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40: Once a liar (I)
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Camilla watched the time on her phone like a hawk. They had fallen into a routine she wasn’t ashamed to admit she loved. Their days always started with training, except on the Sundays they had to be in church for morning mass. Reading always came later in the day. But she hadn’t seen her husband since the morning training session of today.
Would it be weird to say she missed him?
Whatever the case, she was counting down the minutes until he showed up to read for her. But seconds rolled into minutes with no sign of her husband. His number was on her phone already, so she sent him a text.
Both of them were delivered but unread. Camilla waited a few more minutes before stepping out of the room. Someone was walking past the door, and she almost bumped into them. She stepped back right in time, muttering her sincere apologies.
“Camilla?”
Her head jerked up. “Vanya.”
A mix of emotio
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Alek’s eyes were hooded, and his fists clenched. Camilla thought nothing of it as she went to hug him. She might not admit it out loud to any of the brothers, but she had missed her husband. In this scary place, he was the only familiar face. Doris, too. But she didn’t like summoning the housekeeper just like that.“Hey, honey, your brother is so cool,” she said, patting Alek’s cheek and smiling.Alek didn’t say a word. Vanya cleared his throat, and she looked at him with a smile.He offered Alek a curt nod, turning to her to say, “It was nice talking to you, Cam.”“You too, Van. Later?”Vanya stretched his hand for a handshake, but Camilla swatted it and hugged him. He left, leaving her alone with a quiet Alek.Placing a hand on her waist, Camilla asked, “Why were you rude to your brother?”“He’s not my brother.&rdq
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 42: You sad
Storming to the bed, Camilla moved to her side and crawled in. The comforter was with her. When the lights went off, she expected Alek to reach for it or crash the barrier like he did on the first day, but none of that happened. Sleep finally pulled her under. When she woke up, the barrier was still between them.Camilla got out of bed and saw Alek’s side was empty. They were supposed to train together. He couldn’t have left without her, right? Her husband couldn’t be that petty. The bathroom door opened, and Alek stepped out. Water rolled down his face, dotting the front of his chest. She gulped.“There’s no training today,” he muttered.“Why?” Camilla asked. Alek continued to the closet and pulled out his training vest. They had never cancelled trainings except that one time and on Sundays because they had to attend morning mass. “Why, Alek?”He was dressed in his tearing gear. She was ce
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 43: I. Don’t. Care.
Kira glared. Camilla smiled. She wanted whatever role Kira was taking, so she could shut the troll up once and for all. Navark finished the introduction, and murmurs broke through. She was shocked that some of them recognised her. Navark paired her with Kira, forcing Camilla to share the same bench and script with her archenemy.“We are undecided what sister Kira will be,” Navark said. “Read through, and we will see where you fit. Both sisters get enough spotlight, so don’t worry about that.”Murmurs rented the air. Moments later, it was quiet as people studied their lines. They were on a break when Kira dignified her with a look. Camilla tried to ignore her.“Are you coming to the party?”“What party?” she asked.“Mak’s club opening. De Luxe.” Camilla didn’t know about any party until now, but she maintained her composure.&ld
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 44: Wife
Maksim had no idea what he was doing anymore. He was still pissed, but he couldn’t understand it. Seeing Camilla be so free with Vanya had twisted something dark and vengeful inside him. He didn’t forgive her for giving another man the liberty of calling her by a name he thought was reserved for only him. For laughing with Vanya or even daring to hug him. All of that while he watched them, his initial excitement about getting her to do what she claimed to miss so much dying so slowly.Her breakdown in his office, and the silent treatment showed he had gone too far with his anger, but why should he care? She called him miserable. That was what vile people did. They hurt others, so he was following her script. His eyes flicked to the screen where her last movie was playing.Common interest his foot.Maksim was watching movies she starred in, so Vanya wouldn’t use it as an excuse to distract her. His gaze lowered to the so-called
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 45: De Luxe
Maksim could play the part of a happy husband. Oh, he would play it so well his stubborn wife would have a rethink. It was an hour to the ribbon cutting ceremony. He had to be there earlier to make sure it all went right. If at all he was nervous about tonight, it was at having Mila, Camilla, and Kira in the same venue. From the live feed of the club, things were running smoothly.No guns. No knives. No weapons. Maksim wanted a club where everyone from rival mafias could come and be fully relaxed. The success of tonight’s ceremony would determine if that worked. He shut down his laptop and grabbed his phone. No message.Doris was supposed to text him when she was done helping Camilla to dress up. He didn’t understand why it was taking that long, but the housekeeper kicked him out of the room an hour ago. He pocketed the phone and traipsed to their bedroom. A happy husband would wait while his wife dolled herself up. It was time for him to practise that befo
