Anika was startled by the sensation of Klaus sliding into bed next to her, all the anxiety and tension she had been feeling for days finally disappearing as she felt the man's arms around her body. "You're back," she said, her eyes filling with tears of relief as she clung tightly to his chest. Klaus looked tired, but he hugged her back tightly. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "It will be now," he assured her, taking a deep breath. "I took care of Gregory, Otto is not happy, but Ryan is somewhat... rational about his brother." "So, he did it? Was it him...?" she asked, swallowing hard, not daring to say the words outright. Klaus ran a hand over his face, the dark bags under his bloodshot eyes were prominent. "My men are searching the hangar right now... Your father fulfilled his part of the deal, and Constantine backed off... I asked Vlad to bring Viktor's ashes here," he added, gently stroking her face. Anika felt a knot in her chest and nodded. "Would you like to know what's in
Anika's hands trembled uncontrollably as she looked at the small urn in front of her. Her legs gave way completely, a sense of weight settling in her chest, and the pain, raw like that first day, along with the memories, hit her abruptly. She carefully took the urn, it was light, perhaps too light, but she cradled it against her chest as tears fell down her cheeks, and a cry of pain escaped her lips. "My baby," she cried as she kissed the lid of the urn, while memories forcefully invaded her. For years, she had done everything possible to push away the pain, to hide it in the deepest part of her mind, just like the things Mark had done to her, deceiving herself and forcing herself to remember only what was necessary to not lose herself in madness, in the pain that now invaded her. The memory of her little son and what she had suffered to bring him into the world came rushing back. Closing her eyes, she thought of the feeling of holding him in her arms, the adorable laughter she had on
The Wagner's funeral would be televised, which made Anika uneasy. She knew that the fact that Viktoria was now officially with her would not bring about good opinions regarding the adoption. However, Klaus had insisted that showing up and facing the situation would be the best for everyone, not to mention that Viktoria had the right to attend and see her relatives.While getting the girl ready, Anika couldn't help but think that maybe staying away from her would have been the best choice. Even if she wasn't responsible for the Wagner's death, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. After all, if it weren't for her, the Wagners would have returned home, and Viktoria would still be a happy little girl. Even if she didn't know the truth, it was the only way Anika could imagine her daughter being completely happy.She dressed the little girl in the same way Adeline used to, with a black tulle dress and a small bow at her back. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Anika herself wore a d
The night was dark and the lonely street brought back bad memories, the freezing rain was like needles against her skin, her hair was a sticky misshapen mass against her neck, the sound of howling wind hurt her ears. he could barely feel his face from the cold, his hands felt limp at his sides and his teeth clicked together in an attempt to find warmth, but his clothes were too sodden to allow him any kind of comfort, the only lights that indicated that there were people living in the area were miles away, and she was still walking on the path by the woods, too slow to get anywhere, her legs too shaky to bear her weight, her feet too sore to hold her, she walked almost by inertia, or perhaps by force of will, whoever had seen her would probably have thought she was terrifying, her makeup had faded long ago, leaving black spots on her face, and the red of her lips was now thanks to the blood that covers them from blows.Every step felt like torture, she didn't even know if she was stil
“He's gone” the man murmured against her forehead, Anika tensed, she had let herself be carried away by fear and was still completely clinging to the man, who continued to hold her gently, she pulled away, scared"I”I'm sorry" she murmured with a shaky voice, the man had gray eyes and dark hair, he looked at her curiously, but Anika moved away “I...”“Are you okay?” asked the man “Should I call the police...?”“No” Anika said automatically, terrified, involving the police would cause problems, her father couldn't find out that she was in trouble, he would kill her himself, he had warned her “No… it's not necessary”“Are you sure?” Asked the man, not very convinced, taking a step back “An ambulance at least?”Anika closed her eyes, not knowing what to do, too scared to decide, her heart pounding, finally the man sighed, she looked at him, ready to beg for help, but someone knocked on the door and she jumped in terror, walking away from the door, the man reassured her with a gesture an
Once she was asleep in his bed, Klaus took a drink of whiskey while watching her carefully, he knew practically everything about the woman, even if she refused to let him in, Klaus was fully prepared to make her suffer in the worst way. , he would break and destroy her heart, he would take everything she had ever held important from her and crush it before her eyes, he would make her suffer, exactly as she had made him suffer, the fact that the woman did not he seemed to even know who he was, and that he refused to receive medical assistance was to his advantage.Someone knocked on the door of the room, it was probably Igor, so he got up, making sure the woman was still sleeping, Klaus's plan was to get Anika to trust him, he needed the woman to go voluntarily, the kidnapping had been a method to speed up the process, he planned to be her savior, he wanted to see the look of betrayal and pain in her eyes just before he pulled the trigger, make her beg for mercy as he made her life sli
