Anika was asleep when she felt Klaus's hand on her shoulder, alarmed by the sudden sensation, she sat up slightly, still in the haze of the dream, she could feel her heart pounding with the terror of the nightmare, the faceless men of her dreamfaded when the light came on, Klaus was in front of her, looking at her curiously, he still had his clothes from the day, which meant he hadn't gone to bed, Anika breathed a sigh of relief as she found herself face to face with Klaus , instead of having to face again the man who tormented her dreams"Hey, what's wrong?" Klaus asked, reaching out to her and taking her into his arms and carrying her against his chest. His large arms felt like a safe place at that moment, and Anika appreciated the company."Nightmare," she whispered, her voice shaking from her with her panic, feeling her chest compress so that breathing seemed like hard work. "Okay, breathe," Klaus said, taking her by the shoulders and breathing with her "That's it, inhale, exhale"
Anika put the vegetables aside, cursing, she was starting to get frustrated in her attempt to make dinner, the dark laugh taking her by surprise, the man standing by the counter, the sight of Klaus laughing openly and intently at her... It was impressive, it had been a couple of days since their last serious conversation, but things had improved, they exchanged glances occasionally, and mundane conversations had begun to make their way at the table and in the moments when the man was not in the office."What are you doing?" she asked, confused and slightly nervous at the man's attitude, there was still some tension between them, although Klaus had respected her refusal to have sex, she could feel his gaze on her bare legs from time to time, making her feel self-conscious. Klaus's pursed his lips, but she could see the amusement in the way the corner of his mouth was raised in a half smile, the man crossed his arms, looking relaxed.“I should ask you that,” the man said, pointing to An
Klaus stood up in front of her, his solid and firm body emanating heat that managed to make her shudder, there was something different about him that night, his dark eyes followed her with an unusual brightness, his hands on her neck had made her feel as if she was about to burn because of the heat that his body emanated, timidly she raised her hands to the man's chest, who watched her carefully, Anika felt like a defenseless animal in front of a predator, and for some reason, she liked the sensation, she could feel the excitement forming between his legs, the last time he had let himself go, Klaus had been possessive and fast, this time, something told him that he planned to take his time."Well?" Klaus asked, his voice slightly husky, she could see a half smile hiding on his lips as he looked at her, teasing her, Anika took a deep breath, trying to remember what she had said before standing up, seeing the confusion on her face, the man chuckled slightly, nodding toward the bed. "The
Klaus's arms were comfortable, and his heart thumped in a relaxing rhythm that managed to make her feel slightly sleepy, keeping her injured arm cradled close to her body, while her good hand stroked lightly on the man's chest, enjoying the feeling a little more than the necessary, loving the sensation of being cradled in warm and firm arms.The sex had been fantastic, her core feeling slightly sore and her body completely limp and relaxed, partly thanks to the massage before the crushing orgasm he had given her with his fingers, Klaus knew exactly what he was doing, and a part of her couldn't help but feel sexy and desired for the first time in years, even though she had been scared the first time she'd seen the naked man in the bathroom back at the penthouse, the feeling of security she was beginning to experience around him was almost overwhelming, almost terrifying.Klaus was awake, she could feel it in the rhythmic pattern of his breathing and in the light caress on her hip, trac
...The sharp tug on her arm made her scream, as tears and fear coursed through her body, Mark cursed thickly, his words slightly slurred by the alcohol."Look what you provoked" the man growled, pulling at her hair now, her scalp burning from the strong tension, her head throbbing from the first blow yet, as she cried in an attempt to wriggle out of the man's grasp."I-I'm sorry" she cried, desperate "It was an accident" she insisted, seeing the fire in the man's blue-gray eyes"You better feel it" Mark spat, pointing to the mess on the floor, she had been trying to figure out how to convince the man to take her to the mall, she was starting to miss the bustle of people around her, and was still trying to make up for it. disaster of their anniversary dinner, she was a terrible cook so that was really to be expected, but she had thought serving him while he worked had been a good idea, instead she had tripped over a couple of wires running across the main room , dropping the beer on th
…Nikolay sat across from him, his younger sister asleep in his arms looking frail as anger burned in his brother's eyes."I can't believe the son of a bitch went through with this shit," he roared, "she's just a girl.""Not for him," Klaus reminded him, his concern for his sister keeping his heart pounding against his chest, he knew that for Nikolay it was something more personal, almost as if she were his own daughter, whereas Klaus had withdrawn from his family emotionally, his brothers were the only thing that kept him sane, knowing that his father had not fulfilled his promise to take care of Alenna was not a surprise, but he was not relieved either to have seen the suffering of the girl"Are you okay with this, then?" growled Nikolay pointing at his sister, the little girl was only eight years old, she could easily pass for the daughter of any of the Petrov brothers, but although he was ashamed to admit it, none of them had given much importance to the little girl until a few mon
The expression on Anika's face darkened, causing him to frown. Didn't she like the view? even he had to admit it was impressive, as soon as the woman's sad expression disappeared, giving way to a kind of smile that didn't quite fill her eyes, Klaus began to question his decisions, even with the conflict he felt about his brother. His plan hadn't changed much, Anika was trusting him more and more, she still considered him her savior in a different way, the woman had been showing herself more comfortable at his side, and he had caught her staring at him on more than one occasion. , always blushing when the man caught her, so she knew that to some extent, Anika was already his, he just had to seal the deal and deliver the coup de grace."Thank you" she said, pulling him out of his thoughts and bringing him back to reality, her face was red from the cold and a couple of tears ran down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away "I don't know where I would be now if it wasn't for you" she
During dinner that night, Klaus was silent as he watched her eat, though Anika could perfectly feel the way the man was scrutinizing her slightest movement, after her statement at the lake, he had allowed her to walk for a couple of hours more, enjoying the scenery, even then the man just looked at her, like he was trying to figure her out, not that she blamed him, she herself was still trying to understand why she said what she said, memories of Mark, of his death, they had overwhelmed her and for a moment, she had really questioned her sanity. She looked back at the man, Klaus's gray eyes thoughtful as she played with her lower lip, slightly anxious at the way the man seemed to be planning something, finally sitting up, Klaus's gray eyes not separated from her own "Will you give me the law of ice all day?" he asked through tight lips, Klaus finally looked away, while Anika was in front of him, she had taken a hot shower and changed into comfortable clothes, which consisted of a pai
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