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 46: I love her
Camilla was at the casino when Maksim finally found her. That tightness in his chest waned on seeing his wife was fine, even if amid a gambling crowd. Hiding in the darkness to watch them, he groaned when someone stopped in front of him.Mila Fucking Petrov.He dismissed the Petrov daughters as soon as he could, but here she was. What did she want? She didn’t want the marriage as well. Camilla did both of them a favour, even if Mila’s father might think otherwise.“Hey,” Mila said, touching her platinum blonde hair. Her green eyes might have bewitched other men, but Maksim had never seen her as anything more than a means to an end. “We didn’t get a chance to talk or say hi to your wife. She’s pretty.”“Is that really why you are here?” Maksim grunted. Mila blushed, her gaze lowering. How could he have spent the rest of his life with this woman? Her shyness annoyed him. At least Ca
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 47: Jealous man
Adrenaline pumped through Camilla’s veins. She had never been one to fight or launch the first hit, but tonight, she had quickly found out why some people fought. It was exhilarating. Freeing. Refreshing.Her cheeks stung from the few times Kira scratched her, but it was a mark she would wear proudly. Alek was quiet beside her, his arm tight around her waist. There were a lot of things she wanted to say to him, but since she had already ruined his opening ceremony by fighting, she stayed mute. It wasn’t enough that he invited those women here. One of them had to come after him.They reached the car. Before he opened her door, she turned to say, “Look, it’s not my—”“Shh,” Alek whispered. “You’re hurt.” His knuckles ran under her scratches, and she winced. “We will get you cleaned up.”Opening the door, he let her inside first and followed behind. In the absence of pe
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 48: Bleeding (I)
A scream woke Camilla up. She blinked slowly at the person in front of her. Doris had a hand over her mouth and the other pointed at the bed. Camilla tried to sit up, but the stickiness between her legs made her reconsider the decision. The cover was already off, so she saw the bloodstains on the bed. A scream tore out of her throat.She was bleeding. She. Was. Bleeding.Doris jumped on the bed to hold her until she calmed down. “Oh, Madam Camilla.” She placed a hand on Camilla’s flat belly. “The baby. This is bad. This is really bad.”Her words snapped Camilla back to reality. There was no baby. But the cramps, mood swings, odd bloating, and nausea. Oh God. Her period was finally here. She tried to tell Doris this, but her stomach knotted and she clutched it as pain spread through her.The housekeeper shot out of the bed, her head shaking softly. Racing to the door, she stopped to say, “I go call Mr M
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Camilla froze. Her heart raced shamelessly, and emotions she thought herself no longer capable of feeling flooded her. This was their first meeting since he dropped her at KJ’s house. She should pry his hand off her, scold him, or leave. But she did none of those things. It had been months.God, she missed her husband so much. So fucking much it was hard to fully express the loss without breaking down in tears.“Alek.”“Cam.”Camilla’s hand dropped over Alek’s, and she knew the feeling was mutual. He missed her too. If not, he wouldn’t be here with flowers. Or here at all. Her tea was getting cold, but she didn’t care. The shop was empty, so she didn’t have to hide or pretend. She wanted her husband here.Operations didn’t start until 5. So she liked to have an hour of silent reading before the hustle. But she didn’t mind sharing her solitude with Alek. He was the only one worthy of shar
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 122: Epilogue (I)
The alarm on Maksim’s phone went off at exactly 3:45 pm. He shot to his feet and grabbed the bouquet of sunflowers on his desk. Outside the store, people went about their daily activities. But it was only a matter of time until his wife showed up.His wife.Maksim had never thought of Camilla as anything but that, though they had been separated for months. She hadn’t changed her mind about their ending. Not as if he had asked her. He lacked the courage to do that, so he had resorted to stalking her.That was how he knew her routine. That she would walk past this store and head to the coffee shop ahead of it in ten minutes. The man in charge of the shop would be late, but Camilla would wait. And when he finally arrived, he would apologise for coming late. It was the same routine over and over again with her. But with each day, she had grown less skittish and read more books.He couldn’t say if she still read romance, but she read a lot more now.
