Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Mikhail opened his mouth to say something but then emptied his glass without saying anything.

Jeremy took a sip from his glass.

His investigations faced a dead end with Moses Mosley. But there is no animosity between Jerlina and Moses. That only means that someone pays Moses enough to get her. If he finds out who that is, it would be easy for him to deal with them. 

"She..." Mikhail let out a deep breath and Jeremy looked at him. 

Mikhail isn't loose-lipped and he has high alcohol tolerance. That means he means to speak to him about this.

"She has enemies, yes. But if the ones going behind her are them... apparently, she has no chance of survival." He took in another deep breath seeing Jeremy's very unimpressed face.

"Who are they?" Jeremy fisted his hands.

"Grandpa didn't say... I think he's scared of them too..." Mikhail looked at the floor in deep thought. 

Jeremy knew he is not lying. There is someone even Volkonsky is afraid of? Who might that be? Should I start my investigations from there? 

"On the other hand..." Mikhail continued. "A lot of your enemies don't want you to procreate. The woman you love is a natural target."

Yes, a lot of enemies. Like your... "family", including Emma.

"Come on! Is this about me being a Prince? Let's not go there. I am not going to "return" to my kingdom and claim my throne. Ugh! It's-"

"Don't-" Mikhail's voice went deep and Jeremy stopped.

"I am sorry... I won't trivialize that aspect of my identity." Jeremy bowed his head.

That kidnapping incident that brought them together, had more to give than their friendship. The Volkonsky brothers were kidnapped because they thought Alexander Volkonsky knew the identity of the lost Royal heir of Bonivia - the country that is no more.

It is said that there are still people waiting for the royal heir to return and deliver them from the dictator who is ruling them now.

It is for that reason, the dictator and his secret service is actively searching for the missing heir for almost five decades. Five decades since the little Princess was shipped away to a distant land in a crate to save her life. 

The Princess was raised in the foster care system of that country and later she gave birth to a bastard son. The son was found by Volkonsky in an unfortunate event that took the life of his eldest grandson.

So yes, the threat to his life is real. And in a way, Mikhail's brother lost his life because of him, even though he didn't know why. 

"She... does she know?" Mikhail asked wiping the perspiration off his forehead.

That topic of Jeremy's identity is a touchy subject for both of them. And he forgot to warn Jeremy about the Harrisons trying to change the topic.

"No," Jeremy shook his head. 

"Maybe she'd like to be a secret Queen Consort and would not leave you," Mikhail chuckled.

"Ah, if only she's that easy... If she is not falling for my wealth, what good are some secret titles?" Jeremy too spoke in a lighthearted tone to soothe the tension formed between them before.

"I confessed to her..." Jeremy looked at the clear liquor inside the glass. "She refused... she thinks she is not my priority..."

"Well... she's not wrong though...I wouldn't consider you her best protector too," Mikhail added.

"You think?" Jeremy took in a deep breath.

"You couldn't even keep your love a secret considering the threat to your life. The whole town knows you are waiting for her and... you openly vowed to protect her under your wing after your sister expressed her desire for her man-"

"You know about it?" Jeremy felt ashamed. "I learned about it only today."

It seems like everyone knew about it except him.

"There you go... You're careless... very much when it comes to that-" Mikhail clenched his teeth stopping himself from cursing Emma and took a sip from his glass.

It's unbecoming to curse a woman!

  "Grandpa asked me to marry Ms. Hopkins after she leaves you," Mikhail observed Jeremy's reaction.  "He thinks that the Volkonsky family will brighten with her addition."

"I thought we are brothers, Mike," Jeremy checked his phone as he received some messages."Brothers don't marry their sisters-in-law."

"But aren't you two platonic? We can marry each other's friends, right?" Mikhail added preparing himself to defend himself from the glass that is to be thrown at him by hiding behind the throw pillow.

"Who said we are platonic?" Jeremy raised his eyebrows. "And why are you hiding behind a pillow?" 

"You've slept together?" Mikhail was surprised. 

"Yes... to be precise, you never had a chance with her anyway. I've known her for a decade," he looked up, "Biblically," he added and chuckled as Mikhail dropped the pillow.

"Ten years before..? So the rumors about you liking baby girls... Sh*t! Jerry! She'd have been what..? Twelve or thirteen-"

"What the-"

Now it was Jeremy's turn to panic and he almost dropped his phone.

"How old do you think she is? She is twenty-seven now. And when I slept with her she was almost eighteen! The legal age of consent in our state is sixteen and so we didn't even break any laws. Come on, buddy! Don't turn me into a pervert! Also, I thought she was twenty-one when we... Ugh! Why am I even explaining this to you?" Jeremy rubbed his hands together to warm himself up.

He was really frightened.

  "Ah, wait...that makes sense than assuming she skipped grades and finished her university early... she just looks young." Mikhail grimaced. He checked her records but he assumed her age by her appearance.

"So do I look old?" Jeremy knitted his brows. On his way here, a lot of people looked at him weirdly and Jerlina calling him 'daddy' didn't help either. 

Do we look that incompatible?

"I don't know if it is the beard... but you look like you're in your mid-thirties...And standing beside you... she can be your daughter," Mikhail laughed.

"Does she look that young? We only have four years difference...I don't think that is much."

"Hmm, true," Mikhail saw Jeremy's face hardening and became silent for a while. 

"Her father... he never considered her a priority... she never had any other serious boyfriends than the guy Emma stole. He too... prioritized his parents. Did you know that he never brought her to his parents' home even for Christmases? That she spent all the holidays alone? You too... Emma is your heart and soul. I won't blame her for not wanting to fall for someone like you," Mikhail spoke breaking the long silence.

"You've been more than a father to her for long... I've found out about a lot you did for her secretly... If you want her heart, be sure if that is what you absolutely want," Mikhail said and Jeremy was confused.

"Of course, I am sure about it."

"Are you willing to lose Emma for her? Can you make that choice?" Mikhail asked.