Page 32 of Keeping My Enemies Closer: Pt. 2

Almost immediately, her quiet breaths were the only sounds filling my ears, and the deep ache in my chest lessened with each rise and fall of her breasts.However, my need to avenge her was still alive and on fire like an out-of-control natural disaster.

Chapter 17

Zoya~

I was quietly reading in the library when a knock sounded at the double doors, and when I turned my head, it was to see a very pregnant and incredibly beautiful brunette walking into the room, and holy shit.

Aurora Marchetti Korolev.

Of course, when I’d first met her, she hadn’t been so obviously pregnant, but that didn’t take away from just how stunning the woman was.In fact, motherhood just made her more beautiful.Her waves of chocolate-colored hair shined more, her perfect complexion glowed, and even her protruding belly didn’t take away from the phenomenal figure that she’d had when I’d first met her.

She also walked into the room like she owned it, and that was a kind of confidence that was born and bred.That level of sureness was ingrained, and I could only imagine what it was like to be the only daughter of Roman Marchetti and the wife of Viktor Korolev.

“It’s good to see you again, Zoya,” she said as she made herself comfortable at the end of the chaise lounge that I was sitting in, not even asking permission to sit because she didn’t need to.“Though I’m sorry for your circumstances and why you’re here.”

I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to that, so I just said, “Congratulations.”

Aurora gave me a tender smile as she ran one hand over her belly.“Thank you.”

Suddenly, I started doing the math in my head, and I was due to start my period next week, and I could only pray that it came.While the carelessness was my fault just as much as it was Kasimir’s, I did not need to get pregnant right now, though I wasn’t doing anything to stop it.Seriously, I’d never been reckless like this before, but I also hadn’t ever dated a man like Kasimir Korolev before.

After a few seconds, she said, “I wanted to personally apologize to you for everything, Zoya.I promised your mother that nothing bad would ever happen to you at the hands of a Korolev, and you got hurt in one of the worst ways.Not only were you attacked and left for dead, but you also lost your mother, and I know that she was the last of your family.”

“I...I still have my grandparents,” I muttered, feeling too inept to exist right now.

Her face softened at that.“Grandparents who live in Russia, so they’re hardly the adequate support group that you need right now.Besides, they’ve lost both their children only a year apart, so I can’t see them crawling out of their grief long enough to be there for you, even if they could.”

“You’re...you’re rather direct,” I remarked, hoping that she didn’t kill me for it.

Instead, she just smiled softly.“I’m a Marchetti who’s married to a Korolev, I don’t have time to be anything else.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

Another few seconds passed before she said, “There’s something that I’m going to tell you, and the only reason that I’m telling you is because of how deeply Kasimir cares for you, and that’s something that I never imagined possible from my brother-in-law.”

I felt my cheeks redden as I said, “Yeah, he claims to be in love with me.”