My heart started pounding in my chest as Nikolai drove toward our destination. My mind was busy thinking of ways to deceive the mafia king and get what I wanted. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I had no other option. Even if he wasn't home, I would have to find a way to get my hands on a pregnancy kit. Suddenly, fresh air hit my face as Nikolai rolled down the window. I frowned and turned my head to Nikolai, finding his attention on the road. "Fresh air," he reminded me. "That’s what you wanted, right?" I slowly nodded and shifted my attention back to the road. The air carried the scent of damp earth. The ride was quiet, but my mind was filled with many thoughts. "Hope it’s doing you some good!" Nikolai asked all of a sudden. I nodded again without turning to look at him. Nikolai had always stayed one step ahead of me. In the past, he had always figured out what I was planning. I just hoped he wasn't already suspicious. My body leans forward when he braked in front o
My heart leaped into my throat when Nikolai insisted on checking the bag. Of course, I didn’t want to give it to him. His eyes were too sharp—he would catch on instantly. If he found the test, everything would be over before I had even gotten the chance to know the truth myself. I swallowed, gripping the bag tighter. "Alessia, don’t test my patience and just hand over the bag to me." And before I could move, suddenly we heard a loud honk from behind. It startled me, and Nikolai let out a frustrated sigh. Thank God. And thank you to whoever was behind us. Nikolai just shook his head and started the engine. I let out a breath of relief. The journey home was silent, but I knew a lot was going on in Nikolai’s head. As soon as he pulled up in front of the house, I was out of the car before he even cut the engine. I had to act fast. I knew Nikolai would bring up the bag again, especially after my blatant protest. The moment he parked the car in the garage, I reached into the bag, p
Why today? Why, out of all the days, did Nikolai decide to work from home today? It seems like today is not my day. After so much difficulty, I was able to secure an appointment with a gynecologist today. And today, he had to park himself in the same room as me, making it impossible for me to sneak out. I clenched my jaw as I watched him lounging comfortably on the couch, laptop perched on his lap. He normally works from his study, but today, he has to be by my side all the time. Sometimes, it feels like he actually has the power to read minds. Whenever I plan something, he is always there to ruin it. I have been waiting for him to step out of the room since morning, but he hasn't moved from his place. Sigh. I tapped my foot impatiently, glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. My appointment was in less than an hour, and I had to get out oftheree. "What happened?" Nikolai's deep voice snapped me out of my trance. You happened. "Is everything al
Terminate the pregnancy? My fingers curled around the arms of the chair as my head spun like a wheel. No! My heart broke in my chest, and a strangled gasp escaped my throat. I can't lose my baby again. I can't! I shook my head as my heart pounded violently in my chest. "You're saying I might lose my baby?" My voice shook. She clasped her hands together on the desk and let out a deep sigh. Her silence was killing me. "Don't panic, Alessia. This isn’t a definite outcome, but it’s a very real possibility." I could barely feel my own body, as if the air had been sucked out of the room. "Right now," she continued, "your body is rejecting the pregnancy." Rejecting? "It seems like you are under a lot of stress. It's not only harming you, but the baby as well!" She leaned forward. "If something doesn’t change, you may have no choice." My arms instinctively wrapped around my stomach. This baby was the only thing I had. It had come as a hope for me to live my lif
I woke up to soft cries. I blinked multiple times to clear my vision and found myself sitting in a dimly lit room. The only source of light was the lamp at the bedside. My arms felt too heavy to move and turn on the lights. The cries intensified, so I slowly turned onto my side. My breath hitched in my throat when I saw a small form lying beside me, throwing his tiny hands and legs in the air. A baby. My baby. Looking at a small part of me, my body filled with new energy. I immediately sat up and turned on the lights. He stopped crying for a second as his lips parted, but then he started crying again. I scooped him into my arms and brought him close to my chest. I placed a kiss on his tiny forehead. One of his tiny fists was curled against his chest while the other reached for a strand of my hair. He felt so soft against me. My breath hitched as I ran a trembling finger along his chubby cheek. Slowly, he stopped crying and made a soft baby sound before nuzzling closer to me.
