Page 133 of Queen’s Gambit

“Daddy, are you mad at me?” She held the book to her chest like a shield.

Christov looked down at Lilya and then glanced at me again before losing the glare.

“I’m not mad at you. I just had a bad work call,” he said, shocking me as I began dividing the pile into two.

They were all good clothes, but I had to make my cover look good.

Lilya slid off the bed and tentatively walked toward him. I took a step to intervene, but Christov held up his hand.

“If you hurt….”

“I won’t,” he said, kneeling.

Christov had kept to my contract, and other than a monthly visit for a couple of hours, he never spent time with Lilya. This was the first time I’d seen him really interact with her naturally. In true Lilya fashion, she could melt any heart. I covered my mouth when she cupped his face and looked into his eyes like she was about to read his future.

“Don’t be angry, Daddy. I love you.”

Christov’s eyes grew wide with shock, but under it was something else…affection maybe. I wouldn’t know. We had none for each other. Lilya kissed one cheek and then the other before looking up at me.

“Can I get a snack?”

“May I have a snack,” I corrected.

“May I have a snack,” she repeated.

I smiled and nodded before pointing to my room.

“You know where the tray is.”

She skipped out, her dark hair waving behind her. Christov stood and watched her go with a touch of warmth in his normally cold stare.

“She’s not mine, is she,” he asked, hitting me off guard with the question.

“Why? Because she has black hair? Have you forgotten that half my family has black hair?”

“No, because she….” Christov stopped and looked at me, his eyes darkening again. “Doesn’t matter either way. I came to tell you that I spoke to Alina, and she won’t bother you again,” he said, and all I could do was shake my head.

“I know you love her, and she loves you, so you want to believe her. But if you genuinely don’t think she is planning something…well, then you don’t know her at all. How long are you keeping me locked up?”

“For as long as it takes,” he said and walked away.

“What does that mean,” I called out.

Christov didn’t answer. He just slammed the door when he left. What the hell was that?

The Next Day

Of all days, why did a storm have to roll in overnight? There was a thick blanket of white on everything. What was once beautiful might foil my plans if the guards didn’t leave. I’d dressed warmly, and yet, there was no way the chill of what I needed to do next would leave me anytime soon.

There was a gentle knock at the door, and Kira stepped inside. I glanced into Lilya’s room, but she was on the floor playing with her dolls and a coloring book.

“Is everything in place,” I asked, looking at the time. It was ten forty-five.

“Yes, I’ll be serving Mr. Ivankov’s lunch with his usual brandy. It has the sleeping agent as was instructed. Most of the staff left to run errands, and the guards will be gone any minute now.”

“What about Alina?”

“She’s in her wing trying on dresses. Christov is taking her to a gathering.”