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Chapter 23
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 24
[IVAN]When a knock falls on the door of my home office, I’m almost taken aback to find Ana actually listening to me for once.I can’t help but wonder what’s behind this change. It shouldn’t have been so easy to convince her to meet me like I wanted.A nagging thought creeps into my mind, suggesting that she might have her own agenda in complying with my request.I can’t wait to find out.I lean back into my chair and prop my elbows on the armrests. It makes a squeaky sound, while my eyes remain fixed on the woman still standing at the door.“You called,” she says, her facial expression devoid of any emotions.Little does she know that no matter how much these past few years have changed her, deep down, she’s still the same Ana. I can tell when she’s trying to hide something or keep her emotions in check, and right now, she’s doing exactly that. It’s a game we’ve played many times before, a game that I’m very good at.I gesture towards the chair opposite mine. “Please, have a seat.”S
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 25
[ANASTASIA]The moment I reach my room I shut the door and press my back against it.My heart pounds inside my chest as if it’s ready to break out of it.I close my eyes and try to shake off the conversation I had with Ivan out of my head.But it proves to be an impossible task.Especially when I’ve done something that I’ve never done before.I hit him.I did.I look down at my hand, still feeling the sting from the impact.They are trembling…my whole body is.I can’t believe I let myself get so worked up.Ivan’s words had cut deep, and I let my anger get the best of me.But the worst part is, deep down, a small part of me enjoyed it.The rush of adrenaline, the feeling of power…But only for a few seconds before I am back to being myself.I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts.This is not who I am. I am not a violent person. I’m not Ivan.My eyes are welling up for the reason I don’t understand.Or maybe I do. I can’t tell. Not right now.No. I have to be strong. I have to be
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 26
[IVAN]I can tell Tatiana is intrigued by me, and I can’t help but find it amusing.Even after Ana tried really hard to get our little girl to play outside and not bother me (she might as well have said I am the monster who eats kids for breakfast, lunch and dinner), my adorable daughter keeps coming back to me.Sometimes she hides behind the curtains, peeks at me through the windows, or even checks through the keyholes, as if I wouldn’t hear her laughter and giggles.Every time she’s around, I can sense her curious eyes on me, and she doesn’t seem like someone who gives up easily. My daughter, for sure.I don’t plan to give up on us either. By hook or crook, I’ll win Ana’s trust back, and then there will be nothing breaking us apart. I’ll have my woman and my kids, and I’ll do everything I can to make things right, even though I know Ana won’t make it any easier.But no matter how much she acts like she doesn’t care, has moved on, or could be better without me, I won’t take no for an
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 27
[ANASTASIA]I know it’s a trap.It has to be.There was nothing so straightforward when it came to Ivan. For as long as I have known him, he never shied away from lying or buying his way in or out of any situation. He would buy off anyone with money, and if someone wasn’t ready to sell their loyalty or compromise their principles, he would use their fear against them to get his work done. But no matter how much someone tried, there was no escaping Ivan once he set his eyes on someone or something.And right now, I know without a doubt that his vicious eyes are set upon me and my kids. If he has decided to make us the family that can only exist in his fantasy, he will do anything for that to make it happen. He will use every trick in the book to manipulate me and my kids.And I can’t let that happen.I can’t let him win.Perhaps that’s why when he tells me that there’s something in his nightstand that I might be interested in, I know exactly what he’s trying to do.Honestly, does he re
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 28
[IVAN]She couldn’t resist, could she? Good for me.The moment I step out of the bathroom, I catch Ana tiptoeing around the bed, looking like a deer caught in the headlights once she notices me too. I can’t help but be amused. She looks just as embarrassed and flushed as she did years ago when we were newly married. I still remember the first time she saw me naked. Her jaw just dropped, her eyes popped wide open, her whole body turned rigid, and she would bite her lip, not knowing how else to act normal.Strangely, she’s doing all those things right now, and it’s a miracle that like old times, I haven’t made any moves and tossed her on the bed to fuck her brains out. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?I sigh. Instead of doing what every muscle in my body aches for, I close the bathroom door and walk towards the closet. Ana, as if frozen in time, stays still and painfully quiet. The closer I get, the faster her chest rises and falls, and her eyes dart around the room, anywh
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 29
[ANASTASIA]One minute, I’m chasing my daughter through the snowy evening, the crisp air biting at my cheeks and making me shiver, trying to get my hands on her so I can take her back inside. Her laughter echoes in the winter night, a pure, innocent sound that warms my heart despite the cold.In the other minute, I’m being manhandled by my so-called husband, Ivan. He strides over to me with determined steps, his presence commanding and imposing. He drops his heavy overcoat onto my shoulders, its weight pressing down, and he forcefully slips my arms into it.I know I shouldn’t be annoyed by his attempt to keep me warm, but something inside me still feels the desperate need to push him away and scream.Truth be told, this is what I have been worried about—for him to show the care that could easily unwind my heart. I don’t know why, but I have always been too easy for him to exploit, to dissolve my anger and worries as if I was too naive to have them in the first place. He has always bee
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 30