The air in the bathroom suddenly became suffocating as he whispered those words in my ear. I wanted to push him away, but I couldn't because my arms were already wrapped around my body. Exposing myself to his hungry eyes was like adding fuel to the fire. One of his hands moved up my spine, igniting a trail of shivers. I clenched my fists tighter, keeping myself firm. I couldn't melt in his arms. Now, I am not alone; a life is growing inside me that is completely dependent on me. I can't risk its life for a few moments of pleasure. "I told you to leave," I whispered, though my voice lacked its usual bite. Nikolai chuckled in response. "But your trembling body against me conveys something different." I clenched my jaw tightly and tried to hold myself together when his fingertips trailed up my arm in a slow and torturous manner. "It's you who is playing with it," I breathed out. "Stay away from me, Nikolai! This isn't right," I stated. His grip on my waist tightened as his eyes
My heart shot to my throat the moment I felt him position himself behind me. His hand stroked himself slowly, as if preparing to claim what he believed was already his. My eyes widened, and every nerve in my body lit up with urgency. I panicked. I needed to do something to stop him before it went too far. I didn’t want to regret this for life. An idea came to my mind, and I acted before I could even second-guess myself. I was not sure if it would work, but I knew I needed to stop Nikolai, right here and now. I took a shaky breath, and just as he was about to push forward, I immediately removed my hands from the wall and stood straight, just in time. "What?" he barked, clearly irritated. His voice was rough with frustration and hunger. He was just about to have what he wanted, but it slipped away from his fingers a second before. I immediately turned around to face him. His eyebrows were knitted together, his jaw was tight, and his damp hair stuck to his forehead. He looked
The night air was cold and filled with energy as we drove toward our destination. Nikolai was sitting beside me, glancing at me every now and then. Each time our gazes met, he said nothing, just that quiet intensity, as if he were trying to figure out what was going on in my head. I didn’t want to be here. I didn't want to attend any event or function with him, but I wasn't left with any other option. If I wanted Nikolai to listen to me, then of course I would have to listen to him, no matter what. That was the unspoken deal, no matter how much I hated it. So here I was, sitting inside the car, all dolled up for the grand masked ball event. The car pulled up in front of the grand marble steps of the Belladonna Estate. Nikolai handed me my mask, and I put it on. My heart thudded in my chest as the chauffeur opened the door, and I stepped out into the night. The cold breeze caressed my exposed shoulders. Classical music could be heard even from the outside. My gown hugged me like
Pain. Raw pain. That was all I could see in his eyes when he said that I forgot him. His voice was laced with pain that I have never heard before. He wasn't angry or frustrated. He was just heartbroken. I can't imagine, how hard it must be for him. "You forgot every single moment that we spent together. Every promise that we made. Everything we did. You completely forgot me." His voice that was once commanding was now barely above a whisper. His voice cracked by the end. "For you I became a monster, who killed your mother" A tear slipped from my eye, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand, but it did nothing to stop the storm building inside me. "Because that’s exactly what they told you, isn’t it?" Yes. After I lost everything—my memory, my past, my sense of self. I had been told that it was Nikolai who had taken everything from me. That he killed my mother. That he tried to kill me and I believed it too. He loved me so much and I was carrying his child so practi
My fingers dug into my lap, and I sat frozen in my place as I waited for him to speak. I had been waiting to hear the truth for so long."Yes, this is the truth: because of me, we lost the child." My breath hitched. "But I wasn't directly responsible for it." My eyebrows drew in confusion. Nikolai leaned forward, resting his elbows on the edge of the table. His hands were clasped loosely in front of him. "You may not remember it, but I know your heart has realized how deeply we were in love with each other once." "We were living a happy life together. We created our small little world without caring about others. And then..." He smiled. "We got the greatest news of our lives: that you were pregnant." I blinked, and a gasp escaped my throat as I tried to think about it. My head spun, and frustration grew when I couldn't remember anything. "But our happiness caught an evil eye. The doctor said that you weren't fit to carry a child." I swallowed hard. "But you still wan
He didn't look as youthful and lively as before. His hair was messy, and his beard had grown out; it was heavy and untrimmed. His eyes looked hollow, with dark bags underneath, as if he hadn't slept for nights. His shoulders were hunched, and his body didn’t carry that aura. His eyes softened slightly when he was sure that I was actually standing in front of him. He looked at me as if I were the first light after a long night. Slowly, he stood up, and my feet subconsciously took me to him. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The world around us blurred as we kept looking at each other like we hadn’t seen each other in lifetimes. Then, his lips slowly curved into a faint smile.“I knew you would come,” his voice was low and raspy, missing that roar and firmness. I said nothing because I didn’t know what to say. A part of me wanted to scream, wanted to ask him why he was still doing this—why he was still making it harder for me to hate him. Another part of me just wanted to fall
