’t trust anyone. People can be easily bought. Loyalty can be changed just as quickly.”
“That must be a lonely existence.” She didn’t want to feel sorry for him.
“There have been a lot of people in my life that have tried to kill me. Sofia’s mother being one of them.”
Alix gasped, shocked to hear that some of the rumors were true.
“It’s no shock that we were not a love match. She was supposed to give me a son, but we had Sofia. I never loved my wife, nor did she love me. It was a convenience but I gave her everything she wanted. She tried to kill me.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Chapter Six
Dmitry had no intention of telling Alix the truth about his one and only wife. Her betrayal still came as a shock. He didn’t love his wife but his father had told him to make up for what he lacked in emotion with gifts. In a life that many would crave. He gave her everything—money to shop, jewels, flowers, dresses, the works. All she had to do was give him children. She had still turned against him.
Killing her hadn’t done anything for him. He’d not felt peace or sadness. It had been a job. If he’d allowed her to live, it would have made him weak.
“So you don’t trust anyone?”
“I’m the boss, Alix. I make all the decisions and there are a lot of men and women who would gladly have my place. They would love to see my head served up on a platter.” He shrugged. “Those are the cold, hard facts of my life.”
She had tears in her eyes and she had stopped eating.
“Please, eat.”
“How can I eat? That sounds awful and lonely. You thought I had betrayed you.”
“Yes. Betrayal is a lot easier to handle.” Alix was an anomaly. He didn’t quite understand her. “My death would come at a great cost. People would get rich from killing me, besides the reputation they’d earn.”
Alix frowned. “I wanted to sleep with you, Dmitry. I didn’t want to kill you. I’m not … George might be part of your world but I really was just a … ugh, just a nursery teacher. I love being around kids and cooking and baking, cleaning even. I’m not after power of any kind.”
Damn it. He believed her.
“I don’t want to kill you.” She took a deep breath. “But I understand that you have no reason to trust me. Even though you have no reason to trust me, I haven’t given you any reason to not trust me. I would never hurt you or Sofia.”
He stared at her, a little taken aback.
“I don’t exactly like you right now, but Sofia loves you.”
Dmitry smiled. “My daughter is giving me a free pass?”
“Yes.”
He wanted to apologize to her, but he couldn’t do it. He wasn’t the kind of man who said he was sorry.
Alix picked up her knife and fork and began to cut into her chicken and vegetables.
After putting Alix in his bedroom, he had spent the whole afternoon with his daughter, which he hadn’t done in a long time. He had enjoyed every second of it. Once he left Alix, he’d gone straight to the sitting room where the guard had been watching over Sofia. He took the seat Alix had sat in and watched Sofia, while hating himself for what he’d done.
Once Sofia woke up, she asked about Alix. He’d lied saying she didn’t feel too good and had to lie down. Then he played with his little girl. It had been an afternoon of absolute delight. Now, his daughter might be the only reason Alix was still sitting opposite him, but either way, he was willing to take it. He wasn’t used to people caring. Was that why Alix cried? She cared about him? It seemed too good to be true and he couldn’t allow himself to believe. So, he enjoyed his food as best as he could, even though he couldn’t quite taste it.