[IVAN]The first time I kissed Anastasia was at her home, in her room, against the wall of her bedroom. It was after the very first time I had felt that kind of rush—the rush to claim someone exclusively for myself, to make a woman mine. At first, I thought it was because she was untouched that I had felt that strange desire—the desire of possession, but I was wrong.The reason I wanted to bring Ana into my life was that I couldn’t tolerate even the thought of any other man touching her the way I so desperately wanted to. Hell, I couldn’t have tolerated it if any other man had even looked at her the way she was in my eyes. Even if I wasn’t her first, I wanted to be her last. Her forever. Her happily ever after.My beautiful and innocent Anastasia, the woman for whom I broke all ties with my family, the woman for whom I could have burned down the whole damn world.I knew from the moment I first met her that she was the one for me, the woman who had the power to turn my world upside dow
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 31
[ANASTASIA]I don’t sleep all night.I try, but the haunting touch of his lips on mine, his hands on my body, and the force of his arms around me keep me awake. It makes me realize how easy it would be for him to do that again if I didn’t fight harder. It doesn’t seem like my tough front has done anything to make him think of his actions at least twice. Ivan is still the same, the man for whom, as long as he got what he wanted, the consequences be damned.But I can’t let that happen, can I?He might have forced me and my kids to return and be a part of his life, but I know in my heart that this is only temporary. Once I get the chance to escape from this hell, I will leave him without a second thought. I will never allow my innocent kids to become part of his dark world. No, they deserve better than this. I would do anything to protect their innocence from this monstrous empire Ivan had built.But then why, why didn’t I push him away sooner? I know I could have shoved him away long be
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DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 154
[NIKOLAI]Once we finally get to his office, Konstantin takes his seat behind the desk and raises an eyebrow. He looks kind of pissed, but not enough to end me right here and now.He might have the power to do that and carry on with his day as if nothing happened, but I know in my gut he won’t. He made a promise to our parents that no harm would come to me. And if there’s anyone I know who keeps their word, no matter the circumstances, it’s him. My very own, very infuriating brother.“So,” he drawls, leaning back in his chair and propping his legs up on the desk, crossing them at the ankles. “What do you want to talk about?”I don’t sit in the chair in front of me; instead, I start pacing the room. I glance around and find it exactly how our father designed it. Not a single thing has been changed or moved. It’s like walking into a museum of old memories.“I want to challenge Madam Volkova,” I say, almost expecting him to scoff.But he doesn’t. Instead, he tips his head to the side. “Wh
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 153
[NIKOLAI]I hang up the phone and stare hard at the ground.“Fuck you, Dimitri!” I growl, clenching the phone tighter and huffing out a heavy breath.The bastard has the audacity to make me responsible for everything that happened to Ana and Ivan. But is it? Am I really the one to blame?I look away, peeling my back off the car and slipping inside.I put my hand on the steering wheel, unable to shake his words from my mind.Shit. If only I had known the consequences of my actions, maybe this day would have never come. Maybe Ana would still be safe, and Ivan would still be breathing on his own, not with the help of some fucking machine.“Fuck!” I punch the steering wheel, growling louder.I turn the key in the ignition and drive away from the motel. I’m not sure if what I’m about to do next is the right choice, but it seems like the only option I have left. I can’t go back to Madam Volkova after my fallout with her, and Dimitri doesn’t seem interested in having me by his side either.I
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 152
[DIMITRI]I storm out of the building and light a cigarette, unable to think of anything else.I breathe in the smoke and then blow it out, hoping it will take away the stress pressing on my chest, making my lungs incapable of doing their job.I don’t know what to do anymore. Ana is finally awake, which is good news, of course.But what the hell do I tell her when she wakes up next time and asks the same questions all over again? How do I give her the answers that are sure to crush her?Maybe I’ve developed a new weakness these days—maybe falling in love makes you a fucking weak asshole—but I can’t seem to bear seeing that woman cry. I just can’t.It fucking stabs me right in the throat to see those tears streaming down her face, to see that fear in her eyes that seems to linger around her whenever she asks about Ivan.I take another big breath of smoke and then drop it, crushing it under the tip of my boot.“Fuck!”My phone rings just then. I thank God for the fucking distraction and
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 151
[ANASTASIA]“Mommy!”One word, and my heart shatters into a million pieces.Before I even turn my gaze to the door, warmth floods through me, and tears well up in my eyes.My little girl comes running into the room, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail bouncing with every step. Her eyes are sharp, excited, and filled with so much love. Her face is a canvas of every emotion I’ve ever seen her wear in my entire life.I don’t even realize it, but my arms open on their own, my chest aching to feel her little heart against mine.But just when I think she’s about to jump onto the bed and throw herself into my arms, she stops and stands there with her hands behind her back, her little legs fidgeting as she looks up at the doctor, her small eyes seeking some kind of permission.I suppose the last two months have changed a lot. My daughter, who used to storm in and out of any place she wanted, now suddenly looks afraid of hurting me.Tears race down my face. I wipe them as quickly as I can,
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Season 3: Broken Hearts | Chapter 150
[ANASTASIA]“How long was I out?” I whisper, lips trembling. “How long was I unconscious?”Lena, now standing in front of me, looks like the words are stuck in her throat. She swallows thickly and squeezes my hand, a sad smile playing on her lips.“Two months,” she says, but it feels like she’s talking about someone else. “You’ve been in a coma for two months.”This can’t be true. It can’t be.Tears burn my eyes. My heart feels like it’s on fire. “What the hell do you mean by that? How can I be… how is that even… I can’t… I mean… this can’t be…”I don’t even know what I’m trying to say, but I know I don’t believe her.Frustration grates beneath my skin. “Just call Ivan. If he says the same as what you’re all saying, then I’ll believe you. Just call him, Lena. Where is he anyway? Shouldn’t he be here? Sitting next to me, taking care of me? He promised he’d never leave my side again. He promised, Lena. He fucking promised.”“I know,” she sobs, wiping her face with the back of her hand.