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 121: Our cliff (II)
“Safe. Sonia and the rest of the girls and women we found have been taken care of.” Maksim knew the man wanted something more, so he waited. Antony didn’t disappoint him by saying, “Some of our guys aren’t so happy Oleg had to die the way he did. So here’s what we will do—” “No deal,” Maksim interrupted. Antony chuckled, a hand going over his belly. “You haven’t heard me out.” He said nothing, and the other man added, “I’m guessing you don’t want to see this Sonia. I’m as curious as you probably are. Is that her real name? Why do you look so much like her? Why did Oleg keep her in such a place after she birthed the heir to his throne?” “What do you want?” “Nothing. For now,” Antony added. “But soon, we might need your help. If you agree, I’ll let you know where Sonia is.” Maksim dropped the file on the bench. It was still open, so he gazed longingly at the picture. He had lost Camilla and Doris, could he lose his mother? How was he certain it was her? His he
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 120: Our cliff (I)
The living room was quiet. Maksim and Christian sat on the floor. A few times, he glanced at the phone in his hand, expecting it to light up with his wife’s name. Things had progressed from bad to worse since the day she overheard his conversation with Vanya. Before that day she was only giving short replies, but now? She said nothing. A few people around him had suggested a change of location to help her mood, so now they were camped in Christian’s other apartment. It was located Nightfall Hills. But Camilla hadn’t reacted to the move, not even Doris’ appearance. He brought the housekeeper to cheer her up. Their relationship had improved. He wasn’t sure if those two spoke. But whenever he was around them, both women were always quiet. “What do you keep looking at?” Christian asked, snatching his phone from him. Maksim shrugged. His head fell back to the couch he was propped against. He wished for so many things he would never have. “She’s leaving me.” “How
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 119: Their home
Camilla was still asleep when Maksim left the room. There was a smile on his lips as he stepped out. He had to arrange pillows in a long line so she wouldn’t know he was gone. Christian called as he got into his car. At first, they had agreed for his wife to move to Nightfall Hills. A change of location, as was suggested by everyone and also get her closer to her family. With his enemies dead, she wouldn’t have to worry about her safety. But he wanted her to go home when she felt better, close to the version of herself he took months ago.The call lasted seconds. They would visit his friend but might end up not staying. He would have to ask her first. As he got closer to his destination, he pulled out his phone to call Ivan. Camilla was slowly getting better, and he needed to check on her. He had never left the house without informing her first, but he hadn’t wanted to wake her up this morning. She looked cute. He also had Ivan at home for emergencies.A
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 118: Babe
Alek was taking too long to get out of the bathroom. Camilla patted her foot on the floor. She had the option of knocking, but he would demand her voice. Talking still felt strange. While in captivity, she had gotten used to the silence. Her voice didn’t save her when those men had her on the floor. She had begged them to let her go, but…But what?A mental block paused her thoughts. The memories after that were too fuzzy. A blank wall she couldn’t get past. Something bad had happened. That was for sure, even if she didn’t know what it was now. The only person’s touch she could tolerate was Alek’s. Even Doris’ doleful eyes couldn’t get her to allow more body contact. Her body was revolting against something her brain and mind was stopping her from remembering.The baby was gone. Their baby. Alek hadn’t blamed her. He didn’t even mention it. That was supposed to be the surprise. The final addition to their ha
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 117: Progress
They could get another baby. If not this year, then next. The most important thing was Maksim had his wife back. Even if she had becoming unbearably quiet. Camilla was awake now. He could tell from how she pulled the cover over her shoulders.Maksim had tugged it down at night to hug her while she whimpered in her sleep. There was no conclusion on the rape. The tests for STIs had also come up negative. Dr Igor mentioned the absence of semen, but according to him, that could also be because of how long ago the assault happened. For now, they couldn’t conclude on if she had or hadn’t been molested. Only Camilla could answer that question for him.The blood was from losing their baby. A baby he couldn’t protect. Maksim stood by the bedside table, his hands fisted at his sides as he stared at the woman on the bed. She looked like his wife, but she wasn’t. She was someone else. A broken version. Her back was turned to him, and in his hand, he held a roma
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 116: For true evil
Couldn’t the car possibly go faster? Left to Maksim, he would have swam across the river, but that would have been a stupid move. How would he carry Camilla after finding her? Now he was in a car with Ivan behind the wheels. His driver had arrived while he was talking to the men.After today’s display at the house, he was sure no one would question his authority for a long time. Before their fear of him fully dissipated to be replaced by respect, he would fish out every single one that had partaken in Camilla’s disappearance and eliminate them from this earth. If that was the only thing he would do as a Grand Sinner, he was completely fine with that.Maksim had never thought of himself as good, even the time with Camilla hadn’t changed that view he had of himself. But the incident of this morning had revealed he had the capacity for more. For true evil.The car slowed as they reached a lonely path. The road was rocky. Trees lined each side of t
The Mafia’s Temporary Bride 115: Baby (II)
If Maksim wasn’t going to listen to Doris at all, the use of his full name had grabbed his attention. She had never called him that. That being said, she stormed out of his sight. Baby? Camilla was pregnant? She wasn’t one to keep secrets from him. Not ones as huge as this. Think, Mak. Think.Wait. She promised to give him a surprise when they reunited. Was that it? No. No!Rage penetrated Maksim’s frame. On his feet, he went to their room. All plans to wait for Dmitri’s reveal dissipated into thin air as the housekeeper’s words danced in his head.Baby.Their baby.He lied to her.He promised to protect her, and he didn’t.In their room, Maksim grabbed two guns and attached silencers to them. For every of Papa’s man he met on the way to his office, he put a bullet in the centre of their forehead. Bodies fell around him. He had the element of surprise and silence for the attack. By the time he arrived at Pa
