Page 148 of Taken By My Grumpy Pakhan

The memory arrived with startling clarity.

She had looked terrified when she saw me, almost dangerously close to bolting, but the elevator rattled, the lights dimmed, and her fear turned to a level of boldness I could not resist.

I smiled despite myself.

I had convinced myself I was completely in control and only indulging in a moment of fun, but the truth was, that kiss had destroyed the life I thought I wanted.

It had given me the one I never knew I needed.

“Is that a smile?”

And of course, Nikolai’s voice ruined a perfectly good moment.

I pulled on my suit jacket. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I refused to use the moments leading to my wedding to indulge an idiot.

“You looked…” He searched for the word.

“…happy.”

I ignored him, looking through the window at the decorated garden below.

Happy.

That was a word I’d never given thought to, feeling it belonged to fools. Only fools sought happiness.

Real men knew all that was needed in life was power. With the right amount of power, everything else followed, but I couldn’t deny the alien but comfortable feeling that had occupied my chest lately.

It felt warm, and I found myself reaching for it every waking hour, and it also intensified when Genevieve was in the room.

“It’s time,” Lev announced.

I looked back at the garden to find a few people settling into their seats.

It was an intimate wedding with some trusted colleagues, Genevieve’s brother, and a few friends from college and work.

The thought of work colleagues reminded me of the image of Rose almost passing out when I handed her the invite and Caroline standing mute for a whole minute.

I nodded at Lev, smoothing the invisible crease on my jacket with my palms as we made our way downstairs.

The florist had done exactly what Genevieve wanted.

Simple elegance, white roses, and soft greenery, while the orchestra played a soft tune in the corner.

Nothing extravagant.

“I don’t want people to remember how expensive my wedding was,” she had said when Anna tried to talk her into a more elaborate display. “I want them to remember how it felt. Besides, I’ll be too pregnant and tired for most things.”

I had smiled at the comment, but it stayed with me longer than it should’ve.

Money had solved every problem I’d ever faced.

Until her.

She reminded me of how the expensive things in life were the ones money could not buy. A statement I had thought completely foolish at the time.

Another sentiment to place some fake level of morality on humans. Everyone had a price—it was common knowledge, or so I thought, until she completely changed everything, including the way I saw the world.