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12|Like A Painting In Motion
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2024-11-20 12:20:22Related chapters
Reckless Hearts 13|Distant And Unreachable, Like The Stars
"Ivanov!" Andrei rasped into the phone. "This is a collect call from Pollsmoor Prison for inmate 368929. Will you accept the call charges?" Did he have a fucking choice? "Sure!" he barked his response. A moment later, his twin came on the line, sounding awfully happy for someone looking at three more years in prison, prattling away about life behind bars—from the uncharacteristically warm weather for this time of the year to his hour-long gym time outdoors. In that excruciatingly long five minutes, Andrei also learned his twin often spent time in the library, poring over law textbooks, because for some inexplicable reason, Aleksei had decided that helping other inmates with their legal woes was his calling now. "Leks," Andrei sighed, silently cursing his string of horrible bad luck today as he added two more minutes to the timer on the microwave, oddly comforted by the beep of the buttons. "Can you tell me what this is about? I have a ton of shit on my plate. I need to find a
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 14|Not Each Other's Cup Of Tea
Andrei did fall asleep, and when he finally opened his eyes sometime after 7:00 AM the following morning to the hustle and bustle of traffic twelve stories below, he was refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to take over the world. Until he felt a warm, soft, feminine body beside him on the bed where his gun should have been, and last night's nightmare came rushing back. "Holly!" he growled as he roughly pushed her away from him. "What?" she whined and rolled away, taking the bed covers with her. She wasn't just a nuisance but also a blanket hogger, Andrei thought bitterly, sorely tempted to shove her off the bed. "Wake up! Wake up right now!" he rasped as he jumped out of bed and strolled to the en suite bathroom to piss. When he came back and found Holly still snuggled under the covers, his irritation crept up exponentially. He stalked to the bedside stand, grabbed the remote, and drew the blinds, sending unbearable sunlight flooding in. Holly sat up, grumbling as she covered h
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 15|Feel Something
Holly was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at her hands, when Andrei came in a second later. He stalked off to his end table, grabbed her black card, and stuffed the IOU note in his pocket. "Here, take your damn card. I'm not selling this place," he said, throwing the credit card at her. "Why do you have this?" Holly asked. "Are you serious?" Andrei arched his brows, crossing his arms over his chest. "You really don't remember much about last night, do you?" Holly shook her head, a look he could only describe as mortification flashing in her eyes as she held his gaze. "Last night," she said after a moment or so of tense silence. "I'm sorry I came here uninvited. It won't happen again. I drank way more than I should and took a bunch of other stuff." "Other stuff like?" Andrei asked, alarm bells going off in his head. He'd figured it was more than just alcohol. But drugs? Heavens— "Doesn't matter!" she replied. "What other stuff, Holly?" "It's not your business!" she
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 16|Way Forward
"He likes his woman warm-blooded!" Holly snorted as she mulled over Andrei's words. "Excuse me?" the Uber driver said, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror. "Nothing," she replied and stared at her hands. What the hell did that even mean? Did Andrei really believe she wasn't warm-blooded and passionate? What the hell was she then all these years if she wasn't passionate?Every damn night when she glided on stage, she was passion personified. Was the man blind? Couldn't he see he'd never find another woman like her, a more passionate woman? And why, oh why, did his words cut her so deeply?Holly knew Andrei despised her. He'd never hidden his disdain for her and her family. So when it was all said and done, last night was her own damn fault. She should have stayed home and put up with everyone's pity. She should never have gone to Crush, let alone run to Forrest Creek in the state she was in. But her biggest mistake was swiping right on Andrei's damn Hot Connexions profile. No
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 17|Gutted
Forty minutes later, the driver sped past the security booth of Morningside Mews, a private gated community east of Rock Castle. It was home to the twenty members of the Royal Dance Institute's corps de ballet, a handful of soloists and two principal dancers, including Holly. Located a stone's throw away from the Institute, the quaint village was once a thriving strawberry farm. With the passage of time, however, the land had changed hands several times and slowly lost its charm, morphing into the monstrosity of cookie-cutter townhouses that it was now. Boasting an onsite hi-tech gym, a smattering of recreational spaces and a convenience store, Morningside Mews touted itself as the pinnacle of luxury living when, in reality, it was just a glorified dormitory. The driver turned into a peaceful tree-lined street, passing rows of double-storey bungalows with manicured lawns and single-car driveways. As soon as they came to a complete stop in front of her unit on a sleepy cul-de-sac,
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 18|Time
