Anika walked anxiously in front of the office door, feeling a lump in her throat and a feeling of heaviness on her shoulders, although her arm felt lighter since it was free of the cast, she couldn't help but wonder what was happening? Her heart was pounding and her mind was spinning with questions trying to find an adequate answer, Peter's reaction to seeing her had managed to make her doubt, her friend had always been honest with her, she fully trusted him, but the possessive way in which Klaus had leaned in front of her, the thought of Peter being a threat made her shudder, even if at that very moment she was worried about what might be happening between the men, her heart clenched with fear at the thought of Klaus hurting her or doing something to her friend, although he understood that the man would be worried if her disappearance was officially being exposed by her father as a "kidnapping" and had called Peter directly to let him know, he couldn't help but feel a sudden fear at
On the way back to Moscow, Klaus was tense and anxious, he took a drink of his whiskey and looked at Peter, the man was sitting a couple of meters in front of him, his eyes closed trying to get over his headache from the blows, but fully aware of Klaus's gaze"Did you really leave her alone?" Peter asked, his blue eyes finally meeting Klaus's, who set his glass aside and crossed his arms."It's none of your business" he reminded him "The only reason I brought you with me is because I don't trust you, but you care about Anika enough not to mess up" he added, it irritated him to know that there was history between them, the feeling that Anika could easily rely on whatever the man needed made his stomach clench, especially the man's cocky attitude."If you kill me, you won't be able to get it back, you know that right?" asked the man "Anika doesn't have too many allies""The less the better" Klaus assured, slightly clenching his fists, his knuckles still scarred from what he had done the
…3 years ago….Anika closed her eyes trying to dispel the cramp in her belly, which was beginning to intensify, and the feeling that something was wrong began to alarm her, getting up and trying to find a more comfortable position, she looked at herself in the mirror, she was in the bathroom, where she had been last four hours, trying to get rid of the feeling of anxiety and the cramps in her abdomen, when she saw herself in the mirror, tears filled her eyes immediately, she was thin, although she had tried to eat better once she found out about her pregnancy, all the stress and Mark's demands made it almost impossible for her to rest, she hadn't left the apartment in almost a year, the only reason she knew she was pregnant in the first place was because her period was late, and her mornings were marked by nausea and unpleasant odors, Mark had gotten her a pregnancy test in what she estimated had been her third month, she had no idea of the exact weeks but it had been a sure thing, sh
Stepping out of the private jet, Klaus adjusted his suit jacket and looked at his men, who were waiting for him in the hangar, Ivan leaning back in the car looking jaunty as always, Anatoly beside him, his expression tense, oh the man knew exactly what was coming.Turning to make sure Peter was behind him, he gestured for Peter to follow him, he didn't want to let the man out of his sight after what they had said, a kind of weight and solemnity had settled between the two men as they recognized that the girl would be a priority for both of them, but first, they had important things to take care of."I didn't know you had visitors" Igor said narrowing his eyes in Peter's direction as they reached the car, the doctor remained silent, not acknowledging the man's presence, Klaus ignored him, looking at Anatoly"You have a lot to explain," he said harshly, his brother shrugging and looking at Peter thoughtfully before nodding and facing Klaus, who was pissed off at his attitude, and especi
Three days had passed since Klaus had left her to her fate...and she wasn't sure how to feel about it, although the man had been relatively attentive to her, she knew that in three days a lot could happen, too much, Peter he was her friend, he had helped her at her worst and had even assisted her through a difficult birth, seeing him in the office had been a relief…until Klaus had decided he was a threat, although Anika could understand, after After all, her father had contacted the man, but the thought of him getting hurt because of her made her stomach twist, not to mention being locked up on her own while tough-looking men prowled the cabin every hour, any intention of getting out was dashed. she had gone once she saw that each one had a huge weapon and ready to attack, she had counted about thirty of them, even though she knew that the door was locked and they were there to protect her, she couldn't help but feel complacent. or a prisoner, even if her prison was comfortable, she h
Klaus stared absently at the condensation slowly forming in his glass, too distracted to notice that the ice had almost completely melted and the bar lights had come on, thoughts swirling in his head as he tried to figure out how act next, he had always considered himself a cautious man, his plans and his actions went hand in hand down to the smallest detail, things did not always go according to plan, he knew, but of all possible variables I had never imagined that one.His brother and Anika had been together for two and a half years, he knew that much, what he had never understood was the dimension of that relationship, and how disgusted he was with his older brother, whom he had always considered the type of man he wanted to be, relaxed, who went with the flow and always fought for what he wanted, not for what he was ordered to do, he had always considered his brother Nikolay the freest of the Petrov brothers, the only one who had been capable of to free himself from his father's c
Anika looked at herself in the mirror, one more week had passed since the last time she had spoken to Klaus, and she couldn't deny it, she missed him, for days, she had even tried to establish a conversation with one of the men outside through the window. Getting no more than a couple of acknowledging glances, before being completely ignored, so she had decided to organize a bit, the room was a bit of a mess, Klaus used to keep everything completely organized and tidy in a precise place, the man even stood up, he made sure there were no wrinkles in the bedspread, so Anika had started to notice his absence even more with her own mess after all, she didn't have much to do. Her new camera was a complete beauty, but she had no way of getting out of the cabin to take the pictures she wanted, so she had finally decided to distract herself in another way, but now, after taking a long shower, while she was naked in front of the mirror, she couldn't help but analyze her body, Anne had never b
Klaus clenched his jaw after taking a long drink from the bottle while Peter stitched up his back, feeling his head pounding, he picked up the glass of ice and held it to his aching jaw, the light from the office getting irritating. "Your father has quite an interesting parenting concept," the man murmured as the needle penetrated his skin, Klaus had sent for him after his father's visit, which evidently had not ended in good circumstances.Mikhail Petrov was a large, imposing man, fifty-six years old, his dark, slightly graying hair cropped in a military style, a short beard concealing a pair of ancient scars, his eyes a stormy gray framed by two bushy brows and an frown that expressed nothing but hatred and superiority, he had been a member of Spetsnaz, a team of special forces, trained to kill and had seized power from the mafia more than thirty years ago, he had raised his children under the discipline and terror, training them all, Klaus had always been considered less fit by hi
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