***Anastasia awoke with a rare sense of comfort. Her sleep last night had been deep and peaceful, as if all the nightmares that usually haunted her had vanished. She stretched lightly on her bed, pulling the covers up to her shoulders.As she started to get up, her gaze suddenly landed on the figure next to her. She froze for a moment and held her breath. Maximilian. He was lying next to her, sleeping peacefully, as if he were part of her softest dream. Immediately, the memories of the previous night flooded back into her mind. Anastasia remembered herself trembling with fear, crying in Maximilian's arms. And even more, she remembered begging him not to leave, to stay by her side."Foolish Anastasia," she murmured, lightly tapping her own forehead. She shook her head, slightly embarrassed as she remembered how vulnerable she had been in front of Maximilian.But despite her embarrassment, a warmth spread through her chest as she looked at his face so close to hers. Maximilian's face,
***At the Kingsley family's main residence..."Why did Maximilian suddenly cancel the family dinner? This is very unusual; he's never broken a promise before," Selene murmured.Selene sat gracefully on the elegant sofa in the living room, her delicate hands holding a cup of tea. Her thoughts were confused. Tonight was supposed to be important. Maximilian, her son, had promised to attend the family dinner. More than that, her long-absent husband was finally coming home. Tonight was supposed to be a moment of reunion - a complete family gathering. But out of nowhere, Maximilian canceled his plans without giving a clear reason.Selene let out a short sigh and looked at her reflection in the teacup. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Maximilian wasn't the type to cancel appointments lightly, especially when it involved his father. The living room door slowly opened and Bryan, the ever-reliable Noire family assistant, entered with his usual calm demeanor. His face,
***"The star is very beautiful tonight, yes. But it's lonely," Anastasia whispered, then she looked at Maximilian, who was also staring at the night sky, "you're not lonely? You live alone on the streets, do you ever think the world is cruel to you?"Maximilian smiled, "I never think the world is cruel, we should control the world, not the world controlling us. I always want to be the best and everything has to be perfect." He paused for a moment, then continued, "I just hated myself for being too focused on my perfection without seeing that the person I loved needed me, I ignored her and thought she was fine because she was always smiling.""This is the sister you told me about?" asked Anastasia.Maximilian nodded. "Yes, my only brother, and my lifelong regret is that I ignored him until he left because he kept his wounds to himself. If I could turn back time, I would go back to the day my sister left. I regret it, but that regret will never bring her back to us."Anastasia looked a
***Jonathan sighed because Bryan had called him tonight and his young master's request was very strange: He wanted him to be an employee and he was the boss. He felt insolent that Mrs. Selene would find out that her son was a restaurant employee."Jo, why do you look so confused?" asked Steven, her brother."Bryan called me earlier," Jonathan replied."What's going on, is Aunt Selene going to book another restaurant? Wouldn't you like Aunt Selene to come over?""Not that. It's Maximilian," Jonathan replied."What's wrong with him? Are you making him angry?" Steven asked."No, no. He asked me to put on a play tomorrow morning, he's going to pretend to be an employee of the restaurant and do you know what it's about?"Steven shook his head."It's about a woman. I was surprised that he could finally be interested in a woman," Jonathan chuckled.Steven was silent, also surprised that Maximilian was willing to pretend to be an ordinary employee for a woman."After ten years he came back t
***Maximilian stopped in front of Anastasia's apartment door. The sound of the door closing softly behind them, but the silence of the night seemed to heighten the intensity of this farewell."I'll sleep at the restaurant tonight," Maximilian said, his voice low but firm. "I probably won't be home for two days."Anastasia, who was opening the door to her apartment, turned her head quickly. Concern immediately appeared in her eyes. "Is there a problem, Max?" she asked with a worried look on her face.Maximilian just shook his head slowly. "There's nothing to worry about. The restaurant will be busy tomorrow, so we all have to work hard. We have a very important guest."Anastasia nodded, although she still looked a little worried. She knew that Maximilian was a very responsible man, but two days without coming home sounded exhausting to her. "All right," she replied slowly, "don't forget to eat."Maximilian smiled slightly. "Of course. If anything happens, you know who to call."Anasta
***Anastasia stood at the entrance of Athena Records, a grand and classical building nestled in the bustling heart of the city. Her heart raced. This was a defining moment for her. Today she would meet Christian Idzes, the renowned music producer known for being extremely selective about the artists he worked with.Next to her, Lyra smiled encouragingly and gently squeezed Anastasia's shoulder. "You're going to do great, Anastasia. You have incredible talent and I'm sure Christian will see that."Anastasia managed a small smile, though the nerves still clung to her. "Thank you, Lyra. I just hope what I've prepared is enough to impress him."They entered the elegant building, passing