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August 2026,
Scars Bay, USA

Katerina

I looked down at Felix's hand holding mine under the table. His thumb was caressing his ring on my finger.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

Again. And again.

The weight of the ring had never felt heavier.

He was revelling in his claim over me. His victory. The way he was caressing the ring felt like a taunt. It was as if he was saying, 'you're mine now. And there is nothing you can do about it.' It was true. I would have to marry this man and spend at least three years of my life with him. What an absolute waste.

I looked at him. Thick dark brown hair, light brown eyes, angled jaw. He was a good-looking man. I couldn't disagree with that. And he was actually a decent guy. One who hadn't mistreated me once in the two years we had been together and loved me very much.

He was simply not my type.

Apparently, I preferred lying, cheating assholes.

"Kate?" Felix looked concerned.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay? Are you not feeling well today?" he whisper-asked to not disrupt the conversation going on around us.

"No, I'm good." I smiled to assure him. "I have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"What's going on? It is work?" he asked. Everything but work was the source of my problems. Work focused me. It was the only thing that made me feel like myself. Apart from it, nothing in my life was going according to my wish.

"Yeah," I lied. "We are about to close a great deal. I just hope everything goes well."

"It's you, Kate." He squeezed my hand. "It will go perfectly."

I smiled at him and then looked at everyone. Both our families were having dinner together. Dad was talking loudly as usual. His wife and Felix's dad were nodding merrily and listening to him closely. Mother and Felix's mother Louise were engaged in a conversation of their own. Konstantin was having his dinner quietly. He was brooding silently. It wasn't something unusual. Ever since he got married, he had been having problems with his wife Cassandra. She, on the other hand, seemed in a good mood. She was smiling and chatting with William.

She caught my gaze and her smile slightly fell. She knew I didn't like her. Of course, I didn't. She made my brother miserable. I looked at William and raised a brow. I didn't know why the hell he kept entertaining her.

He gave me a look that said play nice.

I rolled my eyes. Since when did I ever know how to 'play nice'?

"God, I miss my sister," Cassandra spoke with a smile. "We used to have entire conversations with just eyes as well."

"Why don't you go meet her?" And leave my brother in peace even if it's just for a while.

"I wish I could. But she lives on the other side of the country and I can't just leave work right now."

"What's the point of seducing your boss and marrying him if you can't take a break when you want to?" I really didn't know how she managed to do that. Either she must really be good in bed or she got some dirt on my brother and blackmailed him. I was leaning towards the latter option because I had never seen him look as miserable as he did before he married Cassandra.

"Katerina!" Konstantin snapped. "Don't start with your shit right now." Why the hell was he defending her?

"Did I say anything that wasn't true?" I asked innocently. Before she came along, I was the one who he always looked after. And he never looked at me like he didn't even like me.