Katherine looked sharp in a hot pink power suit and white sneakers matching her satin camisole. Her ash blonde hair, drawn back from her face into a sleek chignon, showed off her sculpted features in all their glory. A former prima herself, she exuded an air of timeless elegance and grace. She glanced up and smiled, but her sapphire eyes remained cold like glass. Her smile never seemed to reach her eyes. "Please take a seat." Holly dutifully pulled out a chair and sat down, folding her hands in her lap. "How are you feeling?" Katherine asked. Her question would have come across as sincere if it weren't for the blank expression on her face. "I'm fine, thank you," Holly replied with a smile. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you as soon as I was discharged. The medication—" "I know. It knocked you out. You told me!" Katherine waved her along. "So what did Dr Evans say? What's the prognosis?" Reluctantly, Holly filled her in on her chat with Dr Evans about her upcoming surgery. "My
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 19|A Little Mishap
Trigger warning: self-harmWhen the elevator doors dinged open on the ground floor, Holly headed straight to the restrooms, relieved to find them empty. She dashed for the last cubicle, slammed the door shut, and pulled a fresh razor blade from the pack in her bag. She sat there awhile, listening to the deafening silence as she contemplated her choices and tried to resist her demons. But after her chaotic morning, the maddening urge proved to be much bigger than her. So, like the addict she was, she gave in, relishing the intense sensation of pure agony and pleasure flowing through her body as she slashed the delicate skin on her tummy over and over, stopping only when the door banged shut, and rapid footsteps followed by chirpy voices filled the bathroom. Holly quickly ripped a wad of tissue from the toilet roll holder, grimacing in pain as she dabbed at her fresh cuts. She dumped the used tissues inside the pan and flushed them down the toilet before exiting the bathroom, glad
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 20|Well-Fabricated Lie
"That's a lie," Holly whispered as she spun away from Lola. "That's a blatant lie. And don't you dare bring my father into this!" "Did you really think you got promoted because you were brilliant? Did you honestly believe you're actually talented?" Lola snickered, pulling her back violently as she cackled in her face. "Don't touch me!" Holly snapped, yanking her arm away. "Don't you dare touch me!" "Or what?" Lola demanded, stepping a little too close for comfort. Suddenly terrified for her safety, Holly held up her hands and slowly backed away, "That's it, I'm done." But Lola wasn't done; she just had to twist the knife a little deeper, curling her pouty lips in a sneer, "You can run away all you want, but it doesn't change the truth. Your father bought you that role. The same way he bought you a spot on the corps. That talent you think you have is a well-fabricated lie. Of the two of us, everyone knows I'm the talented one. Pity, I don't have a rich, powerful daddy like someon
Last Updated : 2024-11-20
Latest chapter
Reckless Hearts 42|Weaving Some Kind Of Magic
Their business with Paula, a tired-looking Polish woman in her early fifties, was far more amiable than their encounter with Daniel, and they were out of there in no time. Andrei went straight to the penthouse in Forrest Creek after he left Igor, and had a quick shower and a change of clothing before heading to The Castle. Almost an hour later, he was at the Italian restaurant directly opposite the hotel's lobby, nursing a glass of bourbon and a cigarette while waiting for Anton Du Toit, the CEO of Nexus, a startup company disrupting the biotech space with its innovative approach to DNA testing. Andrei checked the time on his phone and frowned when he saw they were fast approaching 7:00 PM, and there was still no sign of the man. "He'll be here," he told himself as he glanced at the door, his heart stuttering a little when his gaze landed on the last person he expected to see at The Castle. "Well, well," he murmured as he dumped the still-full glass of bourbon on the table and
Reckless Hearts 41|Breaking Kneecaps
For a Friday afternoon, After Dark was already hopping with a sleazy crowd of office workers, getting ready to usher in a weekend of drinking and some lap dancing. Andrei and Igor skipped the bar and headed straight to the back office in the basement, where they found Daniel in the middle of stuffing his safe with thick wads of cash. "Looks like we came at the right time," Andrei couldn't help but smile when he saw the horror on the man's face. "I was about to call you—" "You don't say!" Andrei said as he crossed the room and sat in the crusty office chair behind an equally distressed metal table. With the copious amounts of money that After Dark raked in daily, one would think Daniel would do something about his drab office space. But it seemed the man's tightfistedness also extended to his personal comforts. Igor pressed his back against the door and casually twirled his Glock in his hand, his message loud and clear. They didn't want any mess, but if Daniel wanted to play hard
Reckless Hearts 40|Three Days
Three days. Three fucking days of absolute radio silence from Holly. To say the wait was driving Andrei up the wall was an understatement. And for the life of him, he couldn't understand why she'd blatantly ignore him. Tired of staring at his phone and willing it to ping, Andrei picked up the proposal from the internal comms team for a group-wide family fun day and tried to redirect his energy to the important stuff. But, no matter how hard he tried to focus, the numbers made absolutely no sense to him. "Damn you, Holly Anderson," he cursed as he pushed the file away and reached for his phone again, hoping to see a message notification from her. But all he got was a bunch of texts from the family screaming for his attention. One was from his father, reminding him to bring his 'mystery girlfriend' to the meeting with the Petrovs the following Monday. Andrei knew his old man was trying to rile him up, and his level of pettiness did not deserve a text back. But he still fell for it
Reckless Hearts 39|Thoroughly Beaten
