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14|Not Each Other's Cup Of Tea
Last Updated:
2024-11-20 12:20:33
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Reckless 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 : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 21|A Lot Of History, A Lot Of Promises
A large part of Andrei's morning was spent cycling between reports, presentations and emails. Then, promptly at 11:15 AM, fifteen minutes before he was supposed to leave for his meeting with the family, Monique knocked on his door, grinning like a Cheshire cat as she waved her tablet at him. "Breaking news!" she announced, pausing for dramatic effect as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "For an executive assistant, you sure have a lot of free time, Monique!" Andrei said as he stood up and reached behind him for his suit jacket draped over his backrest. "You are no fun!" She pouted her way to his desk, pausing in front of him to help him fix his collar. For some reason, Andrei found her familiarity with him annoying today. She was too comfortable around him, too much in his personal space. But it was his own damn fault for sleeping with her. Not once, but too many times. "I'm fine!" he said, pushing her hands away. "I know how to fix my damn collar, Monique. Just focus o
Last Updated : 2024-11-20Reckless Hearts 22|Made Men
The intense smell of Cuban cigars and alcohol fumes hit Andrei as soon as he stepped inside. A crew of low-rank soldiers lounging around stood up and bowed their greetings. He waved them off, followed his lieutenants straight to the rusty metal door in the back, and took the short flight of stairs to the basement, where Sergei and the rest of the family's top management were waiting for him. "How's the old man?" his uncle asked as they hugged and shook hands. "A pain in the ass as usual," Andrei replied, accepting a drink from Sergei's wife, Rowena, before taking his place at the head of the table. He sipped his drink slowly and closed his eyes, wincing when the liquid scalded his throat. Why everyone thought all Russians loved vodka was a mystery to him. He didn't hate it, but it wasn't his go-to drink, and his aunt knew this. For some inexplicable reason, though, she insisted on serving it to him every damn time in the hopes of making him a real Russian. According to her, he wasn
Last Updated : 2024-11-26
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Reckless Hearts 120|Love Was Meant For Other People
If anyone had asked Andrei how he felt at that moment, with Holly in his arms and his mom's ring on her finger, he would have told them he was delirious with joy. But honestly, that, too, didn't even come close to describing the happiness swelling in his heart. In fact, he was so ecstatic he wondered how it wasn't a crime for anyone to be as happy as he was."You've made me so happy, Milaya," Andrei whispered, kissing Holly's forehead. All his life, he had always believed love was meant for other people—good, deserving people like Liam and Levi. And until a few weeks ago, marriage was the furthest thing from his mind. But now, with just a simple 'yes' to his proposal, Holly had opened the door to a world of possibility."You have no idea how happy I am right now," he murmured in her hair. "I could die this moment, and I'll be okay with it—"Holly playfully slapped him on his arm, chastising him, "Hey, don't joke about dying, especially after today.""It was just a figure of speech,"
Reckless Hearts 119|Endure
Eventually, Holly got over her stunned shock and spluttered out her confusion, her eyes roaming wildly over Andrei's face in search of answers. "But Naomi said it's from Mexico!" "Naomi's right. That vial is from Mexico. There are only ninety-nine others in the country. Or at least there were.""What do you mean?""Like I said, Jonah or whoever he's working for stole the drugs from me, and it would be remiss of me to let them get away with it," Andrei replied and swiftly changed the subject, asking her how long the doctors planned to keep her at the hospital, even though she'd already told him it was only for tonight."I should be discharged tomorrow.""I'll pick you up," he offered, but Holly shot him down, reminding him there were four men outside her door, watching her every move under the guise of keeping her safe. If it hadn't been for her phone call to Eric, he wouldn't have been allowed to see her."So what are you saying?" Andrei asked as he touched the ring in his pocket for
Reckless Hearts 118|Glimpses Of Herself
With seven minutes to go, Andrei charmed the nurses into letting him see Holly early, sweet-talking his way to her private ward. His luck ran out when he found four of Liam's guys, including Eric, Holly's driver, standing guard outside her door."You shouldn't be here," said Eric as he got up in Andrei's face. "Miss Anderson almost died because of you."Ignoring him, Andrei pulled out his phone and called Holly. "Milaya," he said when she picked up. "Where are you? You sound so close.""I'm outside your room, but your guard dogs won't let me in.""Let me talk to them," she said and hung up. A moment later, Eric's phone rang. He picked up Holly's call and let Andrei through without saying a word.Holly's face lit up like a Christmas tree when Andrei stepped inside. She shoved her bed covers aside and sprung to her feet. But the pain in her knee sent her crashing back on the bed, and she howled in agony.Andrei was at her side in a heartbeat, asking as he cradled her in his arms, "Wha
Reckless Hearts 117|The Real Deal
Andrei was in Forrest Creek just as the sun dipped in the horizon, catching Helga as she was about to knock off. "Your dinner's in the microwave," she told him as she gathered her stuff. "And don't forget I'm not in for the rest of the week. My daughter—" "Thanks, Helga." Andrei smiled at her and saw her off, telling her to enjoy her time off with her new grandkid. With just under an hour before visiting hours, Andrei dashed upstairs to freshen up, scoffing down his dinner while getting dressed. When he was done, he called Monique to confirm the chopper was ready to pick up his twin from Poolsmoor prison bright and early tomorrow. "I thought prisons had strict rules about this sort of thing," said Monique, sounding as exhausted as Andrei felt. "And I thought I paid you enough to know when something is not your business, Monique!" Andrei retorted and promptly hung up on her. She was right, though. Prisons had strict protocols in place when it came to prisoner transfers. But Andrei
Reckless Hearts 116|Fought A Thousand Battles
"What is this about now, Papa?" Andrei asked. "Sit!" Nikolai pointed at the armchair while he made himself comfortable behind his desk. "I'll get Pavel to bring in some refreshments, and since you're here, maybe you can stay for supper?" "No thanks," Andrei declined the seat, drink and meal, explaining he had to take Ivan to the airport. "Where's he flying to?" asked Nikolai, resting his hands on the surface of his desk. "Botswana," Andrei replied, but didn't offer any more information, and he was glad when his father didn't press for details. "Your brother's transfer is happening tomorrow?" Nikolai's statement sounded more like an accusation than a question, and Andrei wasn't sure how to respond. Nikolai took the decision out of his hands when he went for the offensive, accusing Andrei of keeping him in the dark. "Why did I have to hear from your assistant that your twin is coming home?" "Maybe if you had answered Leks' calls, you wouldn't have had to hear it from Monique.
