RHEA POV

A WEEK.

7 DAYS.

168 HOURS.

10,080 MINUTES,

Since I became Mrs. Rhea Nikolai Ivanov and it's all on the paper.

Nikolai left the next day after our marriage, the next day after he gave me the most powerful orgasm I've had in the last 5 months. Am I complaining? Nope. Did I enjoy? Yes. Am I freak? Yes bitch-

I mentally roll my eyes at my inner voice which has been cussing me all the way till Sunday and maybe, just maybe she's right.

I descend down the stairs after doing my morning routine, I'm wearing a brown dress which is till my knees and hair neatly tied up in a bun. Today I decided to take a tour of my new house, more like a haunted house— shut up.

“Good Morning, Mrs. Ivanov. I'm Annika, the senior housekeeper of Mr Ivanov.”

A lady in her mid 50’s greet me and I smile at her, “Good morning and just Rhea is fine, no need for any formalities.”

“I'm sorry but I cannot fulfill that request of yours, Mr Ivanov has given strict instructions to maintain a respectful distance with you and yes, be helpful. If you need anything, just press the yellow button or maybe use any telephone which is in all the rooms.”

I stare at her, dumbfounded. She's like a robot, no emotions whatsoever and her tone? Flat as ever.

“I think you don't understand Annika, you're older than me and I would really appreciate it if you-”

“Breakfast is already ready, kindly follow me.”

She cuts me off in her “don't mess with me” tone and her eyes? Devoid of emotions. Geez, is everyone here like that twat? Emotionless? This is gonna be a long ride, of-fucking-course.

“Lead the way please.” I follow her.

Breakfast is a lavish affair and in literal sense. Nearly more than 15 types of dishes are served ranging from Indian to Russian to English. Holy shite. Just how much does this man eat?

“Mr Ivanov told us to prepare all this and asked us to take note of your preferences and allergies if you have any.”

I stare at her and I raise my eyebrow, “I was eating just fine for the last one week, why sudden change?”

She gives a deadpan look before answering in her emotionless tone, “Because Mr Ivanov told us.”

As if I didn't figure that out, taunts my inner voice. I sigh softly before telling her.

“Seafood and mushrooms are a big NO, I am deathly allergic to the two of them and I don't really enjoy coffee and would rather have hot chocolate with marshmallows.”

“Noted. Anything else?”

SHOW. SOME. EMOTIONS. ANYTHING. WOMAN.

I want to shout but I refrain and I give her a smile, “Nope, nothing else. Thank you Annika.”

“I'll be right outside, if you need anything, kindly call me.”

And what that, she walks out.

Literally.

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I am taking a tour of this huge mansion which according to Annika is only half the size of Nikolai's actual mansion in Russia, his childhood house.

Damn, just how many hours would it take for all of them to clean this-

I shake my head and I walk towards the third floor aka The Forbidden Floor and Annika’s emotionless warning ring in my head.

“Third floor is out of bounds. For you and for us as well, only Mr Ivanov is allowed there and incase you go, being how” she gives me a JUDGING look, DAMN HER. “Rule breaker and how much you enjoy riling up Mr Ivanov, Do not, and I mean it, DO NOT ENTER THE LAST ROOM COME WHAT MAY.”

I scoff-chuckle before stopping right at the top of the stair case and there are literally 6 room, just how much big is this fucking place is?

“Which room was she talking about? Left extreme or right extreme? Old woman.” I mutter to myself before walking towards the left side and I try to open the door.

“Locked? Really?” I groan in annoyance before kicking the door with my foot. I try with all the doors and I reach the last one with hopeful steps, “Please please please, you be open. Please-” I try to unlock it and it opens? IT OPENS! HOLY SHITE!!!

I jump in excitement and I enter the room and start coughing, It's not at all clean and the chairs? They're scattered all over the room, furniture broken.

“Get out before something bad happens-” I hear myself talk but I freeze, not being able to move as I stare at the portrait infront of me, it's dirty but enough to make out the details, a woman who's smiling so brightly and the, what I think is a lavender gown that she's wearing is hugging her figure in all the right places, making her look

Ethereal.

I look down at her name which reads,

Svetlana Volkovitch

But before I could react, the alarm goes off, catching me off guard and I run out of the room.

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NIKOLAI POV

It's been exactly 7 days since I last touched her, tasted her and the look in her eyes when she came all over my fingers? It was too much.

“Stop it. It's just a contract-”

“Keep telling yourself that.” My inner voice mocks me.

I've always been a man of a few words and practical. Keeping a safe distance from her should not be difficult and like hell, I will bloody well make sure that we maintain that distance.

The sole reason I left the very next day was this.

“Just a deal, no love or strings attached.” I keep chanting the same mantra in my head over and over again.

“Get it tattooed”, damn it, since when did my conscience start to fuck with me?

I groan before looking over the laptop again, focusing back on the task at hand but the sudden notification catches me off guard.

I pick up my phone and my eyes widen

in horror as I take in the scene infront of me on my device.

A blast.

Before the screen goes black.

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