“I’m sick of being trapped here,” Nina continued to rant. “My life would be so much easier if you were never born.”
I probably should have cringed at the way my mother was openly admitting she wished she aborted me while she was pregnant, but honestly, this was old news. I had no delusions that Nina wanted me in her life, and it would probably be easier if I just ignored her until she ran out of steam.
I went back to the fruit salad that Mrs. Ferguson made for me. She gave me a portion large enough for two meals, or one massive Netflix binge session.
“Are you listening to me?” Nina said in a raised voice.
She stomped toward me, and I sprang up out of my chair to face her, unsure of her intentions. She hadn’t hesitated to threaten or hurt me while we were on the plane, practically under Richard’s nose. What was she capable of when we were alone?
I stood up straight, unwilling to cower before her anger. If she wanted a fight, I’d give it to her. I didn’t have a shortage of rage and pent up frustration that needed to be released.
Nina reached for me with an ugly look on her face, but I smacked her hand away.
“Don’t touch me,” I hissed.
“Richard wants to see a loving mother be reunited with her lost daughter,” Nina sneered. “And that’s what we need to give him. I don’t care if you play the wounded dove routine, but you will get with the program.”
“And if I don’t?” I asked defiantly. “I don’t want to play these stupid games. I want to go back home to New York.”
Nina lunged forward and grabbed my arm. I tried to pull it out of her grasp, but her grip was too tight. Instead of continuing a losing struggle, I bared my teeth at her. I wasn’t a helpless little girl that she could intimidate. If she were going to bite, I’d bite right back.
“You are going to do exactly what I tell you to do,” Nina threatened. “Otherwise, you’ll never see Ryan again.”
“You can’t do that,” I said with a raised chin. “I’ll find a way back to him and my old life, even if I have to go through you.”
“You need to forget your old life,” Nina hissed. “This is your world for the next two years, and you’re going to help me cement this marriage. Don’t you understand how much money is on the line right now?”
“Money?” I said derisively. “Is that all you care about? There’s more to life than that.”
“Like what?” Nina said with a roll of her eyes.
“Like love,” I yelled as I yanked my arm as hard as I could. “Or family. I may have lost Babulya, but Ryan and I have something special. Something that you’ll never understand. Maybe that’s why you’re such a bitch, because you know no one will ever love the real you. You have to put on an act for Richard so he can tolerate being in the same room with you.”
Nina let me pull away from her, but she laughed at me.
“You’re such a naïve child. Do you think I’d be here right now if I wasn’t recognized across the world as one of the most successful models who ever walked the runway? Richard wouldn’t look at me twice if I were just a regular girl. I’m just another high-end possession to him.”
“You’re not high-end,” I burst out. “You’re the reject from several seasons ago that’s still stuck at the bottom of the bargain bin.”
Nina slapped me, and I never saw it coming. My head snapped to the left from the force of her blow. I slowly turned my head back toward her and touched my reddening cheek.
I don’t know why I was so surprised that she struck me. After all, this wasn’t the first time she threatened me - I should have been prepared for things to escalate like this.
I narrowed my eyes at her, preparing to strike back. She smiled, and her eyes got even darker.
“Well, daughter?” she mocked me. “What do you have to say now?”
I took a step toward her and she raised her hand again, this time in a fist. This definitely wasn’t Nina’s first fight. I swallowed nervously, but I held my ground. How far was Nina willing to go? She had the advantage of height, weight, and experience.
“Step away from her,” Maverik’s voice called from the doorway.
Nina’s entire attitude abruptly changed. “Do you boys want to join us for movie night? You can pick the next one we watch.” she offered in a bright tone.
I stared at her as if she were an alien that just dropped down to earth. There was no sign of the Nina that had terrorized me for the last ten minutes. This woman was a complete stranger. Warmth radiated from her, and if I’d just walked in on the scene, I would have thought she was a loving mom spending the day relaxing with her daughter. Was this who Richard saw all the time? Nina was a better actress than I’d given her credit for.
“Are you serious right now?” Kingston exclaimed as he stood next to his brother.
How much of our fight did they hear? I hit the rewind button in my brain, then smirked. Whatever they heard, it was pretty incriminating for Nina. She openly admitted that she didn’t love Richard. I briefly felt bad for him, but then shook it off. Losing Nina would be the best thing that could happen to Richard.
Nina laughed lightly, but there was tension in her face. “Katya and I were just having a bonding moment.”
Maverik’s eyes were on Nina, but Kingston was looking in my direction. The sad look in his eyes made me
