Chapter 4 3

These two had always gotten under my skin, but today Vlad pushed me so far I could barely keep my knees from trembling. A strutting peacock, not a man. I have no doubt the company will end up in his hands. Men like him never miss an opportunity-and if they have to step over someone to get what they want, they won't hesitate for a second. Just picturing his smug face makes me want to tear off this ridiculous mourning outfit. He didn't have to say a word. It was all there in his eyes. Disgust. Contempt. An entire spectrum of unspoken judgment.

As if he'd already dismissed me and sent someone else to deal with the inconvenience.

I understand that Makar is a longtime friend of our family, but still-he's a stranger to me.

I stood beside the car, filling my lungs with fresh air. I hoped a few deep breaths would calm the storm raging inside me, but they didn't. Enough. Decision made. As soon as my father returns, I'll endure a couple of unforgettable days under the same roof and then leave immediately. Valen gave me an entire month off, which was generous, but there's no way I can survive here that long.

People began streaming out through the cemetery gates, and I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to hide inside the car-which is exactly what I did. Mom didn't appear until more than half the guests had already left, freeing up the parking lot. She looked far too pleased for someone coming straight from a funeral.

"Did something good happen?" I couldn't help asking. She was glowing brighter than the gold wrapped around her wrists and draped across her neck.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about," she replied lightly, then told the driver to pull away.

"Mom, could you drop me off downtown? Nina's already waiting for me at Cherry Café."

"All right. But remember-you need to be home this evening."

"How could I forget when you remind me every five minutes?" I smiled. "Just tell me one thing-your sister isn't coming over, is she?"

"No, not her." She smiled mysteriously, but I didn't dwell on it. If Aunt Amina wasn't coming, I could survive the evening.

"Then we're good," I said, pulling the scarf off my head. It had become unbearably hot.

I loosened my braid, and when my blonde hair fell freely over my shoulders, I exhaled in relief.

"You've become so beautiful," my mother said unexpectedly, taking my hand.

"I take after my parents," I replied with a smile, glancing at her. I inherited my hair and eye color from my father, but my soft, delicate features came from her. Looking at her now-still slim and effortlessly elegant-I couldn't help thinking that time had no power over her.

The car stopped in front of the familiar café I used to visit so often that the memories alone wiped the smile from my face, plunging me straight into nostalgia. As I watched the car disappear down the street, I lifted my gaze to the sky. Heavy clouds were gathering. The heat had eased, the air turning cool and fresh, and the moment I stepped inside, a light rain began to fall.

Nina was already seated at a table, and I couldn't hold back a squeal. Unbelievable-she hadn't changed at all. The second she spotted me, she jumped up and rushed toward me with her arms wide open. Our shrieks could only have been ignored by someone completely deaf, and the woman at the next table shot us a sharp glare. But what were we supposed to do? Our emotions were overflowing.

"Oh my God," Nina exclaimed, pulling me back to the table she'd been sitting at. "You've changed so much-it's impossible to describe."

"And you're exactly the same," I replied, settling into the chair across from her.

We'd kept in touch from a distance, of course, but seeing each other in person after several years was something entirely different.

"I thought you didn't wear glasses anymore," Nina said, taking a sip of her coffee.

I ordered a slice of strawberry cake and a cup of tea, then turned my full attention back to her.

"I don't," I snorted. "But the day before I came home, I had a poolside photoshoot and accidentally fell into the water. Lost my contacts. Since that was my last pair, I had no choice but to switch back to glasses."

"So I wasn't imagining it," she beamed. "That was you in the latest issue of Evening Star, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that was me." I'd never hidden how I made a living, but for some reason it felt oddly awkward talking about it with her.

"Tell me something," she said, suddenly serious. She studied my face carefully, then lowered her gaze to the plate the waiter had just placed in front of me. "Are models even allowed to eat something like that?"

"Technically, no," I laughed. "But if my manager doesn't see it, it won't kill me."

She smiled-but then her expression shifted. A spark flared in her eyes with such intensity that it made me uneasy. I remembered that look from childhood all too well. It usually meant trouble. Nina was about to ask for something.

"Nadya, tell me-would your manager be against you participating in my photoshoot?"

There it was. I knew it. With a groan, I rolled my eyes, sighed dramatically, and took the first bite of cake.

"I came home for a break from all of this, Nina."

"Please." She grabbed my hand and looked at me with so much hope that refusing felt nearly impossible. Whether Valen would approve was another matter entirely. I couldn't say yes without asking him first.

"I'll talk to my manager," I said carefully. "But I'm warning you-he might not like the idea."

"But you'll try, right? I can work around things. Your face won't even be visible-just your body in luxury lingerie."

"Lingerie?"

"Yes. A designer boutique hired me to shoot their new lingerie line-for both men and women. So I said yes. Everything fell into place perfectly."

She was glowing with excitement, and I didn't have the heart to interrupt her. Still, something nagged at me.

"You said men, too. Does that mean I'll have a partner?"

"Yes, but I haven't found the right male model yet. I still have a couple of days to look..."

"By the way, Nina," I said, "why weren't you at Darvin's funeral? Are things between your families still that bad?"

Her excitement vanished instantly. The moment I said that name, Nina stiffened and withdrew. I didn't know exactly what had sparked the feud between their families, but it had been dragging on for years. And yet, that hadn't stopped her from falling for one of them.

"Don't tell me you're still in love with Vlad," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"No, I'm not. That's ancient history," she replied sharply. She could fool anyone else-but not me. I knew she still loved him. It was written all over her face. "They didn't invite us. Father said we had no place there."

"I see," I said quietly, focusing on the dessert in front of me.

I shouldn't have brought up the Darvins. After that, the conversation fizzled out completely. I finished my tea and said goodbye-Nina had clearly sunk into a darker mood. Something had happened, I was sure of it, but until she was ready to talk, pushing wouldn't help.

I called a taxi and waited beneath the café awning while a heavy downpour raged outside. The weather had turned ugly fast, and all I wanted now was to take a hot bath and curl up in bed with my economics notes. I still needed to figure out why that awful professor had knocked down my grade.