Reckless Hearts 115|Shone as brightly
"Give me five minutes," Andrei said when they pulled into the horseshoe driveway and parked close to the front door a little while later. "You'd better hurry up. I have a flight to catch," Ivan retorted, reminding him about his trip to Botswana. The team of four guys he'd assembled to bring Sienna in were already on their way to the airport. "Yes, sir!" Andrei called over his shoulder, giving his lieutenant a mock salute as he ran up the front steps. The housekeeping staff were taken aback when he stepped into the lavish foyer and found them polishing the bannisters of the grand double staircase. "Mr Ivanov, we weren't expecting you." "I know!" Andrei replied. He never made unplanned stops. And if it weren't for his father's insistence to have a home-cooked meal with him at least once a week, he wouldn't even bother coming by. The place had stopped feeling like a home long before his mom died. "What can we do for you, sir?" The two ladies asked, ready to be of service, as they
Reckless Hearts 114|Like A Pendulum
"First time?" asked Thabo, Lev's mortuary technician friend. His brilliantly white teeth, as he smiled at Andrei, were a stark contrast to his smooth mahogany skin. "Hardly," Andrei replied and quickly shut his mouth, afraid if he didn't, the unbearably warm stench would creep into him and taint every inch of his soul. They passed several closed doors as Thabo led them down an endless corridor. He candidly explained that the air-conditioning system was out of order, hence the humidity and smell. "We logged it two days ago, but they have yet to send the technicians to fix it. I guess no one cares about the material comforts of the dead," he said, taking them deeper into the bowels of the morgue. Just when Andrei began to think the man had no idea where they were going, Thabo abruptly stopped in front of a cavernous room whose metal doors were wide open, like a gaping mouth. "There they are," he said, pointing at several bodies lying on cadaver carriers. "Why are they out in the o
Reckless Hearts 113|Seen And Smelled Death
"I was surprised you went with orchids," said Diane, the beaded strands tinkling softly as she pushed the curtain back in place and returned to her workstation."Aesthetically wise, I would have gone with roses," she added, setting the potted plant on the table. "Anything but roses!" Andrei murmured, running his fingers on the tips of pink tulips peeking out from an elaborate arrangement on the counter beside the cash register."But I like the symbolism behind orchids," she continued, as if Andrei hadn't spoken. Her hands moved deftly as she got down to work and performed magic with the Spanish moss, curly willow vines and some clippers. "Did you know that orchids were associated with virility in ancient Greece? In fact, Greek women believed that if the father of their unborn child consumed large, new orchid tubers, the baby would be a boy. If the mother ate small orchid tubers, she would give birth to a girl."Andrei didn't know this, of course. He'd chosen orchids for their enduran
Reckless Hearts 112|Vaguely of Sympathy, Jaded Dreams and Romance
A fleshy bud of dark, wilting petals peeked at Andrei amidst the jagged pieces of broken glass. He picked it up, twirling the thin, broken stem between his thumb and forefinger as he scanned the street for a nearby florist shop. When he found none, the coldness in his veins steadily turned to ice. Troubled, he carefully wrapped the withered bulb with his silk handkerchief and stuffed it in the inner breast pocket of his tailored cashmere coat before returning to the car, unable to shake off the unsettling feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. "Lev called," Ivan announced as he watched Andrei buckle up. "He wants us to meet him at the morgue." Andrei glanced at his Cartier and nodded. The next slot for visiting hours at Glen Eagles Mediclinic, where Holly was being kept overnight for observation, was at 7:00 PM. There was still plenty of time before then. "Let's do it," he said, texting Austin, urging him to meet him at Crush around 10:00 PM. After a flurry of back-a
