I went through the schedule Roman had given me quite a few times, trying to commit to memory or, in this case, mentally preparing myself for the days I would have to spend by his side.It was easy to converse with him when either Trenton or Greece was present, I could pretend for a few minutes that he was not the same man who saw me as a loose woman without morals. Part of the reason why I kept my recent visits to Vincent a secret, though I knew deep down that there was no need to.Why didn't I want to face him?What was truly scaring me?I honestly had no answer to those questions, all I knew was that it was becoming increasingly to ignore him.It has only been three days since the opening of the department store and what I thought would be a good opportunity to get closer to the man became a disaster. Especially now, when he is always in a bad mood and locked up in his study.I didn't want to notice, but I did.He hasn't left his study except to eat and sometimes, he rejects his food
“Did you need something?” I found myself tongue tied as I watched the man, his hair was still wry from his shower. His shirt slightly soaked, clung to his muscular body like skin and black sweatpants that hing low on his waist. I could see his biceps bulging from the slightest movements and as much as I'd hate to admit it, my throat went dry and I found my eyes lingering longer than it should have been. “Amelia?” “Huh?” I blinked myself back to reality, dragging my eyes from the outline of his pecks and meeting his blue eyes. “I…um, no,” I shook my head, then remembered the reason for coming in and then nodded like a lizard who was rather confused. His brows furrowed, but he didn't say a word. Instead he waited silently for me to continue and I could help but notice that he had a different feel about him, from his stance, to the tick in his jaw that signified impatience. Was something wrong? His eyes looked alert but the dark circles beneath then were obvious,
King's Restaurant has been around for years, I knew that because my mother used to take me when I was younger. Back then it wasn't for only people who had fat wallets, it was called King's diner and they had the best burgers. Not now though. In the past five years they seemed to have trademarked and expanded, turning it into a five-star restaurant. It was beautiful, but still in the same spot, just bigger and more luxurious. Talk about losing yourself after fame and riches. They didn't even have the side swing they used to. Roman and I stepped down from the car and he had gone back to being his cold self with a confusing emotion in his eyes. I pretended not to notice, rather trying to compose myself enough to face the coming meeting. The server at the entrance stopped us before we could go any further, asking us if we had any reservations. The man was rude, holding out his hand and sneering at us like we were enemies. “No reservations, no entry,” The ma
I watched as the older couple approached our table, their eyes lighting up with recognition as they spotted us. The man, Mr. Kevin, was tall and distinguished-looking, with salt-and-pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His wife, to my surprise, was dressed casually in dark blue jeans and a simple white t-shirt, her face warm and friendly, she loooked to be in her late thirties, I had an idea I was way off. There was an obvious age-gap between she and her husband. Unlike the other people in Roman's life I've met, she was a breath of fresh air. As they reached us, I stood up, offering them a welcoming smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Kevin, it's wonderful to meet you both," I said, extending my hand. Mr. Kevin took my hand, his grip firm and a slow stiff smile stretched his lips. "Mrs. Wellington, it's an honor to finally meet you," he said, his voice deep and polite. "Please, allow me to introduce my wife, Sarah," He gestured to his wife. Her beautiful brown eyes met mine and her smil
She was fucking everywhere, almost like anytime a semblance of something seemed to bloom between Roman and I, she would always be there to interrupt it, to make him go so stiff beside me that I would suspect he's having a stroke. His arms immediately left my body, like a child caught holding on to a stolen toy and unlike the many times when he'd done it to me, this time it stung, bad. I didn't move away, I didn't give them the space to speak as I usually would, instead I stood there with a married gaze, waiting as Bertha approached us. She stopped when she was only a few steps away, her prefect hair fell down to her shoulders in silky waves, her pink lips were pursed into what seemed to be either a smile or a sneer. Still, I stood. “Hi,” She said, giving an awkward wave. One which Roman didn't return. “Bertha,” He called out instead, his voice thick with emotion and quite frankly, it hurt to stand there, I wasn't sure why. It was definitely that part of me that
JESSICAI watched the clocks in my bedroom tick by, their synchronized sounds like music to my ears, it brought back memories both the ones I wished to relive and forget. “I'm bored,” I said to no one in particular, staring up at the ceiling like a lost fool in search direction. Maybe I was, maybe that was why I was so eager to go on this vacation with Amelia. So I could finally have a breather from the weight of everything and everyone. I've been a doctor before I even had the chance to decide what I wanted for myself and now, after close to fifteen long years of studying to become one…I have a whole month off. A whole fucking month! And who better to spend it with, than my only true friend Amelia. Sometimes I wondered if she needed the break more than I did. The woman never did seem to catch a break. This would be good for us, that I was certain of. I turned to look at my already packed bags and a smile stretched my lips, child-like excitement blooming in my chest.
