34| sweet

D I A N E

"How are you doing," She smiled her brown skin glistening, not a wrinkle in sight. She was aging like fine wine.

She had her dark hair tied in a neat bun, a few strands of grey starting to peek through. Her brown skin was smooth, with no wrinkles in sight. Despite her age, she looked as youthful as ever. She was the epitome of elegance, and I always felt a sense of peace in her presence. "What's going on here?" she asked, her eyes darting between Yulia and me.

"I'm doing well, and you?" I asked, matching her warm smile with one of my own. "I'm doing great, thanks for asking," she replied, but I could tell that something was off. She sighed a look of resignation on her face. "I just wanted to check in on how the wedding preparations were going," she said, sounding like she didn't want to be here.

"Well, Yulia called me this morning and she wanted to discuss some things she didn't like about the decor," I said, and her gaze shifted to Yulia. "Nonsense!" she said, a sharp edge to her voice.

"Everything looks perfect, and I'm sure we can work out any concerns she has." Yulia opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Ms Rivera. "But right now, we should focus on enjoying the day. It's not every day that my son gets married, and I want to make sure everything is perfect for him."

Yulia's face turned red, and I could tell she was not happy with Isaak's mother's comment. But before she could say anything, she continued. "In any case, we should focus on making the day perfect for Isaak. After all, it's his wedding, isn't it?" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. I saw Yulia grit her teeth, and I could tell she was about to explode. "Unfortunately," she muttered under her breath, but I'm sure Yulia heard her.

"Diane, honey, would you like to come over for dinner tonight?" she asked, her voice full of warmth and affection.

I was about to accept her offer, but then all of the recent events came rushing back to me, and I felt myself freeze. I couldn't imagine sitting at the same table with Isaak after everything that had happened. Everything was still too raw, too painful.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice shaking. "I just don't think I'm ready for that yet." She looked at me, her expression softening. "But-"

"She can't," Yulia interjected, her voice cold and sharp. "She has a date tonight, right?" she said, looking at me with a smirk. I felt my heart drop. I was not prepared for Yulia to say that, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Ms. Rivera," I said, my voice trembling. "I just don't think I'll be able to make it tonight." I could feel the disappointment in her eyes, but I couldn't bring myself to attend the dinner.

Not after everything that had happened.

I made my way out of the hotel ballroom, the sound of my heels echoing on the marble floor. As I reached the lobby, my phone began to ring. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was an unknown number. I hesitated for a moment but then decided to answer the call. "Hello?" I said, my voice sounding uncertain.

"Ah, you picked up!" a man's voice said, a hint of amusement in his tone. I furrowed my brow, not recognizing the voice. I furrow my brows, removing the phone from my ear to look at the caller ID again.

"Um, who am I speaking to?" I asked. "I feel offended that you don't recognize my voice," the man said, a hint of laughter in his tone. I listened to the laugh again, and slowly it clicked. "Viktor?" I asked, my heart racing. The man on the other end of the line let out a laugh. "The one and only," he said, his voice full of mirth.

"What the hell do you want?" I snarled as if he could see my glare through the phone.

"Shh, shh, calm down, Blondie." he said, and I cringed at the name. "What do you want, Viktor?" I asked, my teeth clenched so tightly. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Viktor spoke again. "Let's meet up, there's something I need to tell you."

"What could you possibly have to say to me?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just trust me, you'll be interested." Viktor said, and I could hear the self-satisfied smirk in his voice. I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone. I scrolled through my contacts until I found Luka's name, and sent him a text. "We need to talk."

□□□

"Say yes," Luka said, and my jaw nearly hit the floor. "What, are you crazy?" I asked, my eyes wide. "Just do it," he said, a cocky smirk on his face. "Luka, this is serious." I said, trying to get him to take this lightly. "I know, but just trust me," he said, and I could tell he was enjoying this way too much. I let out a frustrated sigh.

He handed me a steaming cup of tea. "Drink this, maybe you'll finally calm down."

I roll my eyes, taking the warm cup into my hands.  I  slowly closed my eyes and savored the flavor of the tea. It was unlike any other tea I had ever tasted. It was rich and complex, with hints of sweetness and spice. I took another sip, savoring every drop. I opened my eyes and saw Luka watching me, a knowing look on his face.

There had to be drugs in this - it was too good.

"What's in this?" I asked, taking a sip and being surprised by how delicious it was. "Enjoy," he said, a sly grin on his face. I shrug, taking another sip.

I sigh. "What could that guy possibly have to tell me?"

"Well, that's what you have to find out." He says and I bite the inside of my cheek, knowing he was right.