Nikolai “I can’t find Ava” Those are the first words out of Kat's lips the moment I step into the living room. Kat stands before me, hands fidgeting, face flushed with what I can only describe as worry as she delivers the news to me. Her husband stands a few steps away, his hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks as he glances between Kat and me. His stance is guarded, like he is prepared to intervene at the first sight of trouble. His brows furrows. He looks worried, probably by the idea of me lashing out at his wife as she speaks. I almost laugh at the thought. As if I would willingly hurt Kat. She was my blood, and even though her words angered me in this moment, I would never willingly hurt her. She was family, after all, and I would never put her in harm's way. “What do you mean you can’t find my wife?” I’m surprised by the level of restraint with which I'm able to say the words. I'm almost sure that the words aren't mine, and if it weren't for the slight wince
Ava There’s only one word I can use to describe the sinking feeling that settles in the pit of my stomach, twisting in my gut, sharp and unrelenting, as it grips tighter around the muscle before releasing it and finding its way upwards to my chest where it sinks it’s vicious claws into the beating organ that resides behind my ribcage. Dread. Dread is the only word I can use to describe the feeling that surges through me at the sight of Nikolai leaning against a black BMW in my school's parking lot. One of his hands is shoved into the pockets of the dark leather jacket he's wearing, the other loosely holding a cigarette. He takes a drag from it, and I watch as faint puffs of grey smoke curl upwards before hitting the dark lenses of the sunglasses on his face and disappearing into the afternoon air. Dissipating like a ghost around him. He is wearing a fitted white dress shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to just below his elbows, showcasing his forearms and tattoos for an
Ava “Are you out of your mind!?” I screech, slamming my fist down repeatedly against Nikolai's back. He makes no effort to dignify my outburst with a response other than the low grunt that escapes him and continues marching down the parking lot towards his car. A small crowd has slowly started to form with people murmuring and exchanging glances as I dangle from my husband's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Unfortunately, the growing crowd does little to sway my husband, and he continues to ignore the curious looks from the strangers around us, moving with calm, unhurried steps. His hold around the back of my thighs is the only thing anchoring me to him and my cheeks burn with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration at the position I'm in. It's official, today is officially the worst day of my life. Not only am I being hurled around by Nikolai on his shoulder, but, everyone can see it happening, and no one is doing anything to help me. “Put me down you pompous ass-” my
Ava I can’t sleep. It’s currently twelve thirty am, and so far, I think I've developed permanent back pain from all the tossing and turning I've been doing. I spent the last hour listening to a pretty interesting ASMR playlist, but as usual, the internet lied, and the hour of soft tapping and nail scratching did nothing to cure my insomnia. After Nikolai and I got home, I’d spent the rest of my day with Kat who spent half the time we were together chastising me for leaving without telling her and the other half asking for details about how I spent my day. After dinner, I came up to my room and called Cara. She picked up on the second ring and asked if I was okay to which I replied yes. We spent the next thirty minutes catching up, and she told me how her car broke down before she could reach home, but luckily for her, Mark, a boy from our sculpture class, apparently saw her struggling and decided to offer her a lift. She seemed oddly excited about receiving help from the mysterio
AVA “Your canvas is blank” Cara says, peeking over my shoulder, her eyes narrowed as she stares at the wide expanse of white space, untouched by the dripping paintbrush in my hands. I let out a sigh, a long shallow breath breaking past my lips. At the beginning of class, Mr Bennett, our painting instructor, scribbled down a prompt for all of us in class to follow and explained that he expected us to let out our creativity following what was written. I, of course, couldn't have been more thrilled. The past few days had been hectic, and I'd longed for an outlet, and this was the perfect opportunity. Or so I thought. It's been almost an hour since class started and while everyone seems to be enthralled in their work, I've spent my time glancing between my canvas and the prompt. Serenity and Calmness. I almost laughed when I first saw it. Nothing about my life in the last two weeks has been either calm or serene so how the hell am I supposed to craft a masterpiece out of somethi