The incessant beeping of my alarm clock jolted me awake at an ungodly hour. I groaned, fumbling to silence the irritating noise. As consciousness slowly seeped in, I remembered why I'd set it so early. California. The trip. Roman. Ugh. My phone lit up with a new message from Amelia. "Hey Jess, slight change of plans. Roman might be delayed. I'll meet you at the hotel. Sorry!" I stared at the screen, irritation bubbling up inside me. Of course he'd be delayed. Why did I expect anything different from that man? "No worries," I typed back, though my clenched jaw said otherwise. "See you there." Grumbling to myself, I dragged my suitcase to the waiting Uber. The streets were eerily quiet as we drove to the airport, the city still slumbering. Part of me wished I was back in bed too, but a bigger part was excited for this getaway – even if it now included an unwanted addition. The airport was bustling with early morning activity. I checked in, went through security, and found
AMELIA“Is that really all you're carrying?” I looked down at the simple backpack Roman had packed for a two week stay, it was barely enough to contain anything. He nodded, zipping it close, his arm's muscles flexing from the small action. He wore a T-shirt that hugged his chest and his abs like s second skin, then he wore jeans…fucking jeans. When was the last time I saw the man in anything other than a suit and tie? He looked good in everything. Dressing casual made him look rather boyish, that serious air that constantly surrounded him seemed to ease slowly, even more when Colson had come over to take the last of the files. He was left in charge for the next two weeks. Riman surprised me by making such a decision, I was even more surprised by the fact that Jessica agreed for him to come with. “Well then, put it up there, or do you need help?” I raised a brow in question. We were already seated in the plane, Roman booked business class for some reason and now we were
Hi! Its me Dchenemi but you already know that lol. I want to thank you for sticking with this book this far and answer a few questions. Firstly O would like to apologize for the lack of updates, I have ongoing exams and I'm unable to focus on writing while the pressure of getting good grades are breathing down on my neck ahah.Secondly, this arc of the book will be over and after that there'll be one last arc to round up everything and then The Forgotten Marriage will be done and Roman and Amelia's story will give way to other books in the Volkov's Series. Thirdly, daily updates will resume first of February without fail and I promise to give you a satisfying ending. Lastly, thank you for sticking around and coming this far, I hope you have a great week ahead and I'll see you in February. Best, Dchenemi. P.S. You can find me on FB @Divine Chenemi to learn more about the upcoming series or get a sneak peek at oncoming chapters or if you have suggestions or anything you wish to ta
AMELIA My mother had always told me I was destined for great things, and at some point in my life, I thought it was being a well-established painter or perhaps a tycoon like she wished to be. But now I realized what she truly meant. No matter how much she had tried to escape it, her past still caught up with her. Just like my grandfather had said, one could not fully leave such a life except through death, and now... I had become one of them. Due to the things I had said and done behind Isabella's back, she had sent me into those rooms to be abused by those men, but what I came out with was power—one that I couldn't ever tell Roman about. The things I had said... and done, just to convince those men... "Amelia, how could you do such a thing without consulting me?!" Alexander whisper-yelled. He stood a few steps away from me, practically trembling from the shock and rage of what I had just told him. I interlocked my fingers and let out a soft sigh, not fazed one bit by his agitatio
AMELIAI cried myself back to sleep, my body was far too exhausted to do anything else. When I came to, Roman wasn't in the bedroom with me. Our bedroom. I was back home. It felt surreal seeing the familiar walls, the sheets, the scents. Everything made my eyes prickle with tears and the irony wasn't lost on me. Not too long ago I had wished to be out of here for good with no reason to return yet, here I was…happy to be back within three walls. My limbs felt heavy, like they didn't belong to me and my head felt like it wasn't a part of my body. I still felt out of it…a strange feeling that spread to my chest. Like I was out of place, like I didn't belong. For some reason, I half expected Marcus would open that door and walk in, sit right next to me and continue the torture I've been in for the past two weeks. It was possible. What did Roman do with him? I sat up slowly, my whole body groaning in protest. My vision spun and it took a few seconds for me to get my head in order.