Klaus watched intently as the doctor, an orthopedist who would be paid quite well to make sure Anika was in perfect shape soon, put the cast around the woman's arm, whose face was wet and teary from the pain. She looked horrible, but she was calm and she didn't seem to have changed her mind about needing outside help, for a moment he had been almost sure that the pain would make her ask for something else, and having to deny it would be difficult, but he had finally managed to dodge that bullet, and committing her to being with him for a while, he would not need more than two weeks to be able to isolate her completely, making her want to stay by his side with some help from an accident in the cabin would be all it would take. . He'd had to stoop low, playing the concerned husband, Igor had gotten a completely legal doctor, which irritated him, but it would help his story and credibility, plus his partner had made sure he had material to bribe the man in case. that he decided to discu
Klaus led the woman into the living room, although her bruises looked dark and would probably take a couple of weeks to fully fade, she seemed less sore than the night before. He let her observe her surroundings, the penthouse was impressive, he knew it, but he also knew that the woman was as used to all kinds of ostentation as he was, so although she didn't seem completely surprised, she did seem curious to understand where she was. In the main room, Alenna was waiting, attentive to her every move, her sister not exactly the normal sight of a fourteen year old girl she should be, always alert and blank expression, long straight hair one of the few things she was allowed to express herself, Igor had gotten some clothes for her, and while Klaus hadn't shared all the details of his plan, he'd gotten some silence in exchange for a couple hundred bucks, Alenna She wasn't exactly a fan of her father, but she was close enough to Klaus for the man to trust her. The girl had a purple jumps
The Wagner's funeral would be televised, which made Anika uneasy. She knew that the fact that Viktoria was now officially with her would not bring about good opinions regarding the adoption. However, Klaus had insisted that showing up and facing the situation would be the best for everyone, not to mention that Viktoria had the right to attend and see her relatives.While getting the girl ready, Anika couldn't help but think that maybe staying away from her would have been the best choice. Even if she wasn't responsible for the Wagner's death, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. After all, if it weren't for her, the Wagners would have returned home, and Viktoria would still be a happy little girl. Even if she didn't know the truth, it was the only way Anika could imagine her daughter being completely happy.She dressed the little girl in the same way Adeline used to, with a black tulle dress and a small bow at her back. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Anika herself wore a d
Anika's hands trembled uncontrollably as she looked at the small urn in front of her. Her legs gave way completely, a sense of weight settling in her chest, and the pain, raw like that first day, along with the memories, hit her abruptly. She carefully took the urn, it was light, perhaps too light, but she cradled it against her chest as tears fell down her cheeks, and a cry of pain escaped her lips. "My baby," she cried as she kissed the lid of the urn, while memories forcefully invaded her. For years, she had done everything possible to push away the pain, to hide it in the deepest part of her mind, just like the things Mark had done to her, deceiving herself and forcing herself to remember only what was necessary to not lose herself in madness, in the pain that now invaded her. The memory of her little son and what she had suffered to bring him into the world came rushing back. Closing her eyes, she thought of the feeling of holding him in her arms, the adorable laughter she had on
Anika was startled by the sensation of Klaus sliding into bed next to her, all the anxiety and tension she had been feeling for days finally disappearing as she felt the man's arms around her body. "You're back," she said, her eyes filling with tears of relief as she clung tightly to his chest. Klaus looked tired, but he hugged her back tightly. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "It will be now," he assured her, taking a deep breath. "I took care of Gregory, Otto is not happy, but Ryan is somewhat... rational about his brother." "So, he did it? Was it him...?" she asked, swallowing hard, not daring to say the words outright. Klaus ran a hand over his face, the dark bags under his bloodshot eyes were prominent. "My men are searching the hangar right now... Your father fulfilled his part of the deal, and Constantine backed off... I asked Vlad to bring Viktor's ashes here," he added, gently stroking her face. Anika felt a knot in her chest and nodded. "Would you like to know what's in