through a lobby decorated with posters of albums produced by Athena Records. The weight of names like Christian Idzes was palpable here, dominating nearly every corner of the room. The pressure on Anastasia's shoulders grew.After passing through several layers of security, they finally arrived at Christi
***It was a quiet night when Anastasia entered her apartment on the 15th floor of a skyscraper overlooking the city center. Her head was full of plans for the future after meeting Christian Idzes, a major producer who gave her new hope for her music career. But her peace was soon shattered as she approached her apartment door and noticed something strange.Her apartment door was open.Anastasia felt her heart race. With quick but careful steps she approached. When she reached the door, she was shocked to see her belongings unceremoniously thrown out, scattered in the hallway. The closet was open, her clothes piled haphazardly on the floor. Her laptop sat on one of the chairs outside the door."What the hell?" she cried in panic. "Who would dare do this?"Her eyes searched for someone responsible, but there was no answer. She picked up her cell phone with shaking hands, ready to call building security or even the police."I'm going to report this!" her voice was full of emotion, but b
***The rain poured relentlessly, drenching the entire city of New York without mercy. The night was eerily quiet; even the usual roar of vehicles on the highway was absent. Only the patter of raindrops on the asphalt and the rumble of thunder breaking the pitch-black sky could be heard. In the midst of the downpour, Anastasia stood beneath a deserted city bus stop. She clutched her suitcase tightly, her clothes and body slowly soaking as there wasn't enough shelter to keep her dry.She stared at her dead cell phone, feeling utterly hopeless. "Damn," she muttered softly, looking at the dark screen. Anastasia had planned to call Lyra, her best friend and manager, but she knew that Lyra already carried a heavy burden as the breadwinner of her family. She didn't want to add to Lyra's problems."I shouldn't bother her," she whispered to herself. With a deep sigh, she sat down on the bench at the bus stop, hoping that the rain would stop soon. Anastasia's mind drifted to Maximilian. Her h
***Maximilian sat behind his desk and looked at the files piled in front of him. His thoughts and feelings were in turmoil due to the problem that someone had attacked him that night and that person could be dangerous if he knew that he and Anastasia were married. He let out a long sigh and tried to concentrate on his work. However, a gentle knock on the door of his room stopped him in his tracks. He looked up and was surprised to see Robert standing in the doorway."Uncle Robert?" Maximilian frowned, it was rare for his uncle to enter his room unannounced. "Can I help you?" He invited his uncle to take a seat.Robert smiled as he entered. "No need to be so formal, Max," he said as he sat down on the sofa. "I just want to talk to you casually."Maximilian felt a wave of anxiety that he couldn't ignore. He knew that if Robert had come without business, the conversation would have been more personal."So," Robert began after a moment of silence, "I hear you have a girlfriend?"Maximili
***That evening, Robert invited Shayne and Selene, Maximilian's parents, over for dinner. At the long table, decorated with small candles and delicious food, the conversation flowed. But one question stuck in Robert's mind."Why didn't Maximilian come with you?" asked Robert as he looked at Shayne and then at Selene sitting next to him.Shayne chuckled, "Max is too busy with his own affairs. He often forgets his parents," she replied with a broad smile, although there was a slight note of disappointment in her voice.Robert smiled, then leaned back in his chair and looked at his daughter, Renata, who sat gracefully at the side of the table. "When you have grandchildren, you won't feel lonely. If Max is too busy, at least you can play with your grandchildren," he said, trying to break the ice with a little humor.Shayne and Selene exchanged glances and nodded, "We've been wanting grandchildren for a while," Selene replied quietly, brushing back her long hair. "But you know how Maximil
***Selene confidently opened the door to the CEO's office. Maximilian's office was quiet as his son was having a serious conversation with Bryan at his desk. The room was filled with natural light from the large windows.Bryan said goodbye as soon as their conversation was over, nodding respectfully to Selene before leaving the room. Selene looked at Maximilian with the gaze of a mother who missed her son but understood the burden he carried."I'm sorry, Ma," Maximilian said as he came over and gave Selene a loving hug. "I haven't had a chance to see Mama and Papa lately."Selene smiled warmly and gently rubbed Maximilian's back. "Mama and Papa understand, Max. We know you've been busy. But I heard from Bryan that you're going abroad the day after tomorrow?"Maximilian released their embrace and nodded slowly. "Yes, I have some business in Finland this weekend.""Finland, huh?" Selene looked at Maximilian for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Can you come with me? It's been a while si
***Selene sat on the cozy couch in the living room, straightening up as she looked at Shayne, her husband, who seemed to be deep in thought. They had just finished dinner, but their conversation was more focused on what was going on with Maximilian, their perpetually reclusive son."Shayne, I object," Selene began, her voice calm but firm. "I