AMELIAA FEW DAYS LATER… Isabella had kept her word. After the meeting with Mr. Rossi and a few others who Isabella failed to mention, she didn't send me back to the building I was locked up in. She gave me two flight tickets and told me to make a choice, one sent me back home and the other…was to Sicily. To the heart of all our family's operations. She gave me a choice, once she knew would make my mind heavy with thoughts. An opportunity at power. But I already had my own plans…one I intended to execute once I was out of her grasp. I was supposed to be boarding a plane going back home before Marcus got to me, probably angry that Isabella didn't keep her end of whatever it was their bargain was. I suspected it was me. I barely remembered what happened after that, I was pumped full of whatever it was Marcus spent the last few days injecting me with. I could barely keep my eyes open, I couldn't walk and my thoughts were muddled even as panic gripped me. Fear that I had been doub
AMELIAOver a week had passed since I'd first woken in this goddamn bedroom, though time had begun to lose all meaning. The hope I'd initially clung to – that Roman would find me, that someone would notice my absence and come to my rescue – had slowly withered away like flowers left too long without water. I'd spent countless hours staring out at the skyline, watching the sun rise and set over ancient buildings that had witnessed centuries of human suffering. Now they were witnessing mine.My heart ached each time I saw people pass by, moving freely without knowing just how grateful they should be that they could. Marcus hadn't kissed a day of his visits, his constant torture and each day that passed brought me closer to the day he would finally act on his obvious urges that he's been talking about. He's going to start hurting me, not just mentally but physically. The got of it alone got him off. I'd seen him massage his dick a few times with his eyes on me, fantasizing of a day
ROMAN The mining complex loomed before us in the early morning light, a hulking mass of concrete and rusted metal that seemed to devour the shadows around it. I crouched behind a piece of machinery, my body coiled tight with anticipation as I watched the guards make their rounds through my scope. "Three on the perimeter, two at each entrance," Nikolai's voice came through my earpiece, soft but crystal clear. Even from his position in the command vehicle half a mile away, he somehow knew exactly what was happening. "They're rotating every fifteen minutes, clockwork precision. Military training, just like our informant said." "How many inside?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Heat signatures show twelve moving bodies on the main level, four in the lower sections." There was a pause, then, "One signature in the deepest part of the complex. Isolated. That's her, Roman." My fingers tightened on my rifle. "You're sure?" "The body temperature is slightly elevated, consistent
ROMAN My finger tightened instinctively on the trigger as I studied my cousin, but something in his relaxed posture made me hesitate. He moved with an uncanny grace as he stepped closer, his cane barely touching the ground, more an accessory than a necessity. When he removed his sunglasses, I understood why – behind them, white orbs stared unseeingly ahead, yet somehow I felt more seen than I had in years. "The great Roman Volkov," Nikolai mused, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Always so quick to reach for your weapon. Some things never change, cousin." He moved past me with the confidence of someone who could see every obstacle, his cane making soft taps against the marble floor. "Though I must say, your taste in interior design has improved significantly." He spoke like we were close, but I'd only met the man once when I was younger…two years younger than me, a strange child that had no innocence left in him. There was an attack that left both his eyes damaged beyond repai
ROMAN FOUR DAYS AGO… The sketch in my hand trembled as realization crashed over me like a wave of ice water. Those familiar features, that seemingly warm smile that had never quite reached his eyes – Vincent. Pierce! Our fucking neighbor?! The man who had wormed his way into our lives after her accident despite being our neighbor for years. He got so close to Amelia…the way he looked at her, the way he tried to get closer every fucking time. How could I have been so blind? How could I have been so stupid?! My grip tightened until the paper crumpled between my fingers, fury coursing through my veins like molten lead. "Dimitri," I barked, my voice cutting through the tension-filled air of the cabin. "Watch her. If she so much as breathes wrong, handle it." My eyes locked onto Bertha's terrified face, watching as the blood drained from her cheeks. "You helped him get close to my wife again. Remember that when you're lying awake tonight." I rose to my feet, “For every scratc
AMELIAFive days. One hundred and twenty hours of being trapped in this prison, each minute stretching into an eternity of helpless desperation. The room, with its elegant Italian furniture and sweeping views of Rome, had become my personal hell. They had taken off the covers from the furniture, told me it was once my mother's bedroom. I was in Guerrero manor, a family house in a fucking skyscraper. The highest room, a place my mother probably sought solace and now it was my cell. I'd tried every door, every window, even searched for hidden passages like some character in a gothic novel, but found nothing. The doors were sealed tight, the windows reinforced with something that wouldn't break no matter how hard I struck them. Even the beautiful crystal vase I'd hurled in desperation had merely bounced off, leaving not so much as a scratch.From my perch high above the city, I watched life continue below with a sense of surreal detachment. People moved through the streets like tiny d