[IVAN] It’s all hazy at first. All I can think about is some woman’s attempt to stab me to death. But the second my vision clears and reality sets in, pushing aside the same damn dream, I realize what I have done. With the muzzle of my gun shoved hard against Ana’s stomach, I lift my gaze and find
[ANASTASIA] Once the plane lands at a private airport, it doesn’t take long for us to move into the cars Ivan’s security had already arranged and drive to the nearest and probably the safest hotel. When I step out of the car, I’m greeted by a tall building that stands out like a sore thumb amid th
[IVAN] I’m hard. Fuck, I’m so hard I could probably drill a hole in a wall if I were to try. But I can’t be that desperate. There’s no other way but to wait while taking care of my needs myself. It’s been years since I made love to Ana. And of course, if it’s not Ana, it can’t be any other woman.
Her gaze finds me near the foot of the bed and I can’t help but cock my head to the side, wondering what brought her into my room in the middle of the night. I can feel my brows pinch in a frown. “What you’re doing here? Is everything okay?” Ana swallows before pursing her lips. She looks hesitant
“Ana!” “...someone hurts him. Or they misunderstand him. He’s not so good at expressing himself. He can’t even—” “Ana!” I call her loudly enough for her to flinch and stop the nonsense she’s spewing. I know her concerns are valid, but she’s clearly overthinking, and that needs to stop. She looks
[ANASTASIA] “Welcome to Moscow Imperial Boys’ School,” greeted the woman with blonde hair, dark green eyes, and heels that almost made her look as tall as my husband. She wore a midnight blue business suit, no tie, and a smile that looked just as professional as it could get. From the little badge
The more we explore the school, the better I feel than I did last night. Ivan was right. I was worrying for nothing. I should have trusted him. Despite what happened in the past and the way he made me regret and question our marriage, he never showed any ill-will towards our kids. He loved them, and
[IVAN] I knock on Ana’s hotel room door for the third time in the last five hours and yet get no response. Since the moment we returned from school, Ana has been oddly quiet. And distant. She refuses to even look at me. When I tried to coax her into joining me for lunch before heading to our roo
After our fourth round of pure, wild sex, I have nothing left in me. Every ounce of energy drained, I barely manage to pull the sheets over myself before sleep claims me.When I wake hours later, the room is dim, the soft glow of my bedside lamp casting long shadows on the walls. My body feels heavy
[NADIA]“You’re here?” I say into the phone, clutching my books tightly to my chest as I glance around. “Where?”“Outside. Meet me when you’re done with your classes.”A wide grin spreads across my face, excitement bubbling inside me. “Oh, I’m done. And even if I wasn’t, I’d still run to you.”Dimit
The Ivan I know is strong. Unshakable. Even in the worst situations, he carries himself with a quiet, effortless confidence that makes you believe nothing could ever touch him.But the man lying in this hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and the sterile scent of antiseptic, looks nothing l
[ANASTASIA]Ever since I woke up after the incident, I have been dying to see Ivan.But now that I’m standing outside his room—where supposedly he had been admitted—, I can’t muster up the courage to push open the damn door.I’m nervous. Terrified. And most of all, unsure.I don’t know if I’m ready
Lena presses her lips together tightly, the color draining from her face until it looks almost lifeless.For a long moment, she doesn’t speak. The silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating. I can feel my heartbeat in my ears, pounding relentlessly, echoing my fear.Why the hell is she taki
[ANASTASIA]The next time I open my eyes, I’m not alone.Lena sits next to my bed, her hand in mine, her eyes closed, as if she fell asleep while watching over me.For the first time since waking up from my so-called long slumber, I look at her carefully. She looks more tired than I’ve ever seen her
[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 m
[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
[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, w