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32|Intervention
Huling Na-update:
2024-12-10 05:15:46
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Reckless Hearts 33|Out Of Character
"Great! Just great!" Liam shook his head at Willow, glaring at her. "This is not the right way to approach an intervention! Linda said we should ease her into it!" "Whoa!" Holly shrieked, bursting into horrified laughter as she sprung from her seat, pain racking her body at the abrupt movement. "Who exactly asked for this intervention?" Sure, she'd gone on a bender two nights ago, ended up in Andrei's bed and kissed Cooper in full view of the paparazzi. But they were all minor incidents. Nothing as scandalous as half the shit Willow had done. Like that one time she lied to everyone about holidaying in Clifton Bay when, in fact, she was in Belize at some nudist beach with an oil tycoon twice her age she'd met on Hot Connexions, and whose only saving grace, in Holly's humble opinion, was his bank balance— "Oh, you poor thing, come here!" Willow opened her arms again. But Holly pushed her away. As close as they were, she didn't want her coddling, especially when Willow had just admitt
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10Reckless 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,
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10Reckless 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
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10Reckless 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
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-10Reckless 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'
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-19Reckless 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
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-19Reckless 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
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-19Reckless 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
Huling Na-update : 2024-12-19
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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
Reckless Hearts 111|Sliver Of Light
Long after the police vans and emergency services vehicles were gone and the news cameras had stopped rolling, Church Street was back to normal. Well, as normal as it would ever be after all the horror it had seen. Of course, some shops were closed, including the luxury car dealership Holly's Porsche had crashed into. There was no way they would have stayed open after all the mayhem. But for other establishments, it was business as usual. People went about their day. Life carried on uninterrupted, like it was any other regular Tuesday, and a bloody cartel war was an everyday occurrence. "You wanted to see the place. You've seen it. I think it's time to go," said Ivan, the walls of the car trembling when he turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life. "Not yet," Andrei stopped him, touching his arm briefly before exiting the car. "For fuck's sake, Boss, you can't do that!" Ivan yelled as he ran after Andrei when he lifted the police tape and approached the cri
Reckless Hearts 110|Biggest Mistake
Without waiting for an invitation, Cooper shut the door with his foot and crossed the room. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Clifton Bay?" Holly croaked, hating how thin and terrified her voice sounded as she watched him place the roses on the nightstand."With this?" Cooper waved his bandaged hand, pulling out his victim card. "I would be if your Russian sociopath lover hadn't maimed me. But that's neither here nor there. How are you holding up?"Without waiting for her to respond, he continued, nonchalant as ever, like they were still on good terms, "I saw the news, and I had to come and see you." When he leaned over and tried to kiss Holly on her forehead, she shrunk away from him and fumbled for the emergency button.Cooper swiftly ripped it from her hands, wagging his finger at her. "Really, Holly, you disappoint me. I thought we were good. I mean, you dropped the protection order—""Because you forced me to!" Holly snapped."No, you wanted to protect your Russian
Reckless Hearts 109|Delayed Dreams
"Please don't be mad at him," Holly said, trying to salvage Liam's friendship with Levi. "I asked him not to tell you anything because I didn't want to worry you.""Bullshit!" Liam snarled, pointing accusingly at Holly. "You asked him to keep his mouth shut to protect Andrei!"Holly had no defence and no comeback because Liam was spot on."How did you get the video?" she asked, her brain struggling to process the dumpster fire she was in. "Colleen sent it to me," Willow replied, her voice barely a whisper. "She thought it would help crack the case. You know, uncover the identities of the masked men who took you guys hostage—""We weren't taken hostage," Holly clarified, but Liam hushed her up, growling at her to stop focusing on the small details."Do you have any idea the world of trouble you're in?" He thundered at her as he approached the bed, ready to throttle her. But Willow held him back just when Holly thought he'd take her in his arms and shake her like a rag doll. "I told yo
Reckless Hearts 108|The Whole Truth
Holly was taken into the emergency room as soon as they arrived at the Mediclinic in Glen Eagles, and after an hour or so of checkups and tests, she was given a clean bill of health. But the attending doctor—a young woman fresh out of medical school, with a sincere smile and all her textbook knowledge still crammed in her brain—insisted on keeping her overnight at the hospital just to make sure she didn't have a concussion. "All your tests are looking good. But I must warn you, whiplash, especially after a car crash like the one you were involved in, is normal. We'll give you something for the pain–" Holly zoned out after the part about the whiplash, the white-hot pain searing her knee spreading throughout her entire body like wildfire. "An absolute miracle, I tell you," said the doctor, squeezing Holly's hand before exiting the room with Liam. Two nurses strolled in then and wheeled Holly to a private room on the second floor. When she complained about her knee, even after they g
Reckless Hearts 107|Brush With Death
"Miss Anderson," said the head of security, hugging Holly briefly. "We were so worried about you. I'm sorry it took us so long to get to you. Traffic is backed up to the bridge, and some roads have been closed off." "James, it's okay," Holly said with a smile. "I'm fine." "No, you're not," said Liam, calling her out on her lie as he drew her away from James, only to wrap his arms around her tightly. "Goodness, Holly! Do you know how terrified I was when I got the emergency alert?" "What emergency alert?" Holly asked, a slight frown creasing her forehead as she stared at Liam. "The one you sent." "I didn't send you anything." "Well, I got a text telling me you were involved in a car crash." That explains it, Holly thought, as she squeezed him back, vaguely remembering her Apple watch vibrating like crazy earlier. It wasn't Eric's fault, but her own, for adding Liam as one of her emergency contacts. He wouldn't be here if she hadn't, and she wouldn't have to face a Spanish Inqui
