Page 64 of Sinful Betrayal

I’m completely fucked.

“You shouldn’t be contacting me,” I hiss down the phone. “What if someone overhears me and reports back to Anton?”

“That’s your problem, not mine. You should know how to keep conversations private.”

I sigh, biting back a retort. I don’t have the energy to deal with my father, so I keep quiet, not wanting to antagonize him.

“How are things progressing?”

“I’m working on establishing a connection.” I’m grateful that the shower will likely muffle my voice.

I perch on the edge of the bathtub, my eyes locked on the door, praying that Anton doesn’t decide to come into my room looking to join me.

“You need to work faster.”

“I can’t without risking it looking suspicious.”

“Then you need to trap him.”

“Trap him? What do you mean?”

“Get yourself pregnant, Nina.”

“You’re joking.” A hysterical laugh escapes me.

“If you get yourself knocked up, he’ll likely marry you, and that gives you your connection.”

He can’t be serious.

My thoughts race as I try to think this through.

In a fantasy world, marrying Anton sounds like a dream come true. But in reality, linking him permanently to my father is a death sentence.

I can’t do that to him, at least not without telling him the full truth first, and that would likely kill any chance of us having a future.

Anton values truth and trust above all else. A fact that has my stomach twisting with guilt.

“I-I can’t… No. This…this was never part of the plan.”

“I have a new plan.”

“Thanks for keeping me in the loop.” I huff. “This is my fuckinglifewe’re talking about here. I can’t just get knocked up. What about ballet?”

“What about it?”

“I can’t dance if I’m pregnant.” My voice is thick with tears as my dream starts to slip through my fingers.

“I’ve never known someone to be so fucking self-absorbed. That’s all your mother’s doing. She coddled you and left me to deal with the consequences.”

My eyes sting at his words. I hate it when he talks about my mother because it’s never with kindness or fondness.

“There has to be another way. If you want me to marry him, I could try?—”

“There is no other way. Getting pregnant is the only way to guarantee he will marry you.”

“Why is it so important that he marries me? What exactly do you plan on doing to him?—”

“How about you leave the important things to me and focus on what you’re good at?”