Living Together

"Please come in, miss. From now on, I will take care of all your needs. My name is Megan Lawrence, and you can call me Meggy." Kaivan's assistant invited Anne to enter the prepared room.

Anne followed Meggy, walking her feet around the Presidential Suite that was specially arranged for her. The first impression Anne got was a room with many rooms equipped with luxurious facilities. There was a living room, a fireplace, and a spacious lounge area. The mini bar and the dining area with a minimalist kitchen were equally intriguing.

Anne was captivated by this sight, walking over to get a closer look. She enjoyed cooking and always considered the kitchen as her sanctuary.

"If you enjoy cooking, you can use this kitchen," Meggy said. She seemed like a mind-reader, anticipating Anne's thoughts. "But I think it's better to order food from the hotel." After offering, the woman quickly gave advice. Her words sounded contradictory in Anne's ears. "The chef here is known for skillfully serving an exclusive menu. Besides, there's five-star Michelin restaurant is on the hotel's second floor. You can try dining there."

Anne just smiled in response to Meggy's words.

"I do enjoy cooking. Especially baking. But since this isn't my home, I guess I have to be careful."

After exploring the kitchen, Anne walked over to the balcony. She marvelled at the view directly from the room. Standing where she was, she could freely gaze at the Tower of London standing in the distance. An unconscious smile formed on Anne's lips. She felt confident that she would enjoy staying with the first child of the Maximilian family in the days to come.

Anne continued to scan each piece of furniture in the room with her eyes. After a few moments of thought, she concluded that the room's owner liked tidiness. The numerous family photos neatly arranged on the wall also indicated that the owner was family-oriented.

"Does Kaivan also sleep here?"

Meggy nodded. "Mr. Kaivan sleeps in the room next to the right balcony. And your room is right next to it."

Meggy guided Anne to follow her, entering a room ready for occupancy.

"Here's your room," Meggy said. "If you need anything, please call the maid through the intercom or you can also communicate with the 24-hour bodyguard stationed outside the room."

Anne nodded in understanding. Her eyes scanned every corner of the room again. A spacious room for her to occupy, with even a mini walk-in closet inside.

Anne's eyes continued to roam around until they settled on an object that made her furrow her brows in curiosity.

"What's that?" Anne pointed to a door on the right side of the room.

Meggy stepped forward, approaching the door Anne was referring to.

"This is a connecting door. If opened, it directly connects to Mr. Kaivan's room. Only he can open that door as it requires the fingerprint of the owner."

After finishing the tour and explanation, Meggy chose to leave. Giving Anne a chance to rest. But before completely exiting, she gave another piece of advice.

"Remember, miss, you must not leave the hotel without Mr. Kaivan's knowledge. Once again, if you need anything, ask the guard stationed outside this room."

"Okay," Anne replied briefly.

****

Kaivan and Kenzi were like night and day. While Kenzi was born as a straight-laced man, never crossing boundaries and having an obedient nature, Kaivan was the opposite. He was born rebellious, with a somewhat temperamental character.

Moreover, many dubbed Kaivan the 'Siberian Wolf' because of his strong instincts when facing danger. He was skilled at silencing enemies and incredibly hard to bring down.

But, out of all his strengths, he had only one weakness.

Women.

Kaivan was obligated to always respect and yield to the creature called woman. That's why, as mischievous as he was, he never disrespected or used them for bedroom games. It was also why he found it hard to believe when someone suddenly appeared and claimed to be pregnant with his child.

To investigate the truth behind these accusations, Kaivan followed Kenzi's suggestion and asked Hans to investigate the case. And now, Hans was in his office.

"Well, in all the years I've worked with the Maximilian family, this is the first time I've seen you dealing with a woman. Usually, you ask me to investigate arms dealers, not trivial matters like this," Hans remarked sarcastically. He seemed to understand Kaivan's nature well.

Kaivan took a deep breath. His frustration was visible on his face. Anne's unexpected appearance had thrown his thoughts into chaos.

"I truly beg you, Hans. Handle this matter as soon as possible. I am absolutely certain that I have never slept with any woman, let alone impregnated her."

Hans gave a faint smile, shifting to a more relaxed position in his chair.

