My Rival, My Temptation - Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Katherine’s POV
“Absolutely not.” Nikolai’s voice sliced through the tension at the table like a razor in response to his father’s announcement of our proposed marriage, and I barely managed to hold back a laugh. Even though I couldn’t stand him, a small part of me appreciated his consistency. I was happy that even after all these years, he hated me the same way I hated him. We'd even used the same words to reject the idea of marrying each other.
I nodded, my smile wide as I picked at my food. “At least we agree on one thing. We’ll never see eye to eye, but we sure as hell agree on our hatred for each other.”
Nikolai’s gaze darkened for a split second, and I could practically feel the sharp retort hanging on the tip of his tongue. But just as quickly, his expression smoothed into its usual mask of indifference. I knew it was all for show—he was only keeping up the facade of being the perfect son, the kind of person our parents thought him to be. Sergei, catching the tension, shot his son a sharp look before smoothly turning to my parents.
“I apologize for Nikolai’s brash tone,” Sergei said, smoothing over the tension. “He’s young, and though his manners leave something to be desired, he does understand the importance of this arrangement. He does support the wedding, of course. After all, we already spoke about this when you two were just children.”
Nikolai’s eyes flared briefly, but he didn’t interrupt his father. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, arms folded, as if already disengaging from the conversation.
“I will not marry her,” Nikolai repeated, his voice sharp, as if he thought the situation could still be undone. “I said it once, and I’m saying it again.”
“Likewise, Pretty boy.” I added and my mum looked like I’d just murdered somebody.
Sergei’s expression hardened, his tone more commanding than before. “You don’t have a choice, Nikolai. You’re going to marry Katherine, and that’s final.”
A heavy silence fell, and before anyone could respond, Nikolai stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with a sharp scrape against the floor.
“Please excuse me,” he muttered, already turning towards the door.
“Wait, Nikolai—” Sergei started, but Nikolai didn’t look back.
My father exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “See, even Nikolai doesn’t want to marry me,” I said, my voice sharp with exasperation. “There’s no point in this, and we should just head home.”
My mother opened her mouth to argue, but Sergei had already followed his son out, his movements slower, though no less determined.
The seconds stretched into an eternity before Sergei finally returned. This time, however, his face was set in a tight smile.
“I’ve spoken with my son,” Sergei announced, his tone surprisingly light, though there was an unmistakable firmness beneath it. “The marriage will happen. I’m glad to say that we’re all in agreement now. I’m very pleased our families will join together, and I must admit, I’ve always been fond of you, Katherine.” He paused, his gaze lingering briefly. “It saddens me that you’ve stopped visiting the mansion. We were hoping to see more of you.”
I barely contained a scoff at his words, my frustration bubbling to the surface once again. But my mother, ever the mediator, seized the moment.
“Katherine,” she began, her voice gentle, “why don’t you go and talk to Nikolai? After all, you’re the young ones. Perhaps you can find some common ground.”
I wanted to refuse, to argue, to scream about how this was impossible, but when I caught my father’s gaze, I knew better than to protest. His stern expression was a silent reprimand, a reminder that this was a serious matter. I stood, my chair scraping loudly, and reluctantly made my way toward the door.
The house felt suffocating, the long corridors stretching out like the final miles of a doomed journey. I passed rooms, hallways, and quiet doors, searching for Nikolai. Of course, he wouldn’t make this easy.
Finally, as I stepped into the cool night air, I spotted him. Nikolai stood at the edge of the garden, bathed in the glow of the moon, his back turned toward me.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself before walking toward him. He didn’t turn when I approached, as if he had already expected me.
“What do you want?” His voice was low, flat, devoid of any emotion.
I stepped closer, the words fighting their way past my clenched teeth. “Between the two of us, Nik, you have more power to say no to this marriage. I’m begging you—please, say no. It’s the only way out of this.”
He finally turned to face me, his eyes cold, calculating. “One, don’t call me Nik. Two, I’m going to say yes to the marriage.”
My stomach dropped. “What? You…what do you mean? You just said no not even thirty minutes ago.”
He didn’t flinch, didn’t show the slightest sign of hesitation. “Does it really matter why I’m saying yes now? What matters is that we’re stuck in this, and we’ll have to make the best of it.”
I blinked, trying to grasp the rapid shift in his attitude, my mind reeling from the confusion. “Then what are we supposed to do? You’re going to marry me, and we’ll just…accept it? We can’t stand each other.”
Nikolai’s lips curled into a cruel smirk. “No. I have a proposal for you.”
I frowned. “A proposal?”
He nodded, his gaze never leaving mine. “We sign a contract, in secret of course. We’ll give our parents what they want for one year. A wonderful marriage and a child. After that, we separate. Simple as that.”
To be honest, him slapping me would probably feel better than the nonsense he just said.
A wonderful marriage? A child?
“What if I refuse?”
His smirk deepened, and his voice dropped to a chilling whisper. “Then it’s your father’s business that will be in ruins, and you’ll lose everything. You have more to lose than I do, Covey. So, what will it be?”
Without waiting for my answer, he turned, his figure dissolving into the night as he walked away, leaving me standing there with a violent urge— not just to end him, but to end myself.