see you giving Robert and Renata hope. They are both desperate for a relationship, but Maximilian already has a woman of his choice."Shayne shook her head, frustration written all over her face. "Darling, I can only see how suitable Renata is to be our daughter-in-law. She's beautiful, intelligent, and very kind. She can make Maximilian happy, and Maximilian and Renata have known each other since childhood.""Don't overdo it, Shayne," Selene replied, her voice beginning to rise. "Don't let Maximilian leave again. It's enough for me to lose Isabelle. Max... he's still hurting from the loss of his sister. He is still healing, and I hope you will
***Maximilian is on edge when Bryan tells him that Anastasia will be attending his family's charity event. The news immediately makes his blood boil and the fears that have been haunting him return. Selene, his mother, is so close to Anastasia and it's very likely that Selene will show Anastasia her old photos. What Maximilian fears most is that Anastasia will find out his true identity from someone else. That would ruin all his plans to tell her about his past."I have to go to the apartment," Maximilian muttered and rubbed his face roughly. He didn't want to take any more risks by showing up at the charity event where too many people knew him. He didn't want Anastasia to find out who he really was under inappropriate circumstances.***Time seemed to pass slowly for Maximilian as he waited in Anastasia's apartment. His thoughts were mixed between worry and a deepening sense of longing. Every second felt so slow, as if the world had stopped spinning as he thought about the worst tha
***The Kingsley family's Charity Night has always been an event that high society looks forward to, an opportunity to socialize and contribute to philanthropy at the same time. Anastasia, who was still busy preparing for her new album, could not refuse Selene Kingsley's invitation. Selene had come personally to ask her to attend, and Anastasia appreciated the direct invitation from the woman who has been so supportive of her. Despite her busy schedule, Anastasia made time to attend.When Anastasia arrived, she immediately became the center of attention. Dressed in an elegant black gown that hugged her body perfectly, Anastasia looked like a star that had descended to earth. Every eye stared at her in awe, and rumors began to fly among the guests."Is that Anastasia?" one woman whispered in awe."Yes, it is. She's stunning every time she shows up," another replied.Selene immediately greeted Anastasia with a broad smile as she entered the room. "Anastasia! I'm so glad you could come!"
***"My husband," Anastasia whispered in a tone that was so soft yet seductive. "You came at the right time."Without warning, Anastasia's weak hands suddenly moved to grasp Maximilian's shirt collar. Pulling the man closer, her fingers deftly unbuttoned Maximilian's shirt one button at a time. Maximilian's gaze changed instantly, a mixture of surprise and interest. But he said nothing, just looked at Anastasia, who was now dancing with her own emotions."Darling..." Maximilian tried to stop Anastasia's movements, but she ignored him. Her half-closed eyes stared at Maximilian with a desire she could not hide. Then, slowly but surely, Anastasia stood on tiptoe and brought her face closer to Maximilian's lips.She kissed Maximilian's lips gently, and a warm glow immediately spread through her body. The kiss began slowly, as if she wanted to confirm that the man before her was indeed her husband, the one she had chosen to love.Maximilian was momentarily surprised, but his body responded
***Anastasia sat on the balcony of her apartment, gazing up at the late night sky. The cold night breeze hit her skin, but the chill was nothing compared to the turmoil in her heart. The glass of wine in her hand was nearly empty, and the bottle on the table next to her was nearly gone. Anastasia didn't usually drink, let alone wine. She knew she was a bad drinker, but tonight she didn't care. Her mind was too full and she just wanted to drown out the pain that wouldn't go away.He looked up at the empty black sky, only a few stars were faintly visible. In the silence of the night, her mind continued to wrestle with the images of the past that continued to haunt her. The pain, the betrayal, the humiliation never seemed to disappear from her life. Especially when her mother's name was mentioned, the wound would reopen as if it were yesterday."Mama..." she murmured softly, her voice almost drowned out by the night wind. Her eyes began to tear, but she held them back. She didn't want t
***Maximilian sat in a luxurious leather seat in his private jet. The gentle breeze from the plane's vents created a serene atmosphere in the cabin. Meanwhile, on the screen of the tablet in his hand, he watched a video of Anastasia, who had just won the Best Female Vocalist award. He couldn't take his eyes off her radiant face on the stage.His eyes were fixed as he listened to Anastasia's grateful words. And then, at the end of her speech, when Anastasia mentioned "husband" in front of thousands of spectators, Maximilian smiled faintly. That one word, that one word that made the crowd go wild, made him feel an unbearable sense of pride. He played the video over and over again, making sure that every word that came out of Anastasia's mouth sounded perfect in his ears."Husband... Yes, that's how it should be," Maximilian murmured in a low voice. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and loosened his tie a little, feeling more comfortable in his solitude on this plane.Anastasia's vide