"But, if you were heavily intoxicated, you might have done it unconsciously, Kai," Hans accused.

"Oh my God..." Kaivan sighed softly. Then he spoke again. "But I'm really certain about what I feel, Hans."

Hans nodded. He had served the Maximilian family for over ten years. That's why he didn't doubt Kaivan's words. The eldest son of Federich Maximilian was always cautious, especially regarding women.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

Kaivan straightened his posture, moving his desk chair closer to Hans.

"I want you to investigate this woman's background. A DNA test can only be done after the baby in her womb is born. It's crazy to wait that long."

In his seated position, Hans chuckled softly. It wasn't meant as mockery, but he honestly couldn't help himself when he saw the expression on Kaivan's face. How could the man known to be ruthless among the mafia now look so helpless?

"Why not just call an obstetrician to the hotel to examine her?" Hans offered a suggestion and quickly met with a shake of Kaivan's head.

"No... no... I don't want to take the risk. Calling an obstetrician here would only lead to speculation. You know there are too many rivals out there. They're even openly observing all my activities. I don't want all of this to backfire and ultimately damage my reputation."

Hans nodded in agreement. Compared to Kenzi, Kaivan indeed had more rivals. His frequent confrontations with the mafia had inevitably attracted many enemies out there.

"And are you sure she's really pregnant? How do you know she's pregnant if you haven't had her checked by a doctor?"

"Oh my God, Hans. When she came this morning, she even showed me the results of the pregnancy test she took. Even if it turns out she's lying, it's your job to prove it."

Hans shook his head. Kaivan indeed handed him a complicated task. But he needed help to follow the man's orders.

"Do you have her identification?"

Kaivan nodded, then pulled something out from his pocket and handed it to Hans.

"That's her identification. Mike tried to find information this afternoon, but it turned up empty. Based on the check, the woman's data is clean. That's why you need to handle it personally."

This time, Hans nodded, agreeing to Kaivan's instructions.

"I'll investigate and report back to you as soon as possible."

****

Kaivan entered his presidential suite feeling weary. The fatigue weighing on him led his feet to the mini bar in the room.

His hand reached for a bottle of wine lined up in the glass cabinet. He poured it into a glass and took slow sips, trying to savour each drop of the wine moistening his throat.

Kaivan sat in silence for quite some time until the corner of his eye caught a sight that surprised him.

"Cough..." Kaivan choked on the wine he had been drinking. He wiped his wet lips with a napkin, and then a moment later, his eyes moved from the top of her head down to the woman's feet standing perfectly in front of him.

"What are you doing?"

"Me?" Anne asked.

"Who else is here besides the two of us?" Kaivan retorted.

"No one, just wanted to grab a drink," Anne answered casually.

Kaivan sighed in frustration.

"Not like that. I mean, why are you wandering around wearing just a bathrobe? Are you intentionally trying to tease me?" Kaivan accused. He was bewildered by the sight of Anne suddenly passing by in nothing but a bathrobe, wet hair cascading down. Kaivan, being an average human, would have his masculine side stirred up by the sight of an attractive woman passing by like that.

"I don't have anything to wear. You know I came here without bringing anything," Anne sighed softly this time. "And if you've forgotten, you even forbade me from leaving this hotel. So how am I supposed to buy clothes?"

Kaivan let out a soft exhale. Then he reached for the cell phone in his jacket pocket, and after a while, he called someone.

"Meggy, please go to the boutique on the hotel's ground floor. Bring a few sets of women's clothing for Anne. Any style will do. I believe you also know what size would fit her."

After ending the call, Kaivan turned his gaze back to Anne with a piercing look.

"My assistant will bring you some clothes shortly. Remember! Don't wander around my room in a bathrobe like this."

Anne smiled in response to Kaivan's words. She stepped forward, intentionally approaching him to reach the wine glass behind him. The scent of vanilla soap she wore hit Kaivan's olfactory senses sharply.

"Relax, future husband. I'll obey all your orders," Anne whispered directly into Kaivan's ear.

After taking a small sip of the wine in her hand, Anne walked away, leaving Kaivan cursing loudly in his mind.

"Damn it! This woman is really looking for trouble with me."