Anika forced herself to return to reality. She had to concentrate, but she had wasted at least two or three opportunities to make a good impression and get her father to talk to her again. Completely absorbed in memories and the sudden feeling deep in her stomach that something was profoundly wrong, she felt almost watched. Klaus tried to reassure her, taking her hand with a calming gesture and kissing her gently. It was almost dinner time when the man finally forced her to look at him. Anika blinked, blushing when she realized that, once again, he had been talking to her without getting a response. His furrowed brow was the only real sign of his concern, and the thoughtful way he looked around the room, as if making sure no one was listening, made her think that perhaps she had been ignoring him for too long."Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, gently taking her chin and getting her attention. Anika swallowed hard and blinked a couple of times, trying to keep the tears that threaten
Anika quickly dressed herself, even if the man was angry with her, she had to make the most of her little escape, her moment of freedom. She would find a way to make it up to him later, it wouldn't be that hard, right? She thought about the wounded look in his eyes when he was compared to his brother. It was still too low of a blow, she knew, but after having lived through that situation, Anika refused to let another man, especially one whose mere existence constantly reminded her of all the abuse she had suffered, control her again. She put on a pair of long pants, a silky top, and a matching jacket. She didn't have a bag, so she made a mental note to get one in the near future. Klaus had been indulgent with her wardrobe, but that didn't mean the man had thought of everything on his own. So she still had to make sure to make a few arrangements. Looking at herself in the mirror and feeling like a complete stranger, Anika put a hand on her belly, feeling like she was doing things the r
Anika stopped the car in front of the boutique that Klaus had taken her to a couple of weeks before. After buying a new phone and making a call to Peter, she drove all the way to the boutique again. Unlike that first day, it was relatively busy with a few women and a handful of men milling about. The same beautiful shop assistants were hovering around the customers. Vlad, who had insisted on following her to the place, walked by her side. Although he had to admit, he found it gratifying that the doors were opened for her. He wondered how much money Klaus really spent on bodyguards. Once inside, Anika was greeted with a glass of champagne, which she took under Vlad's watchful gaze, making her roll her eyes. The man was perhaps a couple of years older than Klaus and had a severe look, but he really seemed to have some affectionate tone towards Klaus. "Madam Petrova, it's a pleasure to have you back," said Sonya's soft and elegant voice, making Anika turn immediately. The woman walked to
Klaus was pacing back and forth in his penthouse, his mind racing with questions about Anika and what she was doing. Vlad had informed him that Anika had spoken to Peter at the café, but he didn't know what they had talked about. Klaus couldn't shake the feeling that Anika was up to something, and he didn't like being kept in the dark. Finally, Anika arrived, looking frazzled and anxious. "What the hell are you doing, Anika?" Klaus demanded as soon as she walked in the door. "You've been talking to Peter, and I want to know what's going on." Anika glared at him, her fists clenched at her sides. "I was just getting some answers," she snapped. "You don't need to know everything I do." "The hell I don't!" Klaus barked. "You're my woman, Anika. You're involved in my business. You can't just go off and do whatever the hell you want without telling me." Anika rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child, Klaus. I can take care of myself. And I'm not your woman. We're just... fucking each other. Tha
Klaus looked at Peter, feeling irritated by the mere fact of his presence. But if Anika refused to tell him what the man had said, then he would find his own means, although he refused to admit how hurt he felt, especially after finally confessing his love for the woman. His heart ached for her, but all day she had been locked in her room and completely absorbed in her phone, which Klaus had promised not to intervene to get the data from her conversations. Thanks to Vlad, he knew that the woman had made some kind of friendship with Joline's saleswoman, Sonya, so they had done a couple of investigations on the woman, nothing too striking. A Colombian model with a sick father who had been working at the boutique for two years. Her main activities were limited to regular trips to the hospital and occasional visits to the theater. Apart from having frequent contact with some clients of the boutique, he would venture to say that the woman's social life was non-existent. She had been present
Klaus sat at his desk, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of him. He had been up for hours, going over the same documents and emails again and again, but he couldn't focus on anything. Anika's behavior had been getting more and more erratic lately, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes. He knew he needed to check on her, but he couldn't bring himself to move from his seat. Instead, he reached for the bottle of whiskey on the desk, pouring himself a large glass and downing it in one gulp. He stood up slowly, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through his body. He took another deep breath and walked out of the study, down the hall and to the bedroom. She was sleeping, so he took his time to analize her, but something was off, she looked...different, Klaus took a few steps into the room ans sit by her side,Anika was lying still on the bed, her skin pale and her b
Klaus sat behind his desk, staring daggers at his soon to be father-in-law, Edgar Nightingale. He hated the man, but he needed to keep up appearances. Edgar had been responsible for the stolen merchandise, and Klaus was furious, not to mentiosn, their previous conversation, and know, knowing that Anika was pregnang, he woul never let her go again. "I trusted you, Edgar," Klaus growled, they had made a deal, he would keep Constantine in line "You were supposed to take care of that shipment. Do you know how much money we lost because of your incompetence?" Edgar shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what the hell happened. Constine wasn't there, I amde sure of it" Klaus sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. Just make sure it doesn't happen again. Now, what do you want?" Edgar was the one who wanted the meeting a fter Klaus had cal¿¿ncel, he didn't feel good enough to deal with this Edgar looked down at his hands, fidgeting nervously. "I want to se
Klaus observed the infant with a heavy feeling in his chest. Although he had sworn to retrieve Viktoria and reunite her with her mother, he had never really considered what being a father would entail. Shit, he didn't even know how to change a diaper. His only example of parenting was his own father, and the idea of allowing Mikhail near his son made his stomach twist. He thought of Edgar and how the man seemed willing to help with Viktoria. He had been too preoccupied and irritated to analyze the man's motives, and he still had to ask the right questions about what had happened with his brother. But the images before him made him doubt everything he knew even more. He had finally gathered the courage to view the contents of his sister's USB drive. All previous attempts had only skimmed a part of the files. The content was curious. Most of the documents were reports on his father's business, photographic content, and images that could even be compromising. Too much information that co