[ANASTASIA] OK. I’ll be honest with you. Ivan losing his shit was fun to watch. The Ivan I knew during our happy married life didn’t care about my dressing, makeup, or anything related to my appearance. Of course, I wasn’t dirty or lazy by any means. I kept myself clean, took care of myself, and
Igor stares at me with a blank expression, his posture rigid and unyielding. “I’m just doing my job, ma’am.” Of course. What else was I expecting to hear? That was getting the kick out of making my life miserable? I shake my head. So typical of you, Ivan. So damn typical of you to ruin all the fun
When he greeted me with a kiss on my hand during our first meeting, my first thought was how it would feel to be held by a powerful man like him. And how crazy it would be to not just be held but to be loved… “Here you go,” the familiar voice of the barmaid breaks me out of my thoughts. I lift my h
[IVAN] “I hope this clears up everything,” Zarubina Stepanova says—the headmistress of Moscow’s Imperial Boys’ School—bringing my attention back to hers. Let’s just say, it’s been impossible to focus on anything other than my wife looking like a walking death sentence to my sanity. It’s been more
Ms. Stepanova swallows and nods frantically, standing up. “Of course. Thanks for your time, Mr. Volkov. Please say hello to Mrs. Volkova.” And then she hurries out of the bar, leaving me alone to finally exhale the breath I’ve been holding. Twenty years. That’s how long it has been since my brothe
She furrows her brow harder, glancing away for a second, as if double-checking if that’s what she’s really saying, before locking eyes with me again. “Yep, I am. Are you going to deny it?” She challenges, and I can’t help but shake my head. “So you think I’m out here flirting with every woman I me
[ANASTASIA] My bluntness catches me off guard, and if I didn’t hear it wrong, one of his men in our proximity starts coughing. I haven’t got a single clue why I’m saying what I’m saying. It’s all coming out without a filter, and I seem to have no control over it. Not that I have regretted anything
My vision blurs slightly, and the room seems to spin, but I manage to hold my ground. Not making a fool out of myself by planting my face on the glistening floor of the bar like I assumed for the microsecond there. After a ton of trial and error and stumbling on my heels at least a dozen times, I s
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