Klaus got out of the car, furious, pulling Gregory along with him. Vlad and Igor had done their job and had recovered the son of a bitch, who was probably under the influence of something judging by the shitty smile on his bloodied lips. Otto, his brother, was waiting for him in the cellar, clenching his lips as he watched them with a tight jaw. "I told you to control him," Klaus growled, pushing Gregory towards his brother. The younger Urich was battered and had a deranged look on his face, but he stumbled into Otto and fell to the floor, pointing an accusing finger at him and spitting in his direction. "He killed three of my men, sold the damn weapons to the Kasakovs." "Are you crazy?" Otto asked, looking at his brother, his face turning red. Gregory spat. "I only did what you and Ryan refused to do," he complained. "Too scared of the Petrovs to get the money." "Shut the fuck up," Otto growled, hitting his brother in the face and pushing him against the wall, causing him to stum
She had managed to process what had happened; her heart sank immediately at the memory of the Wagners. Even though she had been tempted to permanently keep Viktoria away from them, knowing that her little one would not only have to endure being separated from them but also her death, even if she was too young to truly remember, made her heart ache. To make her daughter suffer so early in life caused her heart to constrict with pain."Klaus?" she asked as she sat up. She was on a couch that seemed vaguely familiar. After leaving the police station, she had tried to get some sleep in the hotel room Klaus had arranged, but it wasn't long before they had to move again. All the movement was mainly exhausting for little Viktoria."Shhh, I'm here," Klaus said as he approached her. They were in a small but comfortable room. Klaus knelt in front of her, with dark circles under his eyes. He wore the same shirt as the day before, though without a tie and unbuttoned. His hair was disheveled. "Are
Klaus left Anika and Viktoria to rest in the room before meeting with Igor. According to his man, all the guards were under investigation, so the unnecessary attention from the police had quickly raised his father's alarms. Mikhail called around five in the morning, sounding angry."What the hell is Constantine doing searching your house?" his father asked with an annoyed shout."Take it easy, I have nothing incriminating in the penthouse," Klaus assured, taking a cigarette from the pack that Igor handed to him. He took a deep drag, grateful for the nicotine to relieve the stress, and sank into the sofa."How the hell did you let this happen?" his father insisted. "Constantine right under our damn noses," he grumbled. "You're lucky the lawyer found a way to get you out of there.""I can handle it," Klaus insisted. "I had nothing to do with this shit... although it's suspiciously convenient. I need Ixander. I'm sure they're watching me. For anything else, Igor and Vlad will go in my pl
"Are you really doing this?" Constantine squinted his eyes in his direction before sitting down in front of him. Slowly, he laid out the crime scene images. Klaus observed them but forced himself to look at the pictures. The bodies of Adeline and Horace had been left in the middle of the rented room. Their hands were tied, and from what he could tell, it had been a quick execution. "What I really want to know is why your fingerprints are all over the crime scene," Constantine said, placing his hands on the table. "A man like you... I'm sure you would do whatever it takes to get Anika's daughter back without the Wagners getting involved." "Oh, you're right about that," Klaus replied, leaning forward. "I was in the suite. Anika and I went for Viktoria, just like we've been doing regularly for the past two months," he assured. "I have all the evidence you want, and we both know I'm not stupid enough to do something like this," he added, annoyed. "What do you gain from all this?" Const
Anika stood up, trying to avoid waking up the girl before looking at Klaus. The man opened the door to the room, and Anika followed, curious to hear that Constantine was in the building, with a search warrant? Following her fiancé, Anika blinked as she saw all the guards in the living room. Around ten men in suits were standing, their serious gazes and the way Klaus seemed to tense up made her immediately uneasy."What's going on?" she asked as they headed towards Klaus's office, but the man shrugged before Vlad, who was waiting for their arrival, opened the door for them. Inside, Detective Eric Constantine and four policemen were standing, looking around. Upon seeing Constantine, Anika felt a chill run down her spine. The man was a friend of her father, with a penetrating gaze, threatening blue eyes, short blond hair styled in a military fashion, a loose-fitting brown suit, and a notepad and pen in his hand."Anika," the man greeted her."Eric," she responded automatically, forcing a
Klaus looked at his friend, Otto, who was laughing amusedly at Klaus' obvious lack of enthusiasm. Klaus rolled his eyes while signing the papers."Oh, brother, that woman has you completely under her control," the man said, his face slightly contorted due to the scar that ran across it. "Did you really cover for me by saying it was because of me?""I panicked," Klaus complained, taking a deep breath but admitting that it had been ridiculous. "Not that she should know," he added."Oh, but you definitely owe me a session now," Otto asserted, taking the contract and glancing at it while Klaus rolled his eyes. Although he hadn't lied when he said it wouldn't be the first time he shared a woman with Otto, Anika's adverse reaction had touched a sensitive nerve. While he didn't intend to force her due to the situation, he was beginning to think that maybe he should do it. Making her let go of all her barriers was something he would immensely enjoy. "Do you really think she's good?" Otto aske