WARNING

This story contains character deaths, sexual themes, graphic violence, swearing, triggers and psychological themes.

Please read at your own discretion

CHAPTER 18

Tatiana stood at a distance, her glass of wine untouched in her hand, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding across the ballroom. A slow, wicked smile curved her lips as she watched Anna.

Like a lamb dropped into a den of wolves. It was such a pretty sight. At least to Tatiana it was.

Anna stood among them, her posture straight, her expression carefully composed, but Tatiana knew—oh, she knew—that the words being spoken to her carried thorns, that each remark was meant to cut, to unravel.

And that was exactly as it should be.

Anna Bjorgman had been allowed to waltz into their world, undeserved and untouched. She had no ties to the Overland Duchy, who was a former princess of a fallen kingdom—a fallen dynasty. What a pathetic woman. She had no real power, who was she to think that she would be able to gain a connection with the Duchy she was meant to marry into?

It was satisfying, watching the way her friends encircled Anna like birds of prey. Every slight, every thinly veiled insult, was a thread meant to pull Anna apart at the seams.

She deserved this.

Because Anna was the reason everything had started to crumble.

Tatiana's grip on her glass tightened, the cold stem pressing against her fingertips. Before that woman came along, Jack had been manageable. He had played his role, had tolerated her presence even if he was distant. But now? Now, he was slipping. He had become restless, unpredictable, his visits to her home growing fewer, his excuses flimsier. And worst of all, his gaze—when it did meet hers—was filled with nothing but exhaustion and indifference.

And the reason?

Anna.

It had been Anna's presence that started it all—the catalyst for Jack's growing disinterest. And through Anna, Jack had started visiting that wretched woman's sister, the quiet and ghost-like Elsa Arendelle. The failed crown princess of a fallen kingdom. Tatiana was meticulous, yes. She investigated. Ever since that wench spouted her sister's name, Tatiana began to dig around.

It wasn't hard to find their heritage. It was impressive. But that was in the past tense. They hold no power—no real title, just plain old commoner.

Tatiana's jaw clenched.

A woman who was so elusive, who couldn't even come out into society to show her face. A woman who shouldn't even be a factor in their world. Yet somehow, she had Jack's attention. And Tatiana could not abide that.

Before she could deal with that wretched Elsa, she had to break Anna first. The Madam of the Bjorgman house had to be put in her place. To learn that she was only being tolerated, nothing more.

Tatiana's smile deepened as she sipped her wine, the bitter taste resting on her tongue like satisfaction.

But then—

A presence.

Tatiana barely had time to react before Jack appeared before her.

She nearly flinched. She hadn't noticed him approaching, hadn't even felt the shift in the air until he was right there, his broad frame blocking out the rest of the room. His expression was grim, unreadable, his blue eyes darkened with something unreadable.

Her heart stuttered in her chest.

"Duke Overland," she exhaled, smoothing the fabric of her gown, composing herself swiftly. "What a surprise."

He didn't return the greeting.

"Come with me," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "We need to talk."

Tatiana blinked, momentarily taken aback. But then, hope flickered inside her.

Finally.

Finally, he had come to his senses.

Perhaps he had realized what a mistake it had been to waste his time elsewhere. Perhaps he was ready to speak about their future—about the inevitable.

Tatiana lifted her chin, regaining her composure. "Of course," she said, and gracefully, she followed him.

They walked side by side through a corridor leading away from the ballroom, away from the prying eyes and murmuring crowds. The air between them was heavy, thick with something unsaid.

Tatiana stole a glance at him.

His shoulders were tense, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Something was wrong.

She felt a chill creep up her spine, but she shoved it down.

This was Jack. Her Jack.

He would not cast her aside.

Would he?

They reached a quieter part of the hall, and Jack finally stopped, turning to face her fully.

Tatiana had been preparing for this moment, for the chance to regain control. She had spent years playing this game, years perfecting the art of knowing what to say, how to stand, how to present herself as the only logical choice.

But the way Jack looked at her now—like a man carrying the weight of something heavy, something final—made the words stick in her throat.

Tatiana swallowed.

"What is it?" she asked, keeping her voice light, controlled.

Jack took a breath.