"Where are you going?" My feet came to a halt when I heard Marco's voice. I turned around to face him. I couldn't forget the way he had shouted at me in the study. He is my elder brother. I have always respected him, but that doesn’t mean he can shout at me. I don’t give this right to anyone. "I don’t believe I’m obligated to answer every question you throw at me, Marco. I’m not accountable to you.” I folded my arms across my chest and looked directly into his eyes. His jaw clenched and fists tightened. It was quite clear he didn’t like what I said, but still he kept his voice neutral, not allowing his feelings to reflect through his tone. "I understand that you are an adult with your own rights, but you are living under my protection and..." “Under my father's protection,” I corrected sharply, cutting him off. His eyes darkened, and his head tilted just slightly to the side—an old habit of his whenever he didn’t like what the other person had just said. It was subtl
My heart stopped for a moment as I listened to that deep, rough voice that somehow managed to make space in my heart. It still made something inside me stir. I wanted to end the call, to prove that he no longer controls me, but the way he said "please" made it impossible for me to do so. My grip on the phone tightened as not a single word came out of my mouth. Silence spread between us. I could hear his ragged breathing and feel his nervousness through the phone. Then, I heard the rustle of wind on the other end, as if he were outside. "How did he get my number?" The question popped into my mind. I mentally slapped myself for being so stupid. How could I forget that he has many sources? "I didn't think you'd pick up," he said softly, breaking the silence. Suddenly, I felt a rush of emotions and was about to end the call when he spoke again. "I won't take much of your time, Alessia." I swallowed hard. "One minute—just say whatever you want," I stated in a cold and flat tone, t
“Sign them over to me.” For a moment, I thought my ears were ringing, that I had heard something wrong. First, I can't believe Nikolai has transferred his property into my name without telling me, and now Marco wants me to sign it over to him. Why? I realized my hands were trembling when I felt a large, rough hand cover my palm. It was my father's. He looked at me and nodded reassuringly. He already knew about it, and he also wanted the same from me. How could I not know about my own life and the things happening to me? They gave me a few minutes of silence to understand the entire situation. Then Marco spoke again, "Alessia, I know you are pregnant, and we shouldn't give you too much stress, but this can't wait any longer." He sighed. His tone was very soft, as if he were speaking to a child. "Alessia, before taking you away from us, Nikolai snatched the throne of Mafia king from Dad. It is only because of him that our mother is not with us." Marco's gaze flicke
I sighed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. It took me exactly half an hour to get ready. As I went downstairs, I found Marco and Dad already at the breakfast table, waiting for me. “Good morning, princess,” Marco greeted me warmly as he walked up to me and pulled me into a tight hug. “Good morning,” I smiled, wrapping my arms around him briefly before we parted. We then settled at the table to have our first meal of the day. As always, all the dishes were my favorites. Ever since I returned, my family has been going out of their way to take care of me—and the baby. Every little thing is done to make me feel safe and loved, and I appreciate it… even if, deep down, I still feel hollow. I am also trying to have all my meals despite how I am feeling inside.I visited the doctor two days ago. The report she gave wasn’t reassuring. The baby… it’s weak. Too weak. I need to reduce my stress levels and ensure I take all my vitamins and meals on time if I want to keep them safe. Th
Suddenly, I heard a loud gunshot that shook me in my place. My heart pounded fast as the loud voice echoed from inside the mansion. I felt my heart come to my throat as I looked around. I couldn't stop myself from opening the door and stepping out of the car. The sound of another gunshot, followed by glass shattering, made me run inside the mansion. Because of my slippery feet, I almost slipped but managed to compose myself just in time. My surroundings blurred and turned dark as I ran toward the room where I had left Nikolai alone. The door was slightly ajar, so I pushed it open to find Nikolai with a gun in his hand, pressed against his stomach, his back facing me. "Nikolai!" I shouted. Slowly, he turned around. His eyes were filled with pain, such a deep pain that it tore my soul apart. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his eyes were bloodshot red, and his lower lip quivered. His shoulders slumped, and his face looked pale, almost lifeless. "Why are you here, Alessia?" he as
His body jolted slightly as the words left my mouth. It felt as if someone had struck him physically. "What?" He was completely surprised. His forehead wrinkled as his eyes flicked again between me and the divorce papers. "You are kidding me, right?" he asked in disbelief. "I am not kidding you, Nikolai. These are actually divorce papers. I asked Marco for help. He did and delivered them on time." I breathed; my chest felt heavy, "and let me tell you, Nikolai, it's my decision. No one has forced me into this. This is just to clear your misunderstanding." He licked his lips. His head cocked slightly as if he still couldn't believe his ears. For the moment, I shut off all the feelings of my heart. I was only listening to my brain. Slowly, he reached out for the papers in my hand. His fingers trembled slightly as he grabbed them. Silence spread between us as he slowly opened the file. His fingers trembled as they turned the first page. His eyes scanned the bold letters: P