bChapter /bb32 /b

bElena’s /bPOV:

My thumb hovered bover /bthe bscreen /bof my phoneb, /bmy eyes wideb, /bscrolling through what looked like a digital wildfire.

“What the hell,” I muttered, and my voice didn’t sound like mine.

Niki turned from the counter again, spat in hand, raising a brow bat /bme.

Told you to be prepared,” he said nonchntly, flipping thest golden waffle onto the pristine white te.

I blinked at the bscreen /bagain.

b“/bSTOLEN BRIDE?b” /bThe title shed at me in bold, tabloid–style font above a photograph that was unmistakably us. Him, in his tailored suit, carrying me bridal–style through the lobby, my face half–hidden in his chest like a proper damsel. It was cinematic. Too cinematic. There were zoomed in picturesb, /bbvideos /bwith blurred thumbnails, peoplementing things like “omg goals” and “seems toxic but hot.” I was literally trending.

I held the phone up to him.

b“/bYou knew this would happen and

you still carried me?!”

Niki barely blinked, setting the te down with easeb, /b“Is it wrong though?”

My mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again.

41

“I don’t bcare /bif it’s wrong or right, Niki. I’m going to university today! I thought I would have to deal with just a couple rumors…not a full–blown article headlined STOLEN BRIDE?!b” /b

He snorted like I was being unreasonable, like I hadn’t just had my life thrown onto ba /bsilver tter for social media vultures to bfeast /bon.

b“/bbYou /bwere hoping for too much then, Malishka. You married a billionaire. Did you think people would just… ignore that?”

bHe crossed /bthe distance between us before bI /bcould beven /bget out another word and caged me against the counter. His hands braced on either side of my hips. bI /btried to stay mad, but it bwas /bdifficult when his bscent /bwas a mix of coffee, vani, and his deodorant. Which bgave /bme shbacks ofst night. Before everything with Dmitri happened.

bHe /bpicked up a bpiece /bbof /bbwaffle /bfrom my te which I had forgotten about, bdragging /bit through syrup before holding it up

him.

to my lips. I stared at

“bSeriously/b?b” /b

“Eatb. /bbYou’re /bgoing bto /bneed bthe /bbsugar/b.”

I hesitated, then took the bite, mostly bbecause /bI was hungry but also because his beyes /bbwere /bdoing that thing where they made it hard to argue.

bDamn /bhim.

b“/bIs this going to keep happening?” bI /bbasked/b, my bvoice /bmuffled through the biteb. /b“Like, should I be worried about bstalkers /bbnow/bb?/bb” /b

He smirked, brushing his thumb along bthe /bcorner bof /bmy mouth bto /bwipe a bdot /bbof /bsyrup. His touch bwas /btoo bgentle/b. b“/bYou don’t need to worry about that. bI’ll /btake bcare /bof any other bstalkers/bb./bb” /b

I raised a browb, /bchewing bslowly/b. b“/bOther bstalkers/bb? /bbSo /byou’re going to bkeep /bstalking meb?/bb” /b

He didn’t even flinch.

“I’m your husband. I have the right to bstalk /byoub./bb” /b

My heart did that annoying fluttery thing bagain /band bI /btried bto /bbswat /bit bdown/bb. /b“Temporary husbandb,/bb” /bI mutteredb, /bcrossing my arms.

“But still your husbandb, /bhe bteased/bb, /bleaning bin /bjust benough /bthat I had to tilt my bhead /bbback/b.

Ipointed bat /bhis chest. “Why the hell bare /byour shirtless bin /bthe kitchenb?/bb” /b

He looked down at himself as if he’d forgottenb. /bb“/bbI’m /bnot naked. I’m wearing sweats. bAnd /ban apronb./b”

b“/bbNaked /bon btop/bb. /b

He grinned. “Don’t I look hotb? /bI thought byou’d /bjump me the moment you bsaw /bbme /blike thisb,” /b

I rolled my beyes/b. “The only thing bI’m /bjumping are these waffles. You really are an bamazing /bcook bthough/b. Damnb./bb” /b

? ? ? ? ?? ??

He preened like a cat bbeing /bplimented for shredding furniture. “Don’t I deserve ba /breward then?b” /b

He gave me that look. That look. The one that said he bwasn’t /bthinking about hugs or thank–yous.

I bfelt /bmy bface /bheat up and shook my head. “I’mte for ss. I already took a whole week off.”

A look of disappointment bcrossed /bhis face. I almost burst intoughter.

But something about the way his smile faltered at the edges made my chest tighten. A small pang of guilt twisted inside me.

“bHey/b,” bI /bsaid, bumping my shoulder into his arm. b“/bbI’ll /breward youter. Promiseb./bb” /b

His bface /bbrightened like I’d bjust /bhanded him a million–dor bdeal/b.

We cleared the tes together. I washed while he dried, our movements slipping into a quiet rhythm. Domesticity with Niki felt bizarrely naturalb. /b

Afterward, we headed upstairs. I grabbed a towel and turned on the bshower/bb, /bthinking he’d go back downstairs. Instead, he walked right in behind ollimeb. /b/li/ol

+28

“bExcuse /byou,” bI /bsaid,

narrowing.

Water conservation,” he replied smoothly. “Global warming, Malishka. Do your part.

Iughed despite myself and let him stay.

I decided to be quick about the shower bbecause /bif I stayed too long then his wandering hands would definitely make me give in to him. But then I’d bete to ss and it bwas /balready eight.

I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around bmyself /brealizing a problem. Before bI /bbeven /bvoiced concerns he moved past me opened the walk in closet, ushering me inside.

in ba /b

robe and

My brows rose bas /bI took in the whole bcloset/bb. /bbIt /bwas bas /bbbig /bbas /bhis bedroomb, /bwith brows /bof clothes, shoesb, /bbags and in the middle bwas /ba bvast /bss btable /bwith bdrawers/b. I didn’t bhave /btime to take in everything. The closet was obviously divided in half with women’s clothing on one side and men’s on the

otherb. /bI frown.

“Why do byou /bbhave /bbso /bmuch women’s clothing?b” /bbI /basked and bhe /blooked bat /bme like bI /bbwas /bstupid.

“bMaybe/bb…./bbbecause /bI have a wife nowb?/bb” /bbHe /bsaid slowly, turning bto /bbtake /bout a bzer /bfrom the cupboard.

bI /bbfelt /bmy face heat up then. So he did this just for me? When did he bget /bthe timeb? /b

Once bwe /bbwere /bbclean/bb, /bbdressed/b, and mostly bdecent/b, he grabbed his car keys and boffered /bto drop me boff/b. bI /bbrefused/bb. /bbHe /bbinsisted/b. bI /brolled my beyes /band bgave /bbin/bb. /b

But the moment I bstepped /bout of his ridiculously expensive ck bMercedes/bb–/bwhich he insisted bwas /bone of his cheaper bcars/bb—/bin front of campus, I bregretted /bitb. /b

Heads bturned/b. Phones came bout/bb. /bPeople whispered.

I could bfeel /bthe invisible headlines swirling bin the /bbair /blike pollen.

Billionaire drops boff /bbstudent /bbwife /bin bdesigner /bclothes. bElena /bbVetrov /bbspotted/b!

I swallowed a bgroan/bb. /b

b“/bShould’ve just taken the busb,/bb” /bI bmuttered /bunder my bbreath/b.

Niki leaned across the bseat/bb, /bpletely unbothered by the bstaring /bstudents. Want bme /bbto /bbpick /byou up bter/bb?/bb” /b

I shot him a reb. /bb“/bAbsolutely not.”

He grinned like I’d just said byes /band waved bas /bI shut the door.

The moment bI /bturned away from the car, bI /bbfished /bmy phone from my bag and hit call.

b“/bMom?”

bSweetheart/bb! /bEverything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Just wanted to check bin/bb,/bb‘ /bbI /bsaid, smiling faintly.

echo the t

AD