And then, quietly, he said, "This has to stop."

A crack.

Tatiana blinked. "…What?"

His gaze didn't waver. "This—whatever you have been doing to Anna—it needs to stop."

The breath in her lungs turned to ice.

He knows.

She kept her expression schooled, her lips curving into something dangerously close to a smirk. "Jack," she said, tilting her head, "you sound dramatic."

His expression didn't change. "I'm not blind, Lady Fischer. I saw what I saw."

Something in her chest tightened, sharp and clawing.

She let out a small laugh. "You're being ridiculous. I had no part in whatever that—"

"You had the power to stop them."

The words came like a slap.

Tatiana's grip on her skirts tightened.

"But—"

"I let it slide because I didn't think you would involve innocent people in our highly and obvious political relationship," Jack went on, his voice steady, but there was something almost weary beneath it. "But seeign as you're willing to disregard my friends…I will no longer tolerate this disrespect."

The edges of her vision blurred.

This wasn't happening.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He wasn't supposed to see it. Had she been too enthusiastic? Too obvious? It wasn't like her to crack and get caught like this.

Tatiana felt something inside her splinter.

Her fingers curled around the stem of her wine glass, nails pressing into the delicate crystal. It was taking everything in her not to throw the entire thing at the marble floor just to hear it shatter. This was frustrating. She had only been trying to protect her rightful place as his fiance. Eliminating rivals and people who would hinder her engagement was part of her responsibilities—no, it was part of Jack's as well.

She knows they were only a political couple, there was no love and affection between them. But their relationship wasn't this bad. Had she been delusional to think that she was getting along with him? Had she been utterly foolish?

Jack had barely looked at her all night, and when he did, it was with that same cold indifference that made her stomach churn with rage.

She should have been the one on his arm tonight, the one he sought out, the one he treated with the kind of quiet respect he so easily offered to that wretched Anna Bjorgman. Instead, here they were—standing in the dimly lit corridor, away from the eyes of the ball, Jack having pulled her aside like she was some misbehaving child.

Tatiana would not allow it.

"Why do you keep running to them?" she bit out, lifting her chin. "Are they truly that special, or are you just bored?"

Jack's expression didn't waver. "I don't run to anyone."

She scoffed. "No? Because that's what it looks like. Always at that woman's side. Always making sure she's alright, making sure no one dares say a single word against her." Her lips curled, voice dropping to a whisper. "How noble of you. Tell me, do you not find it strange? Or am I the strange one?"

Jack's gaze turned sharp as glass, but Tatiana wasn't finished.

"What was her name again? Ah, yes—Elsa. The woman you so cherish for you to turn your back on this arrangement and rush to her when she needs you the most." She feigned thoughtfulness, twirling the stem of her glass between her fingers.

"A failed princess from a fallen royal family, hiding in the ruins of her past. It's rather tragic, don't you think? Though I suppose it makes sense that Anna would cling to someone like that. Misery loves company, after all."

The words had barely left her mouth before Jack took a step forward. Not violent, not hurried—just a single, deliberate movement that sent a sharp pulse of awareness through her body.

"Enough."

Tatiana's grip on her glass tightened.

Jack's voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the edge beneath it. "I won't stand here and listen to you speak about them like that."

She laughed, high and sharp. "Oh, am I wrong?" She gestured vaguely toward the ballroom. "You think they belong here, don't you? That merchant's wife playing at nobility. That brute of a husband she married, with all his ridiculous manners and his misplaced sense of belonging. And Elsa, the great queen of nothing. Who couldn't even protect her own Kingdom from the usurpers. How grand!" Her smile turned mocking.

"Did you think I would never find out?" Tatiana asked. "It was pretty easy to find their bloodline, Duke. I just had to do a little bit of digging here and there, and oh! How quickly have I found the information? How was that fallen princess not killed by her traitors yet? It's a miracle that she survived." She paused, her smile wide and her eyes held a thousand versions of rage.

"It would've been great if she was killed. Then there wouldn't have been anyone to get in between us. You pity them, don't you?"

Jack exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You really don't understand a thing, do you?"

Tatiana's jaw tightened.