"What a nosey-ass bitch," Willow seethed when they were alone. "Why did you put up with her nonsense?" Before Holly could reply, Willow's phone rang. It was Eden, and she wanted to know where they were since she couldn't find them in the waiting room. "Go to her," Holly sent her off. "I'll be fine." "Are you sure?" "Dead sure," she insisted with a bright smile. "Call if you need me," Willow said, squeezing her hand before dashing out of the room. Holly sat there for some time, staring at the clock on the wall, growing restless the longer the minutes ticked away. She was about to go and find a nurse and check where the hold-up was when the door burst open, and a tall silver fox she assumed was Dr Erasmus stepped into the room. Her assumptions were proven correct when he introduced himself. "I'm sorry for the long wait," said Dr Erasmus as he sat down. "Glen Eagles was struggling to send us your records—" Holly didn't like the look in his eyes as he perused her file. Like she
Reckless Hearts 38|Bloody Snake
"Oh goodness. Did I really fall asleep?" Holly mumbled as she yawned in her hand. "You sure did," Willow nodded. "Come on, let's do this!" "You guys go ahead; it's time for a diaper change," Eden said, turning her attention to Riley as she blew raspberries on her belly to distract her so she could remove her pants. "Please, no leaving poop diapers in my car," Willow warned her as they exited the car and approached the Orthopedic wing, each step they took filling Holly with dread. She had liked the idea of a second opinion a lot more when she was contemplating her day in Liam's guest room. Now that she was here, with the cold, harsh smell of sterility only found in hospitals hitting her from every angle, she didn't think she could go through with her mission. She was suddenly terrified that the doctors here would tell her the same things Dr Evans had, that she could still dance, but not professionally, and that it would take nine months, maybe longer, to get her knee to fully functio
Reckless Hearts 37|An Andrei Simp
Downstairs, they found James waiting with Aaron, Jace, and another man Holly didn't recognise. James introduced him as Eric, her new driver. Since Willow was playing chauffeur for the day, Holly didn't need Eric's services. She dismissed him, assuring him she'd reach out soon enough. She was about to jump into Willow's car when James stopped her. He scanned the boot of his car and pulled out her crutches. "Your parents forgot to give you these earlier," he said, holding them out to her. Holly wasn't a fan of the crutches, but understood they were necessary. So she took them, thanking James before hobbling off. "Ready to go?" Willow asked when Holly slipped in beside her in the front. "Yeah," she nodded, and within moments, they were on the road, with Eden's security detail following behind them. Holly turned around briefly, glancing at Eden and Riley in the back, "What's up with Aaron and Jace? I thought you dismissed them." "I did." "So why are they tailing us?" "Liam'
Reckless Hearts 36|Worth Chasing
Alone at last, the mask of false calm and cheerfulness Holly had worn throughout the intervention finally slipped off, the emptiness hitting her as hard as the sudden fatigue washing over her. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her phone from the charger, her heart squeezing in her chest when she saw the time. 11:15 AM. If it was any other day, she'd be at the Institute, warming up at the barre. But it wasn't any other day, and she was in her brother's guest room, contemplating her bleak future. If it weren't for her sheer stubbornness about getting a second opinion, she'd have nothing to do— The phone buzzing in her hand startled Holly out of her gloomy thoughts. She stared at Cooper's name flashing on the screen, debating whether to answer his call. Her heart said no. But her head said yes. She might need servicing soon. Since her social life sucked, and her list of potential bedmates was equally dismal, she'd best not burn that bridge. So she quickly hit 'answer' before
Reckless Hearts 35|Never Got Over Him
"About earlier," Holly said, taking Eden's hands. "I'm sorry for what I said about you and Liam." "It was the truth," Eden smiled, her warm brown eyes twinkling behind her dark-rimmed glasses. "It's just that Liam and Andrei were once close, and I hate how everyone always vilifies him. He's not a terrible man." "Oh God, are you in love with him?" Holly shook her head, but denying it was kind of pointless. Eden could see right through her. Sighing, she asked, "Does he know?" "I told him last night. I never would have, though. I mean, it's not something I thought about until I woke up in his bed and touched his scars—" "You touched his scars?" Eden gasped, drawing curious stares from Willow and Lois in the kitchen. But she was too caught up in their juicy chat to notice. "Oh, wait, does that mean you saw him naked?" "Keep your voice down!" "Fine, but answer my question. Did you see Andrei naked or what? You must have if you touched his scars. He had to be naked!" "Seriously, y
Reckless Hearts 34|The Sound Of Her Shame
A stunned silence descended over the room following Liam's announcement. Seconds stretched into a minute and then two before he spoke again, "That's why I called you here today. So we can help Holly." "When—" Willow stammered, but quickly shut her mouth, seemingly at a loss for words. "Why? How?" Eden asked in a small voice. Lois brought her up to speed on Holly's condition, as if she wasn't in the room or able to speak for herself. But at that moment, Holly honestly couldn't. The only thing she could do was to sit in silence and listen to the sound of her shame echoing all around her. Two years ago, before she made prima, she promised everyone it was the last time she'd cut herself. Of course, she hadn't kept her promise, and her condition worsened somewhat after her fallout with Lola. But she'd hoped and prayed her parents and siblings would never find out— "Is it true?" Clarke asked, breaking through her thoughts. "Is it true you've been self-harming?" Holly could only nod,