Ava I stare at the rows of glittering diamond and gleaming gold laid out in front of us in neat rows behind velvet-lined show glasses stretched across the room, each showcasing a set of glittering pieces. Each cut diamond and precious gemstone seems to capture the light in the room, refracting it in different directions until all I can see are the flashes of brilliance shimmering in the air. Nikolai brought me to a jewellery store. But not just any jewellery store. No, he brought me to the biggest one in the city. Éclat was known around Chicago for its unrivalled collection of diamonds and gemstones from all around the world. Each piece has been carefully curated by different masters of the craft, from renowned gemologists to expert artisans. It's the kind of place that only caters to the elite and the only place in the city where each piece was worthy enough to be a statement. Around us, only a handful of people browse quietly, moving from one display to the other with t
Ava I dig the tip of my fingernails into my palm as I glare at my husband, waiting for him to answer my question. The silence in the car is thick and it stretches to the point that it almost feels suffocating. Quite frankly I don't think I’ll be able to keep the anger burning in my chest from spilling much longer. Outside Benjamin casually leans against the hood of the car, his arms folded across his chest as he stares into the distance. He’s been standing there for the last five minutes, ever since I politely asked him to get out of the car while I had a conversation with my husband. A husband who was quite literally getting on my last nerves with the whole silence thing he was going for instead of providing me with answers. The parking lot is filled with people moving in and out of the airport with their luggage in tow. Nearby, a group of travellers rushed past, dragging their luggage behind them and happily laughing at something one of their members had said. Their happy
Nikolai I should have known something was wrong the moment we boarded my private jet and I felt Ava stiffen beside me. “What's wrong?” I ask when I hear mumbling something under her breath I can't quite make out. She bites the inside of her cheek, turning to me. “I may have forgotten to mention that I'm kinda, sorta, afraid of flying.” She replies, forcing out a laugh. I stare at her, waiting for her to tell me that she's joking, but her lips remain pressed together as she grips the armrest tightly, holding on to it like it's her lifeline. Of course, she's afraid of flying. Her body trembles and she bites down on her lower lips once we reach the runway. She looks like she's seconds away from throwing up and for the sake of the people responsible for cleaning this jet, I hope she doesn't. “Why didn't you tell me?” I ask and she regards me briefly, her body still trembling. “I wasn't sure how you'd going to react.” She mutters. My stomach twists as the weight of her words
Nikolai"Why did you decide to open a restaurant?"Ava's question blindsides me a little, even though I expected her curiosity to surface eventually.What happened thirteen years ago was something I never thought I'd be able to tell her and yet I did. Her reaction was nothing like I thought it would be. It came softly, and she looked at me with an understanding I couldn’t quite grasp, gently holding my hand.When I met her gaze, the only emotion reflected was a quiet curiosity that had me wanting to tell her everything she asked. Not a trace of pity in sight.I lean back in my chair, my fingers tapping the table softly as I meet her eyes."My mother loved to cook." I say, "She wanted to open a restaurant when she was younger and if she hadn't married my father I know she would've"Her expression softens, and I feel the slightest sting in my chest. When I was younger my mother was my haven. She was the one person my brother and I could rely on and the only person to show me what love w
Ava“Mr. And Mrs Volkov, We've been expecting you”, the restaurant manager greets us as soon as we step into The Azure Reserve, his tone polished, yet the tremble in his voice betrays the professional demeanour he's going for. He extends a slight bow, then lifts his gaze to meet Nikolai's. “It’s such an honour to have you dining with us tonight. The rooftop has been reserved for your privacy as per your request, Mr Volkov.”It has? I glance back at Nikolai, my gaze roaming his face, searching for a hint of awareness, but his expression remains impassive as always, giving nothing away while mine is wide-eyed.When Nikolai told me we were eating at the Azure Reserve, I assumed that we would be eating in the main restaurant alongside the other patrons. Maybe we'd be given a private booth since he was the owner but that was as far as I expected.Nikolai's hand on my waist remains steady as we follow the manager through the luxurious dining area.Compared to reality, The pictures I’ve seen
Hello, dear readers I wanted to let you know that I won’t be uploading for the next couple of days as my final exams begin on the 20th and will end on the 30th of this month. These exams are an important part of my final grade and assessment before I leave school, so I need to give them my full attention. I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience this might cause, but I promise to return on the 1st of February with new and exciting chapters. Thank you for your understanding and support—it means so much to me. See you soon ❤️