"You think nobility is measured by blood and titles," he continued. "But Anna is more noble than half the people in that room combined. She has strength you wouldn't recognize even if it was staring you in the face. Kristoff has more integrity than any lord who hides behind his wealth. And Elsa—" His eyes darkened.

"You don't know a damn thing about her, yet you speak as if you do. You insult her because it makes you feel powerful. But cruelty isn't power, Tatiana. It's desperation."

Tatiana's breath hitched, but she recovered quickly. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. It's not cruelty. It's the truth."

Jack let out a bitter laugh. "The truth?" He shook his head. "You wouldn't know the truth if it was handed to you on a silver platter."

Tatiana bristled, her nostrils flaring. "And what truth is that?"

Jack leaned in slightly, just enough to make her feel the weight of his next words. "That no matter how much you sneer, no matter how many whispers you spread, no matter how hard you try to tear them down—you'll never be half the woman Anna is."

Tatiana's entire body went rigid.

"And Kristoff?" Jack added, tilting his head. "That 'brute,' as you call him, is twice the man of any suitor you could ever hope to win over. And he is of noble blood, more noble than you could ever hope for."

Tatiana's face burned, but she kept her composure, even as her grip on her glass turned white-knuckled.

"And as for Elsa," Jack continued, voice low, measured, and cutting, "if you speak her name with such disrespect again, I will make sure you regret it."

Tatiana inhaled sharply. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm warning you," Jack corrected, his expression turning grim. "This is the last time I'll tolerate this, Tatiana."

She let out a breathless laugh. "Tolerate?"

Jack's expression didn't change. "Yes. Tolerate."

Tatiana forced a smile, stepping closer, forcing herself to sound composed. "And what of me, Jack? What of our engagement? Do you truly not care how this looks? How disrespectful it is to me, to my family, to continue seeing her?"

Jack stared at her, his silence stretching between them like a blade poised to strike.

Then, without another word, he turned.

Tatiana blinked. "Jack." She tried to call him.

"You love her don't you?!" She spit it out. "That Elsa girl, you love her don't you?!"

He stopped for a moment, but he didn't look back. And then he walked away, not sparing her another glance.

Tatiana's lips parted, but nothing came out. She could only watch as he walked away, as if she was nothing, as if their conversation had been nothing.

A sharp crack broke through the silence.

She looked down.

Her wine glass had snapped in her grip, deep crimson staining her glove.

Tatiana inhaled slowly, forcing down the burn of humiliation, the taste of rejection thick in her throat.

No.

No, this would not end like this.

Jack thought he could walk away?

Fine.

But she would make sure that by the time she was done, Elsa Arendelle and the Bjorgmans would have no place left in his life.

And then, perhaps, Jack would finally see reason. See her. That she's the right choice. She always will be the right choice.

But before everything, her plan would begin tonight.

NOTES:

02.02.25 10:14PM

IT'S GOING DOWN!

It's finally the official start of the conflicts. I like to call this the "Tatiana Arc" lol. I had so much tension writing this one cause like what the heck. This was intense, I actually wanted it even more intense but I'll leave that for other chapters where you'll see even more.

That being said, we're finally at the first very real conflict chapter. And yes we are going to get more Tatiana going forward, so I apologize beforehand if you guys don't like her lol, but she is very vital for this progression.

Also, might do a little plug lol, the romcom came out! It's called Halfway to You, so head on there if you wish for some lighthearted romance stuff cause things are going to go downhill from here. Actually this is a very wholesome story lol (I'm lying.) Anyway, Imma stop yapping and See you guys in the next chapter!

REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

GUEST
I'm glad i made your day again! I'm happy you enjoyed it hehe

GUEST
That is Tatiana. And don't worry, he'll find out very, very soon.

GUEST
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm happy it captured the feelings I genuinely wanted to convey! And you've expressed it brilliantly. More chapter are to come and things are just going to get started from here!

GUEST
The Countess is more like Jack's (terrible) mother figure. And Tatiana addresses her as "mother" because the Countess is on her side, plus they are pretty close with each other.

GUEST
 Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it hehe! More chapters are to come soon! Please look out for it!

GUEST
 We'll soon figure it out! In the meantime, please enjoy Tatiana Arc :