Vow of Deception (Deception Trilogy, #1)

by Rina Kent

To every one of us who defied logic and fell in love with villains.

I won’t be Winter Cavanaugh anymore. My thoughts are reinforced when the Russian says, “From now on, you’re Lia Volkov. Wife of Adrian Volkov.”

The first one who sees the other will die.

I’m Winter Cavanaugh and I’m living on behalf of myself and my baby girl.

Because I know, I just know that real monsters are more dangerous. They appear human, too, before they release their beastly selves on the world. Like in my nightmare.

“You’re finally awake, Lenochka.”

Adrian Volkov might have thought he hit the jackpot by finding his dead wife’s lookalike, but what he doesn’t know is that he fell upon a shell. And inside this shell, there’s nothing for him to bring out.

“You were a ghost the other day. I don’t like Ghost Mommy. She was scary.”

“Are you going to visit Mrs. Volkov, sir?” Ogla asks. I give her a quizzical glance. “Not this one. The other one.” Her voice lowers. “Something weird happened to her and it needs your attention.”

“You don’t seem to grasp the situation, so let me explain it to you for the last time, Lia. You’re my wife,

my property, my thing. That means you walk the line I trace and make the decisions I allow. If I say you leave your will at the door, you do. If I say you will walk blindly into a well, you will. In my house, my word is law and my decisions are final. If you feel the need to defy me, by all means, do. I’ll enjoy every second of whipping you into submission.”

“You’re a masochist to my sadism, Lia.” “Shut up!” “And that’s eleven. Open your eyes or it’ll be twelve.”

He’s the devil incarnate. A hateful asshole whose only purpose is to sweep away anyone in his path.

“Because Papa stayed with me when you were a ghost, Mommy.”

My eyes. The ghost Jeremy mentioned is staring at me and she looks ready to kill me.

You have one mission. Pull the fucking trigger.

“You’re fucking home.”

I’m proud of you, he said. You’re my home, he also said.

“Thank you for welcoming me home.”

Thank you for being my home,

A replica of them. Possibly. After all, monsters can only birth monsters.

Adrian doesn’t only make sure I come first—and multiple times—he also never leaves me dirty and walks away. He always bathes me, dresses me, brushes my hair, tucks me in, and even tells Ogla to bring me meals in bed when he feels I’m too sore to move.

I gasp as I’m thrust back to the present. “Do you remember now?” Luca asks. That’s his name. Luca. My partner in all of this. And I do remember. It’s true. My name is Lia. Lia Volkov.