In The Arms of Ivan Dimitri

CRYSTAL ELIZA DIMITRI POV...

I hadn't slept at all last night. That monster, however, lay beside me in undisturbed slumber, his breathing slow and even while I lay paralyzed with dread. Every fiber of my being screamed for me to run, to escape into the night. But I knew better. I wouldn't get far.

The bed shifted as he stirred. My body went rigid as his heavy gaze landed on me, his brow furrowing. A lump formed in my throat.

"What did I ask you to do before I went to bed?" His voice was calm, but the undertone of authority sent a chill down my spine.

"S-Sleep," I whispered, my voice betraying me.

His fingers clamped around my wrist with brutal force. My pulse pounded against his grip. "I gave you an order," he said slowly, his tone laced with quiet menace. "Yet you disobeyed me."

"I... I wasn't sleepy," I stammered, my breath shaky.

His patience snapped. "Stop STUTTERING!" His voice thundered through the room, and before I could brace myself, his palm struck my face with a vicious slap.

Pain exploded across my cheek, sharp and burning. My eyes welled up instantly, and a quiet sob escaped me. "I-I'm sorry," I whimpered, my voice barely above a whisper.

He exhaled sharply, releasing my wrist and dragging a hand through his disheveled hair. "I'll be home late today," he muttered, his voice eerily composed again. "Have dinner ready when I return."

"I... I can't walk," I admitted, my voice fragile. My entire body ached; every inch of me felt like it had been bruised and broken.

He shrugged as if my pain was of no consequence. "I don't care how you do it. Just have it ready."

And with that, he turned and walked out, his footsteps echoing down the hall, leaving behind nothing but silence and the lingering sting on my skin.

I reached up, gingerly touching my swollen cheek. It throbbed beneath my fingers. But this pain-this was nothing new. My body knew this language all too well.

With trembling hands, I reached under my pillow, fumbling for my phone. The screen glowed in the darkness-6:39 a.m. That meant it was nearing midnight in New York. Late, but I needed to hear a voice that didn't belong to him.

I dialed Lauren's number. It rang twice before going to voicemail. She was asleep.

Desperate for solace, I tried Mila next. She picked up immediately.

"Finally! I thought you were never going to call me!" Mila's voice burst through the speaker, laced with playful exasperation.

A soft chuckle escaped me, though it felt foreign in my throat. "I missed you too, Mila. Ever the dramatic one."

She hummed knowingly. "So, how's married life treating you?"

My grip on the phone tightened instinctively. Even the mere mention of my marriage felt suffocating, like invisible hands pressing against my throat. "It's... working fine, Mila," I forced out, my voice carefully neutral.

She hesitated, her tone shifting. "You don't sound fine, Crystal. Is something wrong?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah, I'm just exhausted. Being a wife isn't easy, you know what I mean," I lied, and the worst part was-I didn't even know why I wasn't telling her the truth.

Mila gasped dramatically, completely unaware of the war raging inside me. "Oh my gosh! You bloody bitch, you're not a virgin anymore, are you?! Tell me everything! How does it feel? Was he good? And-most importantly-how big is he?" She squealed with unfiltered excitement.