Free When I Love (Vassi & Seri 3: Russian Stepbrother Romance) by Marian Tee Page B

Seri, don’t you?”
    “No.”
    “Vassi, it’s just the two of us in the car. There’s no need to lie.” Her voice shook as she said, “You don’t love me. You can’t because it’s Seri you love --- ”
    “ Daniela .” She was right. It was just the two of them in the car, and seeing how much it had cost Daniela to say the words, guilt made Vassi say, “It’s not what you think.” Inhaling sharply, he forced himself to continue, saying, “You’re right. I don’t love you. But I don’t love her either.”
    “I don’t believe you---”
    “Have I ever lied to you?”
    Her gaze turned uncertain. “No.”
    “Then believe me when I say I don’t love her. I might have thought I had, but I no longer do.”
    “But I’ve seen the way you stare at her when you think she’s not looking---”
    “If you’ve seen me staring at her,” he grated out, “it was because I couldn’t understand why I could fall for someone like her. That’s all .”
    Daniela looked down. “I see.”
    Vassi tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice all these years, D.”
    Lifting her gaze to meet his, she said with a strained smile, “T-that’s not your fault either.”
    Silence reigned, tense and painful, for the remainder of the ride. When they made it to the hotel, Vassi went around to open the car door for her, but he was too late.
    Daniela had already stepped out, and she was smiling brightly at him. “No need,” she told him with false cheer. “You never used to open doors for me before.”
    Feeling even guiltier at the way she was obviously forcing herself, he said curtly, “Nothing happened between us then.”
    She waited for him to finish signing the slip for valet service before muttering fiercely, “I just want you to stop giving me unnecessary hope. Okay ?”
    Ah.
    He said with a sigh, “I’m sorry, D.” It was unlike him to commit one mistake after another.
    As they walked inside the lobby, members of the media tried to rush towards them before being quickly held back by security.
    He pulled her close to him immediately, not wanting Daniela accidentally jostled or shoved.
    As she burrowed into his chest, he heard her say, “Can I ask a favor?”
    “Another one?” he managed to say lightly as he led them towards the function hall where the press conference was being held.
    “Don’t treat me differently. Please. I know you can’t ever love me, but we can at least stay friends, right?”
    His arm around her shoulders tightened at the request. “Right.”
    They entered the function hall through the back door then, and waiting production assistants immediately escorted them up the stage. The rest of the cast was already seated, together with the sound and art directors.
    After pulling a chair for Daniela, he forced himself to turn to Seri and ruffled her hair, knowing it was what was expected of him. “Hey.”
    Seri managed a smile. “Hey.”
    She tried not to think about the fact that Vassi and the other girl had arrived together – again.
    Inching forward, she looked past Vassi to smile at Daniela. “Hi.”
    “Hi.”
    She blinked at Daniela’s strained smile. Was something wrong? She immediately looked at Vassi, but he kept his gaze straight ahead, deliberately ignoring her.
    Slowly, she turned her gaze back to the crowd as well. Had the two of them fought?
    Almost half an hour passed before the press conference began, and it couldn’t have come earlier for Seri. Those thirty minutes had been the worst, with Seri unable to stop listening to the way Vassi and Daniela continued with their cute and witty banter.
    The first part of the conference involved a short introduction from the two directors followed by a ten-minute Q & A for each member of the cast. The third part of the conference allowed the press to ask questions of the cast as an ensemble, and the first one had everyone either smiling or hooting outright.
    “Any real-life romance between any cast