And in his wallowing, an angel appears… and makes eyes at his best friend. Vladimir grumbles.
"Excuse me, can I borrow Anna for a moment?"
She looks up at him, and every bit of happiness and dreaminess disappears from her face in an instant. Her face glosses over with annoyance and a bit of anger. His father looks the same. Anna smiles politely and his father tries to keep Mikhail from thinking anything is wrong. Vladimir smiles at his best friend and takes Anna away. His hand holds hers in a vicegrip that he doesn't want to let up. He wants to keep her with him for as long as he can, even if she hates him to her very core, even if, judging by the eyes she's making at Misha, she's falling for the knyaz. He puts on his signature cocky, cruel facade and whispers in her ear. "Remember, Misha is my best friend. You cannot have a relationship with him."
Anna tries to stay calm and doesn't show anything in her face. He smirks; he can virtually smell the anxiousness exuding from her every pore. She nods and tries to walk back to his father and Mikhail, but he holds her still. "Let go of my hand, Vladimir. You're hurting me."
He smirks for a second, enjoying the power he has over her. It's his favorite thing about messing with Anna: she couldn't do anything to stop him, all her power came from the baron. Without him hovering over her like some kind of old guardian angel, she withers away like a rose in winter. "Wait, I'm not done yet. Stay away from him," he orders.
Anna pauses for just a second, and then she turns to look at him with a defiant air.
"And what if I don't listen to you?"
His smirk widens. "Then I will tell him your secret, and I will enjoy watching how his admiration for you turns to disgust."
She turns away again, losing her fight like she always did when Vladimir one-upped her.
Now that everything is made clear, they fake friendliness with smiles and laughs and turn back to Mikhail and Baron Korf. His father looks at him severely because he knows how dementing his son is, just like the back of his own hand. But Vladimir laughs again and kisses Anna's hand before leaving the trio altogether.
One thing under control, he now has to figure out how to keep himself from killing the heir to the empire and to keep his life.