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 149
[DIMITRI]A week later, we both sit in the car and stare at the huge gates ahead.“This is it, I guess,” she says softly, for the first time not so eager to talk about leaving.It’s strange how the last few days changed everything. They changed me. Who would have thought an asshole like me could ever fall for an angel like her? Nadia is an angel. She’s the most beautiful, pure-hearted, a little fiery, but the best of the angels out there. In fact, if you ask me, she’s the only angel out there.My angel.I let out a sigh. “Yep. This is it.” I turn to look at her and can’t help grabbing the back of her head, pulling her in for a kiss. A long, deep, and passionate kiss. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of her—her lips, her body, everything about her. “I’m going to miss you like hell.”She grins, her pale blue eyes twinkling, her stubborn blonde curls escaping the trap of her knitted cap. “I’ll miss you like hell too. In fact,” she brushes her nose against mine, “I think I’m going to mi
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 148
[NADIA]I’m not sure what to say.And if I look like someone who has been slapped across the face with a hand as cold as ice, then maybe I do look like that person, because apparently, I feel like that person.Every word coming out of Dimitri’s mouth is like slap after slap.But not in a bad way, of course. More like a slap of surprise. Or shock. Or whatever I’m feeling right now that has no name.“What did you say?” I can’t help but ask. There’s still a chance I heard that wrong. Never before has Dimitri talked about my Uni of his own free will. So, to think he not only brought it into the conversation but also seems happy about it is a little hard for me to believe.He gives me a look—of course, he does—but doesn’t try to argue. “I said you’re going back next week. They’re expecting you to continue your semester and sit for the final exams.”“But what about my attendance? I’m way behind—”“It’s been taken care of,” he says, but the smug look on his face is scary as hell.I tilt my h
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 147
[DIMITRI]I should’ve known my words would get twisted like that. And of course, it would end up hurting my woman in the worst way possible.But God knows that wasn’t my intention. I just have a crude way of speaking and often forget not everyone can take it. It’s an old habit, one I need to work on changing.I cup Nadia’s face, wiping her tears with my thumb. I should be comforting her after everything she just blurted out, but instead, I can’t help it—I start laughing. I can’t stop until she looks up at me like I’ve completely lost it.Her eyebrows snap and her lips upturn in a deep frown. “You think it’s funny?”“No!” I shake my head, meaning it, but laughter simply bubbles out of me. I turn around to take a breather, and when I think I’m in better control of myself, I turn back around to face her.Only to find her gone.Whatever lingering smile on my face dies right away. “Nadia?”I glance toward the door and see her rushing out of the room.“Shit!” I bolt after her down the hallw
DANGEROUS HUSBANDS, BROKEN WIFES Chapter 146
[NADIA]After getting another round of hot sex out of our system, with both stayed sprawled out on the carpeted floor of his office, with me using his arm as a pillow.I sigh. “I can’t believe the kind of stamina I suddenly have.”Dimitri chuckles, the deep sound vibrating through my entire body. “And I can’t believe I get to make love to a woman without her screaming within five minutes how she can’t handle someone like me.”I turn over my stomach, resting my chin on his chest. “Really?”“Yep!” He says, casually, entwining my fingers with his and kissing the tips of each one. “You’re the only one to never have complained about anything. Not even my ugly face.”“Hey,” I shush him, placing my finger on his lips. “Never say that again.”He quirks up a brow. “Why? You want me to say I’m fucking beautiful instead.” He rolls his eyes.“You ARE beautiful,” I say, more stubbornly because he seems to be in the mood to not take me seriously. I can tell. I sure as hell can. “Sure, you have scar
