Chapter 6 A night of entanglement and debauchery

Anya could not bear the scene in front of her any longer, she ran away at Katya's mocking laughter.

"You are a damn bitch, how dare you come in here and kiss me, after what you did to me I despise you Katya." Alexei shouted.

"Ha, ha, ha, my love, don't you remember how long ago you asked me to moan your name."

Alexei could not bear Katya's cynical laughter any longer, he put on a bathrobe and quickly left.

He caught up with Anya in the hallway, holding her arm firmly to prevent her from reaching the others and causing a scandal.

"Wait Anya, we have to talk, what you saw is not what it seems." her voice was almost pleading.

Anya let out a bitter laugh, stopped and stared at him.

"I don't really care, Alexei, it's up to you if you want to fall into the clutches of a harpy like Katya." Anya was trying hard not to explode, not to show him that she cared, even though she felt a deep pain inside her chest.

Alexei blinked, taken aback by his reaction, he had expected tears, screams, even a slap, but this cold indifference completely disarmed him, did he not care?

"Anya, please listen to me, Katya came into the bathroom while I was showering, she took me by surprise, she kissed me just as you walked in, I was going to reject her."

"Spare me the explanations, I told you I don't care, do what you want with your life, with my cousin, or with anyone else, I'm sick of your games." Anya cut him off coldly.

She turned to leave, but Alexei stopped her, turning her around to face him.

"Anya, you have to believe me! Your cousin is crazy, she's capable of anything to separate us."

Anya hesitated for a moment, she knew Katya's evilness very well, but Alexei was not a trustworthy man, and she knew it.

Just then, Katya walked past them with a triumphant smile, gloating over the chaos she had caused, still tying the ribbon of her robe.

"But look, if they are the lovebirds, have you already told your husband that until a few weeks ago you swore eternal love to Misha? Or that you were going to marry someone else until grandfather forced you to choose Anya? Have you told him who that person was?" she said maliciously.

"Go away, Katya! This is none of your business." Alexei snapped.

"As you wish, cousin, I'll leave you two to continue with your reconciliation." He winked mischievously before walking away.

Anya clenched her fists, shaking with rage and humiliation, so Alexei had had another woman before marrying her, it shouldn't surprise her, but it hurt, it hurt to know that she had never been his first choice.

She felt a lump in her throat and walked away from him, ready to take refuge in the company of her grandfather, but when she reached the living room, she met Misha, who intercepted her with pleading eyes.

"Anya, please, I need you to listen to me, I don't love Katya, I could never love anyone but you, if you ask for a divorce, I swear I will make you happy forever."

The poor girl couldn't believe it, was there anything else to happen to her that night?

"No! Don't you dare finish that sentence, it's over between us, Misha, there's no turning back. Accept it and leave me alone." Anya raised a hand to push him away.

She tried to dodge him, but Misha caught her in his arms and slammed his lips against hers in a desperate kiss.

For a moment, Anya froze, but then she managed to react, she tried to push him away with all her strength, but he held her even tighter.

"Anya, my love, don't treat me like this, you are mine, you belong to me."

Making a great effort she managed to free herself, Misha was a cynic, a shameless, a coward.

She turned around, ready to flee from there, as she walked away she found Alexei, who was watching the scene with a murderous expression.

A cynical smile curved her lips.

"Well, well, what do we have here. So I'm not the only unfaithful one in this marriage? What a disappointment, Anya, and I thought you were a saint." Apparently, being far away, he didn't realize what was really happening.

The sarcasm in his voice hurt Anya, she held back her tears, refusing to break down in front of him, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Think what you want, Alexei, I don't care anymore what a being as despicable as you thinks."

And with those words, she walked away with the little dignity she had left, Alexei stayed behind filled with anger.

Later, during dinner, Anya's grandfather made an announcement that fell like a bucket of cold water on the couple.

"My dear children, I know you all have work to do in the city, but this weekend has been so special that I would like to ask you to stay a few more days. What do you say? Give this sentimental old man that pleasure."

Everyone exchanged glances, reluctant but unable to refuse.

Only Alexei, rebellious as ever, dared to protest.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa, but with the recent merger, Anya and I have a lot of pending work at the office, I don't think it would be wise."

"Nonsense, that's what you have a competent team for, they can take care of it for a few more days, as they have done so far. Isn't that right, Anya?" Vladimir intervened.

Anya, caught between the pleading in her grandfather's eyes and Alexei's defiant gaze, could only nod, defeated.

Alexei gritted his teeth, but eventually gave in as well.

"Okay, we'll stay, if my wife is okay with it."

The sarcasm in the last sentence didn't go unnoticed, but Anya pretended not to notice, smiling tightly.

"Of course, nothing would make me happier than pleasing our grandparents."

The rest of the evening passed with a false normality, with Alexei and Anya pretending to be the perfect couple, but when they retired to their room, the tension exploded like a bomb.

"You're a hypocrite, acting all dignified when a few hours ago you were making out with your ex, you're made for each other, aren't you?" Alexei hissed, cornering her against the wall.

"He was the one who kissed me!" Anya defended herself, shaking with rage.

"And you expect me to believe you? After seeing how you looked at him, how you melted in his arms." Jealousy made him see things that weren't real.

"I didn't melt! I pushed him away, what else do you want me to do?"

"Prove to me that you are mine! That you are my wife, damn it, mine and no one else's." Alexei roared, his eyes darkening dangerously.

And with that, he seized her mouth in a ravenous, punishing kiss, a kiss born of jealousy, rage, and a passion so intense it bordered on madness.

Anya gasped against his lips, her body reacting with a need that embarrassed her, she hated him, she hated what he did to her, how he made her feel, and yet she couldn't help but respond to his assault with equal ferocity.

Because deep down she knew that Alexei was right, she was his, body and soul, even if her mind and pride rebelled against that truth.

Alexei lifted her into his arms, still devouring her mouth, and carried her to the bed, savagely tearing off her dress, staring at her naked body.

"Mine, say it, Anya, say you're mine alone." He growled, running his hands over every curve, every valley, marking her with his lips.

"I'm yours, always yours." She whispered, completely lost in a whirlwind of sensations.

Alexei let out a triumphant roar and sank into her in one thrust, claiming her as his once again, Anya screaming at the intrusion, pain and pleasure mixing until she couldn't tell one from the other.

They moved together frantically, almost violently, as if they wanted to punish each other for past mistakes, as if pleasure was their penance.

They climaxed between screams and sobs, their bodies staying together as they shuddered in the midst of release, then, exhausted, they fell back onto the tangled sheets, their breathing labored and their skin covered in sweat.

Alexei pulled Anya to his chest, holding her possessively, she didn't protest, she felt too exhausted to fight.

"This doesn't change anything, I still hate you." Anya murmured against his skin.

"I know, but not as much as I hate myself," he replied.

And so, curled up, they fell asleep, in a brief respite before facing the hell that awaited them, because deep down, they both knew that this truce wouldn't last, that the fire that burned between them, as intense as it was, wasn't enough to heal their wounds.

And that in the end, only one of them would emerge victorious from this war, if either of them survived to tell the tale.