EMILIE POV
I'd been designing clothes with Julia. So far, our designs were in sync and they looked amazing. All we had to do was finish our first five collections and launch them in a runway show.We had a lot to do before the launch, though. We had to strategize, figure out which stores to deliver our clothes to, and come up with a good marketing team.We were in the warehouse fixing designs when Milo appeared. It was one of the few times I saw him in black casual cargo pants, a tight black t-shirt, and Timbaland boots.His hair was slicked back and his tattoos were on full display."If he wasn't yours, I would snatch him up myself," Julia whispered. When Milo came closer to where we were, she smiled at him. "Welcome, Petrov."She excused herself and scurried away. I briefly wondered how they knew one another. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know one anoI stood my ground, heart pounding in my chest. I looked into Milo's eyes, trying to find the warmth and comfort I knew. But now, all I saw was a serious man I didn’t recognize.“Milo, please,” I begged, my voice shaky. “I can’t just leave you here. What if they come back? What if something happens to you?”He took a step back, putting space between us. “You don’t get it, Emilie. This isn’t a fun trip anymore. It’s dangerous.”His words felt like a slap. I wanted to scream, to shake him and make him see how crazy this was. I wasn’t some helpless girl. I could handle myself. “You think I’m just going to run away? I won’t leave you here alone, not after what just happened.”He looked frustrated, running a hand through his hair. “This isn’t about running away. It’s about keeping you safe. I have enemies, and they will find you if you stay. You need to go back to Russia. Now.”“No!” I shot back, my voice rising. “You can’t just decide for me. I’m not some little kid who needs to be protect
Milo had been with me for the whole of Milan Fashion week. He didn't come for some of the shows because he had been busy. But if he could help it, he attended with me.Afterwards, he would take me out on a date in an expensive restaurant or for a boat ride with fast food ready for us to eat. Every date he took me out on was better than the last. It felt like he was trying to impress me.Even when I could tell he was busy, he always had time for me. He made sure he had dinner with me every night, took me back to the hotel penthouse, and left when I has showered and gotten in bed.In the days when he didn't leave at night, he fell asleep and held me all night while I slept or fucked me into the daylights. Our trip to Milan felt more like a honeymoon than anything else."Where are we going today?" Boris asked.Since fashion week was over and I didn't have anything else to do, I thought I could go to a park and design a few clothes for my collection. The least I could do was get some work
EMILIE POVI'd been designing clothes with Julia. So far, our designs were in sync and they looked amazing. All we had to do was finish our first five collections and launch them in a runway show. We had a lot to do before the launch, though. We had to strategize, figure out which stores to deliver our clothes to, and come up with a good marketing team. We were in the warehouse fixing designs when Milo appeared. It was one of the few times I saw him in black casual cargo pants, a tight black t-shirt, and Timbaland boots. His hair was slicked back and his tattoos were on full display. "If he wasn't yours, I would snatch him up myself," Julia whispered. When Milo came closer to where we were, she smiled at him. "Welcome, Petrov." She excused herself and scurried away. I briefly wondered how they knew one another. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know one ano
TATIANA POV "I heard Milo beat Ivan to a pulp. What happened?" My friend, Miriam, asked. "Oh, nothing. I think it had something to do with business. I try not to involve myself in their business." I had to lie. I couldn't admit to any of my friends that I had been bested by a twenty-four-year-old girl. She had Milo in the palm of her hands in a way I didn't. That fucking bitch was ruining everything. She was the first mistress that Milo cared if I bullied or not. He had never cared for a woman that much before. She must have cast some sort of spell on him. "I heard it was because of Emilie." "Those are just rumors." She didn't look like she believed me. Soon, I would get Emilie out of Milo's life and take my rightful place by his side. There wasn't anything anyone could do about that. No one would question Milo's love for
Milo was there when I woke up. I felt pain everywhere. Every part of my body ached and my head pounded like it was going to explode. But all that didn't matter when I saw Milo. He brought flowers and a teddy bear that he encouraged me to hug in the hospital bed. "Milo, I'm not ten. I'm a grown woman." I insisted. "I know you sleep with a doll when I'm not around. I thought it would comfort you." "It's not a doll, it's a plushy." Seeing the confusion on his face made me laugh. He may have acted tough but he was nothing but a big softie. "I'm sorry Ivan found out that I'm your mistress. I never intended for him to know. God, I should have never gone to that party." "What happened at that party?" He asked. He didn't seem to care that Ivan had found out about our union. "I got an invitation to the party and I went. Turn
MILO POV When Boris called me halfway through the business I had in Zelenograd, I stopped everything and headed back to Moscow. I drove so fast that anyone lagging on the road would have gotten hit by me. Luckily, the road I used didn't have too many cars on the road. The thought of Ivan made me fantasize of murder. He should have known better than to beat Emilie black and blue to the point that she ended up in the hospital. I would kill him once I saw him. I arrived at the hospital, I rushed straight to Emilie's room. I had to see if she was okay. I put the flowers I'd bought for her on her bedside and stared at her while she slept. I immediately wanted to break everything in the room and kill somebody. There were bruises all over her face and her neck had a dark purple handprint. "Sir, are you related to the patient?" A nurse asked. She was probably wondering who
Ivan was like a beacon for anyone who felt like harassing. I was called all sorts of names as people gathered around me in a circle. Eventually, one person got bold enough to step up and rip the sleeves of my dress.I gasped and turned to my best friend. She was the only one who could stop the crowd from harassing me."You have to believe me, Zoya. I was sent an invitation from your number that said the dress code was emerald green. I would never—""Forget the dress, you fucking slut. I didn't invite you to my birthday party."I didn't know whether to be relieved she didn't set me up to be humiliated or hurt that she didn't want me around on her special day. Either way, nothing was going my way."Admit it, you creep. You saw me shopping and you decided to follow me here." Ivan said."That doesn't make sense. I'm all dressed up and I came with presents. How could I have followed you here last minute.""I, I—""You don't have to explain yourself to her, Ivan. I already know she's lying.
After showering and putting on casual clothing, I left and went into town to buy a present for Zoya. She talked about wanting a new curling iron because hers was broken and hers was spoiled.Knowing her, she probably hadn't replaced it. Then I bought her some Chanel earrings and a limited edition perfume that reminded me a lot of her—vanilla and caramel.Once I got everything, I bought myself a dress and headed home. On my way, I saw Ivan coming out of Victoria's Secret store with a girl in one arm and a girl in the other.They were laughing and flirting like it wasn't Zoya's birthday and he was her boyfriend. He really annoyed me. If only he knew how much.Luckily, he didn't see me. I wasn't in the mood for any more drama. His mother was enough entertainment. I also hoped to avoid him at Zoya's birthday party.If he even showed up. From the looks of it, he was quite busy with another woman.As soon as I got home, I started getting ready. The dress code was an emerald green dress. It
Zoya texted me to invite me to her birthday party. She didn't address any part of our little drama or apologize for anything. She acted like I was just another acquaintance she invited to her birthday party. I wasn't going to lie, it stung but since she had invited me, I figured it was best to attend. We were just going through a rough patch. Once we fixed our issues, she would be more mad if I didn't attend her party. I had to get her a present and pick out a dress for the party. I was still living in Milo's mansion. He was barely around and I understood it was partly due to mafia business. He always had new cuts or bruises after he disappeared for hours. A part of me was worried. However, I figured he was already used to that kind of life. I heard he took over the Bratva when he was twenty years old. He was the youngest Pakhan of the Bratva to ever live. He had been doing it for over twenty years. He must have been really good. "What are you thinking about?" Milo asked as he e