AvaTomorrow arrives sooner than I expect, and before I know it, it’s already 4:43. With just barely twenty minutes left to spare, I stare at my reflection in the mirror, wondering if I'd picked a good enough dress for my date with Nikolai.When I woke up I was simply met with a text message from Nikolai telling me to pick between the two dresses he'd selected for me to wear on our date. I, of course, had no idea which to choose and had called Cara to help me.The soft lavender dress I'd chosen out of the two dresses now clings to my figure, highlighting my curves with just the right amount of elegance and sluttiness. Not that I wanted any amount of sluttiness, but Cara insisted that a bit of sluttiness is okay for a first date and a lot of sluttiness is okay for a second, which was why the Lavender dress would "do excellently. Her words, not mine.Twenty minutes after our video call ended I still have no idea what she means by that.My hands smooth over the front of my dress, admirin
Ava ( Seven years old)I'm not going home.Ava realises this as she sits on the floor of what appears to be an empty cell-like room, except the walls are pretty and only the floor is damp.She tilts her head back against the wall, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she silently hoped that the men who'd brought her here would finally let her go. Although she doubted they would.It had been over an hour now, and the men who'd taken her were nowhere to be found. They had shoved her into the darkness and left, leaving her with only their warnings of quietness to keep her company.Then men who'd taken her from her ballet studio reminded her of the men she'd sometimes seen hanging around in her father's office. Her father had called them business associates and told her that they were nice people with hard faces, but all Ava saw when she noticed the men pull up in front of her studio was their hard faces. She shivered, but it was not from the cold. The room
AvaNikolai scatter kisses down the side of my breasts then lower, lathering my stomach with the same attention. He hooks his fingers around the waistband of my shorts and my body tightens with anticipation.Nikolai's mouth had felt divine between my legs, and as much as I wanted to deny it, I loved every second he spent tasting me until my throat turned raw from the intensity.I want to feel that again. He'd been so perfect, so gentle with me. I study the way his eyes shut and his nostrils flare with each steadying breath he draws.“Go on a date with me tomorrow night"I think I'm dreaming until his voice breaks through the fog clouding my thoughts. I pry my eyes apart, looking down at him and meeting his gaze.“A date?”He nods then nips light at my hip bone, sending a violent shiver rippling through my entire body. “Yes, a date”, he murmurs, trailing lower.“Why?”He glances up at me briefly, his dark green eyes piercing into me in a way that makes my chest feel all tight and achy
AvaThe bed is warm when I stir awake. I instinctively reach out my hand, only to be met with the softness of the pillow barrier I'd created last night and - Surprise Surprise - an empty bed.I frown, sitting up, my eyes surveying the expanse of the mattress noting the rumpled sheets and the faint scent of cinnamon clinging to the linen, the only evidence that he had been here.I force out a sigh, running my fingers through my now tousled hair as the weight of crushing disappointment settles heavily in my chest. I swallow hard against the lump forming in my throat.He's left me before; why did I think this time would be any different…The sound of a door creaking open and slamming shut behind me stops my thoughts trail, and I whip my head towards the source of the noise.Broad shoulders fill the doorway of the walk-in closet as Nikolai steps into view, every gloriously scarred and tattooed inch of his torso upwards on full display. The pyjama bottoms he'd worn last night to bed are n
Ava"What are you doing, Malysh?" Nikolai asks, his voice low yet curious as he watches me stack pillow after pillow in the space between us.The corner of my mouth pulls downward, barely sparing him a glance. “Isn't it obvious? I'm building a barrier” I reply simply, reaching for another pillow.Nikolai leans back against the headboard, the mattress crinkling softly under his movements. His gaze never leaves mine as he watches me effectively build the only thing I could come up with last minute to serve as a barrier.“And why exactly do you need a barrier, Solnyshko? Especially one made from such flimsy building material" He says, eyeing said flimsy building material.His comment shouldn't bother me half as much as it does and yet it does.I release a puff of air, tucking the stray strands from my bun to the back of my ear before shooting him a sharp look.“If you must know I intend for there to be some sort of distance between us tonight. As long as this barrier is in place, there
AvaI didn't know what I expected Nikolai's room to look like and yet this right here manages to live up to the image I'd built up in my head. Compared to my room, Nikolai’s is massive, a plain that seems to stretch the further It goes.This amount of space seems absurd for one man and yet Nikolai seems to manage it just fine.A king-sized bed laid in dark satin sheets dominates the centre. The colour matches the charcoal grey drapes that hang from the ceiling to floor window that leads to a balcony. Identical armchairs facing each other serve as the only piece of furniture in the large room.There's nothing remotely homely about the place, and yet, for some odd reason, it feels warm.After I adamantly told Nikolai that there was no universe where I agreed to move into his room, he'd simply taken my hand in his and led me towards his bedroom door at the end of the hallway without so much as a word.The words he'd whispered to me in the hallway, our forehead pressed against each other