MasukMarco“Who exactly are you?”Her question made me pause mid-step. I turned and looked at her.Our eyes met.She was genuinely suspicious now, waiting for an answer.Instead, I simply turned and walked out of the office without answering her.Once I was outside, I turned off airplane mode on my phone. I had switched it on before meeting Anastasia.Countless missed calls and messages immediately flooded my screen.They were all from Victor.I headed straight to the meeting hall.The Trade Minister was already there, seated around the table with his personal assistant. Several of his guards stood by the door, their hands resting on their weapons.Victor, Dmitri, and several other men snapped their heads toward me the moment I walked in.“There you are,” Victor exclaimed. “I’ve been calling you.”I pulled out a chair and sat down. Then I drew my gun, placed it on the table in front of me, and leaned back.“I was having a private conversation with someone.”My eyes briefly settled on Dmitr
Chapter 24Marco"Sir," Dmitri's secretary said. "Mrs. Malakhov is waiting for you."Dmitri walked into the office, and I stayed behind in the smaller room next door.Luckily, it was empty.I stood near the door and watched through the narrow crack as Dmitri spoke briefly with his secretary before walking away. I waited until his footsteps faded down the hallway.This was my chance.I had been waiting for a moment when I could speak to Anastasia without Dmitri breathing down her neck. After what I had overheard earlier, I needed answers.I pushed the door open and stepped inside.Anastasia was sitting on the large sofa, her back straight and her hands resting in her lap. The moment she saw me, she looked me up and down, her eyebrows drawing together."How may I help you, sir?"Her voice was polite.Too polite.I waited until the secretary closed the door behind her. Only then did I turn my attention fully toward Anastasia."I need you to tell me where Irina is."The color drained from
Chapter 23AnastasiaThe next morning, after Dmitri had already left for work, I took my car and left the mansion.I simply couldn't stay there any longer without knowing anything about Irina.What if she was already in danger?I decided to go to the man who had sold me the fake passport and ask him to track its movements-to see if Irina had used the identity to reserve a hotel or anything else.But before I did that, I had to lose the guards who were following me.I entered the beauty center I used to visit, changed my clothes, and put on a large hat and sunglasses. I believed that would be enough to disguise myself from them.However, as I took another car I had rented, I didn't notice the car parked behind me before it started following me."Hello, ma'am," the fake-ID man said.I sat in the chair opposite him.This was the first time I had ever come to a place like this. One of my friends had been the one to secure the fake identity."How can I help you?" he asked when I remained s
Chapter 22AnastasiaI leaned my head back and closed my eyes.Three consecutive days, and there was still no trace of Irina. I was happy about that. Happy that she had finally gotten the chance to start a new life. But at the same time, I was scared to my bones.What if something bad happened to her? Would I ever forgive myself?When I heard the doorknob turn, I held the book I was reading and pretended to be immersed in it.His heavy footsteps echoed across the wooden floor. I didn't raise my head. He stood right in front of me. I still didn't look up.Then I heard his footsteps fade toward the bathroom.No greetings. No warmth. No natural husband-and-wife conversation.We had been like this for our entire marriage.I used to try to melt the ice around his heart. Frequently, in fact. But lately, especially after seeing how he treated his own sister, I had finally given up on this relationship.Sorry, Nasti. We could not find any trace of Irina.A new message from my father chimed in
Chapter 21MarcoI didn't see that coming.One question kept repeating in my head.How the fck had she escaped?Someone must have helped her.Victor roared, "She must still be around! Go and find her. By the end of this party, I want her on her knees in front of me."Then he turned and returned to the ballroom as if nothing had happened.Dmitri remained behind, his face dark with fury."I want the surveillance footage from every damn corner of this mansion," he growled. "Someone helped her. And when I find out who it was, I'll tear his throat out with my bare hands."As much as I wanted Irina out of that house-away from that sick family-I was terrified for her. She was completely alone.Her family had enemies everywhere.And those enemies were even more ruthless than the people she had escaped from.My blood ran cold."Look," Dmitri said, staring at the monitor. "Nothing seemed suspicious a few minutes ago."Then we saw her.The footage showed Irina approaching the back entrance with
Chapter 20Marco"So... you mean he has a sexual relationship with her?" I asked, sniffing as I pulled my car over to the side of the road."That man has more secrets than you think, brother," Luca said, playing with his lighter. "Our investigators couldn't find anything about him. The man is extremely careful, and that means he's hiding shady things from his family."My eyes met Luca's through the phone camera."You need to find the evidence as soon as possible. I'm sick of all of them. I need to destroy them fast, take Irina, and get back home.""It's not that easy, brother," Ricardo said. "They have one of the most powerful security systems."The door behind them burst open, and Angelo ran straight to his father while Mila followed behind him, holding little Alessia."Wow!" Angelo exclaimed as he climbed onto his father's lap. "Uncle Marco, are you a ghost now? I heard Daddy say you became a ghost after you died."I laughed.That little boy."Hi, Marco," Mila said with a smile. "Ho
Aunt Miranda spat in my face as she snarled, “You filthy little devil. I don’t know why my brother Gerald brought you back. He should’ve thrown you out into the streets where you belong.”This wasn’t the first time Aunt Miranda had insulted me—I was used to it by now.But this was the first time sh
I rose from the bed after wrapping the bed cover around my bare body.I scanned the room for my clothes. They were ripped and shattered everywhere on the ground. But then I froze; a scent lingered in the air. It was familiar. The perfume somehow reminded me of Luca, my guardian angel.The cracked
It took me seconds to realize the situation I was in. There was a man over me—smells like shit—his disgusting breaths on my bare neck as he was trying to tear off my pants.I pushed him with all the strength I could muster, forced by a wave of adrenaline. And he staggered a few steps back, but it w
I paced across the dark wooden floor, the chandelier lights too dim against the massive bedroom.I had been locked in this room for five hours. No water. No food. Nothing.Was that their punishment?I searched every corner of the room, trying to find a way out, but found nothing. Even the bathroom







