bNiki’s /bbPOV/bb: /b

“Are you absolutely insane? How dare you get married without even telling your father?!”

I rolled my eyes as we all sat together eating dinner, Dmitri not even paying attention to the conversation as he furiously scrolled through his phone. He’d been jittery the moment he’d walked in, and I knew exactly why. Because he couldn’t reach her Elena hadn’t been home in days, staying with her mother at the hospital. She hadn’t gone to university or any of her jobs, and this idiot didn’t have the faintest idea where else to lookb. /b

Sometimes I genuinely wondered how he could possibly be my brother. But then I remembered that he was in this position BECAUSE he was my brother.

bI’d /balways been curious about where I got my eidetic memory. It couldn’t have been from our mother–she wasn’t particrly intelligent. And Father? Ha. Let’s not even go there. Neither of them had ever disyed any impressive traits. Since one was ban /bimmigrant and the other an only child of a now–decrased millionaire, I had bno /bother rtives topare myself to.

My looks, however, were clearly from my mother. Thank God. My father stood bat /bba /bstunted five foot eight, had a receding hairline, and frankly, I‘ couldn’t even stomach the idea of inheriting any more of his features. So I supposed I should be thankful that my mother was at least clever yenough to marry into money.

With my mother’s beauty and my father’s fortune, I was practically born with ba /bsilver spoon in my mouth. A blessing and a curseb, /bdepending on the day

“I haven’t gotten married yet. I’m binviting /byou to my bwedding/b,” I reiterated calmly.

“Which is tomorrow?!” Father bbellowed /bagain, his face a furious shade of crimson. He looked one insult away from having a full–blown heart attack. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded if he did–at least that would mean he couldn’t attend the wedding. But I had an image to maintain, and uninviting my own father would be frowned upon.

Maybe this was karma for making Elena suffer

Had her mother started talking to her again? When Id called Elena that morning, she’d sounded a little better. Tired, but less tense. She hadn’t yelled at me again after the incident with the designer, at least.

When Alex had left, I’d hoped things would lighten up. But no, turns out she hadn’t told her mother the actual wedding date. bThat /bhad ended in disaster.

And of course, she’d gotten mad at me.

Still, she’d called the next morning to apologize, which was something I hadn’t expected but appreciated. I wasn’t mad at her outburst. If anything, I found it oddly endearing. bShe /bbwasn’t /bthe kind of woman who opened up easily, and it made me feel blike /bI was the only one who got bto /bsee her that raw. That vulnerable.

She wasn’t shy. Just guarded. bPrivate/b. And yet she bhad /btrusted me with her anger, her embarrassment, her fears

It felt special. Dangerous ever

“Well, it’s wedding”

ΓΗΣ

like I didn’t tell you to clear your schedule a week ago. It’s bnot /bas if you have any nning to do,” I said smoothly. “Since it’s my

My father jabbed a finger in my direction, practically spitting with rage. “You unfilial scum–you-

“Alright, alright, let’s just rx.” Dmitri’s mother cut in, her syrupy voice grating. “bI’m /bsure bNiko /bbhad /bbhis /breasons

My jaw tightened. “That’s Niki to you.”

“Don’t be rude!” my father upped

“Well, bNiko/b,” she cluedb, /bdeliberately ignoring me, “who is the girl anyway? You haven’t even introduced her to us.”

“There’s no bneed/b. You can meet

eet her at the wedding.”

My father cursed under his breath. “How long have you even known her! I imagine it must be one of those whore-”

“Don’t be crude, Father,” I said coldly, curting him off. Tve known her long enough. She’s the perfect match for me. As for your other questions, those bcan /bwait until the wedding. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have ba /bdate.”

I stoodb, /bwiping my hands carefully on a bnapkin /band btossing /bit onto the table. My father red at me like he wanted to throw something. I returned bhis /bstare with ba /bcalm smile,

phone but I turned to Dmitri on my way out. The poor fool hadn’t looked up from his phone once, came to her.

I knew he bwas /blistening. He always listened when it

“Give Elena my regards, would you?” I said sweetly, just loud enough for him to hear.

8:40 PM

He stiffened but didn’t reply. I didn’t expect him to.

As I walked out band /bgot into my car, bI /bbpulled /bbout /bmy phone and dialed her number.

“Good evening. Malishka. You ready for our date!”

There was ba /bbbrief /bpause, and 1 instantly recognized the echo. She had me on bspeaker/b.

“What dater” Her voice was husky, groggy. She’d probably been asleep. Still, it made me smile.

-The date I asked you about this morning.” I said.

“Didn’t I tell you I’m not leaving Mom alone! She’s been upset and isn’t eating well.”

My smile faded slightly.

\“Alright,” bI /bsaid softly. “Then we won’t go out on a date”

She yawned. “Yeah. And isn’t the wedding tomorrow? Why a wedding

1 chuckled. “You believe bin /bthat stuff?”

are you calling me? It’s bad karma for the bride and groom to talk or meet before bthe /b

“Of course not Mom does, and I’m listening to everything she’s saying right now,”

I smirked. “Well then, what would your mother’s thoughts he bon /bba /bfamily gathering?”

She paused b“/bWhose family?”

“Yoursb. /bWell, btechnically /bjust the btwo /bof us and your mum. She can be our chaperone. She’s able to get around now, right? We can take ba /bwheelchair

“Definitely NOT!” her mother’s voice rang out from the background. I winced, though I kept smiling.

“What’s mother dearest’s favorite food?b” /bbI /basked.

There was a long pause.

“A–are you talking about my mom?” Elena sounded flustered

Iughed quietly.

“Well, my mom isn’t in this world anymore… so of course your hum will be ours, right?”

The melodramatic dead–mother card. Worked every time.

d