“What do you mean, ‘you sold me to the Russian mob’?” Ana asked her Dad. Unfortunately, her Papa isn’t joking. And as if belonging to the beast isn’t messed up enough, now she's also carrying his heir… Enter a Bratva arranged marriage, where “till death do them part” is a legitimate concern. Ana's new husband is everything she shouldn’t want: dark soul, wicked smile, and a growl that makes Ana forget her own name. A walking sin in a tailored suit, he’s determined to make Ana pay for her father’s betrayal. But the way he claims her like she's his only redemption tells a different story. Turns out New York’s most feared crime lord has a weakness. And apparently, it’s Ana. To think falling for the man who’s supposed to destroy her family couldn’t get more complicated. Only it does… Because now Ana is on the run, and he has no idea she's pregnant with his child.
View MoreI’ve been staying in my penthouse in the city, keeping my distance to avoid getting tangled up in emotions I never intended to feel. Since the wedding, things have changed. I find myself thinking about her at random moments. The defiance in her eyes when she tells me I have no right to control her life. The stubborn set of her chin when she demands I fight my own battles, leaving her out of it.I shouldn’t be thinking about her, but I do. Too often.The worst part? I wasn’t even angry when she called me a hypocrite for doing exactly what her father did, only with more power. I should’ve been, but all I could think about was how she masked her fear and stood toe to toe with me, unflinching. No one’s ever done that before. Not even Alexey, who came crawlingwith an apology after today’s meeting to avoid the inevitable consequences.But Ana got under my skin. She told me shehatesme. Those three words echoed in my mind all night, twisting and turning until I couldn’t sleep. Why the hell do
DMITRI“Dmitri Orlov,” Igor announces as he strides into my office, grinning like the fool he is.I know exactly why he’s smiling. He’s just secured a deal usingmyname, thinking I wouldn’t catch on. But I did. Of course, I did. I let him believe he’s clever, though—it’s far more entertaining to watch him dig his own grave.For now, I play along. I turn off my laptop and close the file on my desk before rising to meet him. “Let’s go to the conference room. The others are waiting.”Igor’s grin falters just slightly. “You don’t look like a happy man, Dmitri. Trouble at home?”I shoot him a sidelong glance, my voice cold. “Would you like trouble inyourhome, Igor?”He chuckles nervously, his bravado faltering. “I didn’t mean to pry. Just concerned.”“You don’t need to be concerned. You’re here for business, nothing else.” My tone leaves no room for argument. “Alexey and Bianchi are already seated, and your business is… lesser, compared to theirs. Let’s not waste more time. Time is money, I
She pauses. “Is everything okay?”“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice tight. “He wasn’t answering, and now I can’t even dial his number. Could you call him? Don’t tell him I asked you to.”“Of course. I’ll do it right now.”I hang up, and the wait feels like an eternity. Seconds turn into minutes, and I catch myself biting my cuticles—an old habit I’d kicked, which seems to resurface whenever Dmitri’s involved.My phone rings. The moment I hear it, I snatch it up, pressing it to my ear. “Yes?”“You were right, his phone’s still off,” Daria says, her voice careful. “But I called his second line, and he picked up. He told me to tell you he’s fine.”I freeze, processing her words. Hissecond line? I didn’t even know he had another phone.“Did he say anything else?” I ask, the knot in my stomach tightening.“No, Ana. Just that he’s fine.”My forehead wrinkles in confusion, and anger begins to simmer under my skin. “He didn’t say he’d call me back?”She hesitates. “No.”I’m about to say somet
As I turn, I catch a glimpse of a man standing a few feet away, watching me. He’s dressed in a full suit, which seems wildly out of place on a Saturday. Our eyes meet, and he quickly looks away.What the hell?I frown, glancing around. What’s a guy like him doing here? It doesn’t make sense.But then again, none of this makes sense. My life hasn’t made sense in weeks.I shake my head, trying to brush it off. “None of my business,” I mumble to myself as I turn around, continuing down the aisle.But something about the man lingers in my mind. Maybe it’s the way he looked at me—like he knew something I didn’t, like there was some invisible string tethering him to me. Or maybe I’m just paranoid, which wouldn’t be surprising given the circumstances. After all, I’m living in a nightmare I didn’t choose.I try to shake it off, losing myself in the racks of clothes. Ten minutes go by as I sift through Alice and Olivia pieces, trying to decide whether buying something new is even worth it. A d
ANAI hesitate to open my eyes, even though the sunlight has already flooded the room, casting long beams of warmth across my face. I’ve been lying here, awake, for what feels like hours, but it’s probably only been fifteen minutes. Still, I don’t want to move. There’s no reason to.In my old life, weekends meant something. I would’ve called my father, maybe spent the day at his house helping him with the legal tedium of his business. Or I’d have gone grocery shopping and stocked up on things I enjoyed. My weekends had a purpose back then.But none of that matters here. Not in this empty, echoing house. Not in this cold, new life where the rooms are too big, silent, and suffocating.I sigh, throwing the covers off and rolling out of bed with the grace of a sloth, letting myself collapse onto the floor with a dull thud. The pain is minimal, just enough to remind me I’m alive. I drag myself upright, rubbing the spot on my arm that hit the ground harder than intended.“Why did I do this?
As I walk down the hallway that leads to my study, I hear footsteps coming from behind. Since I sent Janet to my room, Iam curious about who’s in this part of the house. I turn and take a few steps forward, coming face-to-face with Ana.She has on a faded blue top and shorts that stop at the hem of the shirt, leaving her legs bare.Her legs draw me in, asking to be wrapped around something. And I can imagine a couple of places where I’d like them to be. While I do things to other partsof her body, to see just how unruly and untamed she can be. And those lips?—How am I just noticing that she has a pale pink upper lip while the bottom one darkens a little around its curves?“Can I help you?” Her curt tone pulls me out of my short reverie.I shake my head, noticing that she’s glaring at me.“No,” I respond.Why was I ogling her?She’s Anastasia Petrov, for goodness sakes. My last name is just an attaché that means nothing but formality. If she were handed a gun and asked to shoot me, sh
DMITRII head down the hallway from the conference room, just having concluded a meeting with other members of the Bratva who’ve come to pledge their allegiance and support to the Orlov enterprise.Some of them, like Alexey, didn’t seem so willing, but I could tell theyknewthey didn’t have a choice. I didn’t give them one.And they don’t deserve it, either, because many of them have forgotten what they did to my family after my father died.Nikolai Petrov might have committed the biggest betrayal, but the others aren’t blameless. They all tried to take a piece of what’s mine, coming through side channels because they thought I was too wrapped up in grief to notice.I suppose, in some way, I have to thank Nikolai for being so bold in his claim. If he weren’t, I wouldn’t have gained the upper hand I now enjoy. Even though his daughter tests my patience every single day and I have to summon every shred of self-control I have when I’m around her.She’s an expert at getting under my skin.
Dmitri.He appears at the top of the stairs, stepping out of the shadows of the second floor. The gray T-shirt he’s wearing stretches across his chest, showing off the hard muscles beneath, and the black sweatpants hang just low enough to hint at the strong lines of his body. It should be illegal for a man like him to look this good. It’s almost comical, really, how the universe saw fit to give him both power and the body of a Greek god.“Ana,” his deep voice cuts through my thoughts as he approaches, and I freeze on the stairs.I take my time replying, dreading what this encounter will bring. “Yes?”He’s standing just a few steps away, too close for comfort, and I can’t help but notice how the air seems heavier when he’s nearby. “Do you have a moment?”It is a question, but it’s more of a command, really.And what could we possibly have to talk about?I shake my head. “No. And I doubt there’s anything we need to discuss unless it involves making my life more miserable.”Without waiti
DMITRI“Mr. Pavlov is waiting in your office,” Jakob, my secretary, says as I stride in.I nod, not breaking pace, and push open the door.Igor Pavlov, thepakhanof one of the New Jersey Bratvas, stands as soon as he sees me. His massive hand stretches out, and I grasp it firmly. “Orlov,” he greets me with a smirk. “You could’ve scheduled this for another time.”“Why would I?” I drop his hand and move behind my desk, letting my briefcase hit the floor with a thud.He shrugs, watching me with sharp, calculating eyes. “You just got married. Figured you’d be on your honeymoon. Or are the rumors true?”I arch an eyebrow, leaning back in my chair. “Rumors?”Before he can answer, there’s a knock. The door swings open, and Alexey steps in, anotherpakhan,with a reputation as unpredictable as his temper. He doesn’t bother with formalities, taking a seat next to Igor like he owns the place.“Roman won’t be joining us,” Alexey informs us, lighting a cigar with a flick of his lighter. “He’s dealin
ANA “Dochka.” The familiar word slices through the heavy air, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn, seeing my father standing in the doorway. He’s dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, holding a small bouquet that feels like a cruel joke. His eyes are haunted as they meet mine. He’s trying to smile, trying to be strong. For me. I walk toward him without a word, stepping into his arms as they open, and the second his warmth wraps around me, something inside me breaks. A tear slips free, hot and fast, but I wipe it away quickly, as if it never existed. He can’t know. He’s carrying enough guilt without my pain adding to it. “How are you holding up?” His voice is rougher than usual as he hands me the bouquet—small, delicate, like me. Like the old me. “Do you want me to stay? I can wait with you until it’s time.” I force a smile so tight it hurts. “I’m fine, Papa. It’s my wedding day, right? I’m happy.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue. He sees through it, his jaw tightening as he r
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments