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42|Weaving Some Kind Of Magic
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2024-12-19 02:59:42
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Reckless Hearts 43|Scared Shitless
Holly fumed her way to the presidential suite, unable to believe Andrei's audacity. She found Cooper just as mad, and for the longest time, she had to sit there and listen to him rant and rave about his deep dislike for Andrei."Who the hell does he think he is?" he raged as he paced the living area. "And how dare you dismiss me in front of him! I'm your boyfriend. If anything, you should have sent him away. But instead, you choose him over me.""I didn't choose him over you! He has a business proposal, and I had to hear him out," she explained for what had to be the hundredth time. Cooper, though, wasn't having any of it. "If it was as innocent as you claim, you wouldn't have sent me away," he insisted as he watched her unpack her clothes. "What's going on with you?" he continued when he didn't get a response from her. "You drop off the face of the earth for three days, and then decide to move out of your place. Would you have told me you were moving out if I didn't stop by?"Holl
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-28Reckless Hearts 44|Brutal Ending
Holly locked the door and fastened the security latch, making sure Cooper couldn't come in even if he tried."Oh, God," she whispered as she sank to the floor and pressed her back to the door. "Oh, God, what just happened?"She sat there for a long time, going over her encounter with Cooper, unable to move. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't trust her legs to support her weight. Her phone screeching on the couch pulled her out of her numbed state. She forced herself to her feet and limped to the living area, grabbing her phone before her father could hang up."Hi, Daddy," she breathed into the phone, forcing back her tears. "Your mom and I are in the lobby; which room are you in?""The presidential suite," she replied."Alright, we're coming up," her father said, clicking off before Holly could say anything else. Not that she had much to say. She was still struggling to compute Cooper's actions. Was he always this…violent? Had she missed the red flags?"No," sh
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-28Reckless Hearts 45|At All Costs
While one relationship ended in the presidential suite, another began at the Italian restaurant on the ground floor of The Castle. Despite their shaky beginning, and once the introductions and initial angst were out of the way, Andrei and Anton warmed up to each other. It helped that they had a lot in common. Both men were raised by single and demanding fathers. Their educational backgrounds were similar, too, since they had attended all-boys boarding schools. They also had the same mindset regarding business and would stop at nothing to win. Over a round of drinks and Cuban cigars, Anton took Andrei through a detailed presentation on Nexus and their shipping requirements. By the time they were done working out the surface details of their partnership, the restaurant was empty, save for a few patrons scattered around the dining hall. With their business concluded, they shook hands again, with Andrei promising to send Nexus the contract in a few days. "What are some good places to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-31Reckless Hearts 46|All The Holes In His Plan
"Thanks," Andrei murmured as he entered the room, glad Holly didn't send him packing like he was so sure she would. His joy, though, was quickly replaced by a rage he hadn't felt in ages when his gaze fell on the ugly marks on her neck and the side of her face. The son of a bitch had roughed her up at some point after she left him at the restaurant. He never liked the bastard, but this…the bruises on her creamy skin were all the confirmation he needed that Cooper Stanton was a piece of shit. Following his line of sight, Holly quickly pulled up the collar of her pyjama shirt to hide the bruises from him. "Did you ask the receptionist for my room number?" she asked, looking mad as hell. "Would they have told me if I had?" he countered. "Then how the hell did you find me?" "Well, we all know you have exquisite taste, and nothing less than a presidential suite will do for the Anderson princess." "If you came here to antagonise me, you can leave," she snapped, pointing at the doo
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-31Reckless Hearts 47|This Hate That I Have
"Whatever happened, whatever Cooper did, I need you to understand it wasn't your fault, okay? You did nothing wrong," Andrei assured her. Holly shook her head, "It was my fault. Some of it, at least. I should have been clear about our relationship. I thought I was. But—Oh God—" Her words faltered, and her voice died off as she began hyperventilating. Andrei felt as useless as a glass hammer as he helplessly watched Holly fight through her panic, unable to think of anything he could do to bring her immediate relief. But before he could second-guess himself and overthink things, he pulled her close again, resting her head on his chest as he draped his arms around her shoulders. "I'm okay," she said over and over, her words muffled on his chest. "He—he—" "He hurt you," Andrei uttered the words Holly couldn't bring herself to say. "I told him I didn't want to see him anymore because seeing him hurts. I can't watch him live the life that I want. I can't be around anyone from the Ins
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-31Reckless Hearts 48|Pretend Girlfriend
When they were alone, Andrei pulled out a chair for Holly and made sure she was comfortable before pouring her a glass of wine. "You still like your steak bloody, I see," she murmured, swirling the glass in her hand. "Like my enemies," he flashed her a smile as he took a seat and reached for his plate. While she toyed with her wine glass, Andrei focused on his meal, cutting the meat into small pieces before swapping their plates. "Dig in," he said, topping up his whiskey glass. "You really didn't have to cut it up for me," Holly murmured, frowning at him. "I'm not as spoilt as you think." "That's debatable." "You're breaking my heart," she rolled her eyes as she placed her hand on her chest, feigning heartbreak. "What heart?" "Touché," Holly laughed as she shoved a small piece of steak in her mouth and closed her eyes in bliss when the scrumptious flavours hit her taste buds. "Is it that good?" Andrei asked, liking this side of her. He was so sure she'd whinge about the mea
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-31Reckless Hearts 49|Flowers Die In Her Presence
Andrei was so overcome with joy and relief that before he knew what he'd done, he already had Holly in his arms, twirling her around the room. "Put me down!" she said, squealing like a little kid. "You won't regret it, I promise," he smiled as he gently set her down, his gaze staying a little too long on her damn luscious mouth, and when she flicked her tempting tongue over her lips, it took everything in him not to give in to his caveman urges. "I still want the penthouse," Holly said, pulling away from him. "But I'm not renting it from you." "What do you mean?" "I mean, why the hell would I want to rent the place when I can own it? Sell it to me and you have a deal. I'll act like such a loving girlfriend, Papa Ivanov won't know what hit him. In fact, I'll be so convincing he'll want us married in no time," she replied as she sat down again and muted the TV. "Deal," he replied, plopping beside her. "Deal!" she smiled, grasping his hand in a firm handshake. And there it was ag
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-31Reckless Hearts 50|Desperate Times
When Andrei and his men got to the warehouse several blocks from the barbershop, Lev and the security team were already on the premises, hard at work, gathering whatever little evidence they could find. They headed to Denis' office in the back, and while they waited for Lev to finish up with his guys, Andrei finally plucked up the nerve to call Holly. "About earlier," he began as soon as she picked up, but she had no interest in hearing how sorry he was. "It's late, and I need to get some sleep. Send me the venue details for Monday night, and I'll be there." "So, we are still on, then?" "Of course. This is business," she assured him. "You want to trick your father, and I want my penthouse back." "Look, what I said was meant as an inside joke—" "Seriously, Andrei, I don't care," Holly snapped, icing him out. "Draw up the purchase agreement and send it to me by COB today, or the deal is off!" "It's Saturday," he said as he checked the time on his watch, unable to believe he was
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-31
Bab terbaru
Reckless Hearts 121|Like A Damn Addict
"You really can't help yourself, can you?" Liam's deep and quiet voice rang clearly through the room, the weight of his words clashing with the ever-rising tension. "You're like a damn addict. You just can't help yourself!"Holly opened her mouth to speak, to explain, to save Andrei more than herself, and to shield him from Liam's imminent wrath. But her tongue seemed to have grown twice its size, rendering her mute.Locked in some kind of trance, or something equally weird, like sleep paralysis, unable to speak or move, Holly could see everything so clearly—from the erect, almost defensive way Andrei held himself to Liam's rage bubbling just beneath the surface to Eden opening up her arms to her son and burying his face in her chest like she didn't want him to see all the ugliness about to unfold. Holly took in all these little things, but like a ghost trapped in the physical plane or an astral visitor stuck in someone else's dream, she couldn't interact with the objects around her
Reckless Hearts 120|Love Was Meant For Other People
If anyone had asked Andrei how he felt at that moment, with Holly in his arms and his mom's ring on her finger, he would have told them he was elated. But honestly, that, too, didn't even come close to the delirious joy brimming in his heart. In fact, he was so ecstatic he wondered how it wasn't a crime for anyone to be as happy as he was. "You've made me so happy, Milaya," he whispered, kissing Holly's forehead. All his life, he had always believed love was meant for other people—good, deserving people like Liam and Levi. And until a few weeks ago, marriage was the furthest thing from his mind. But now, with just a simple 'yes' to his proposal, Holly had opened the door to a world of possibility. "You have no idea how happy I am right now," he murmured in her hair. "I could die this moment, and I'll be okay with it—" Holly playfully slapped his arm, chastising him, "Hey, don't joke about dying, especially after today." "It was just a figure of speech," Andrei laughed, pushing he
Reckless Hearts 119|Endure
Eventually, Holly got over her shock and spluttered out her confusion, her eyes roaming wildly over Andrei's face in search of answers. "But Naomi said it's from Mexico!" "Naomi's right. That vial is from Mexico. There are only ninety-nine others in the country. Or at least there were." "What do you mean?" "Like I said, Jonah or whoever he's working for stole the drugs from me, and I can't let this shit slide," Andrei replied and swiftly changed the subject, asking her how long the doctors planned to keep her at the hospital, even though she'd already told him it was only for tonight. "I should be discharged tomorrow." "I'll pick you up," he offered, but Holly shot him down, reminding him there were four men outside her door, watching her every move under the guise of keeping her safe. If it hadn't been for her phone call to Eric, he wouldn't have been allowed to see her. "So what are you saying?" Andrei asked as he touched the ring in his pocket for assurance, hoping his gut fe
Reckless Hearts 118|Glimpses Of Herself
With seven minutes to go, Andrei charmed the nurses into letting him see Holly early, sweet-talking his way to her private ward. His luck ran out, though, when he found four of Liam's guys, including Eric, standing guard outside her door. "You shouldn't be here," said Eric as he got up in Andrei's face. "Ms Anderson almost died because of you." Ignoring him, Andrei pulled out his phone and called Holly. "Milaya," he said when she picked up. "Where are you? You sound so close." "I'm outside your room, but your guard dogs won't let me in." "Let me talk to them," she said and hung up. A moment later, Eric's phone rang. He picked up Holly's call and let Andrei through without saying a word. Holly's face lit up like the night sky on New Year's Eve when he stepped inside. She shoved her bed covers aside and sprung to her feet. But the pain in her knee sent her crashing back on the bed, and she howled in agony. Andrei was at her side in a heartbeat, asking as he cradled her in his a
Reckless Hearts 117|The Real Deal
Andrei was in Forrest Creek just as the sun dipped in the horizon, catching Helga as she was about to knock off. "Your dinner's in the microwave," she told him as she gathered her stuff. "And don't forget I'm not in for the rest of the week. My daughter—" "Thanks, Helga." Andrei smiled at her and saw her off, telling her to enjoy her break with her new grandkid. With just under an hour before visiting hours, Andrei dashed upstairs to freshen up, scoffing down his dinner while getting dressed. When he was done, he called Monique to confirm the chopper was ready to pick up his twin from Poolsmoor prison bright and early tomorrow. "I thought prisons had strict rules about this sort of thing," said Monique, sounding as exhausted as Andrei felt. "And I thought I paid you enough to know when something is not your business, Monique!" Andrei retorted and promptly hung up on her. She was right, though. Prisons had strict protocols in place when it came to prisoner transfers. But Andrei fig
Reckless Hearts 116|Fought A Thousand Battles
"What's this about now, Papa?" Andrei asked. "Sit!" Nikolai pointed at the armchair while he made himself comfortable behind his desk. "I'll get Pavel to bring in some refreshments. And since you're here, maybe you can stay for supper?" "No thanks," Andrei declined the seat, drink and meal, explaining he had to take Ivan to the airport. "Where's he flying to?" asked Nikolai, resting his hands on the surface of his desk. "Botswana," Andrei replied, but didn't offer any other information, and he was glad when his father didn't press for details. "Your brother's transfer is happening tomorrow?" Nikolai's statement sounded more like an accusation than a question, and Andrei wasn't sure how to respond. Nikolai took the decision out of his hands when he went on the offensive, accusing Andrei of keeping him in the dark. "Why did I have to hear from your assistant that your twin is coming home?" "Maybe if you had answered Leks' calls, you wouldn't have had to hear it from Monique. Le
Reckless Hearts 115|Shone as brightly
"Give me five minutes," Andrei said when they pulled into the horseshoe driveway and parked close to the front door a little while later. "You'd better hurry up. I have a flight to catch," Ivan retorted, reminding him about his trip to Botswana. The team of four guys he'd assembled to bring Sienna in were already on their way to the airport. "Yes, sir!" Andrei called over his shoulder, giving his lieutenant a mock salute as he ran up the front steps. The housekeeping staff were taken aback when he stepped into the lavish foyer and found them polishing the bannisters of the grand double staircase. "Mr Ivanov, we weren't expecting you." "I know!" Andrei replied. He never made unplanned stops. And if it weren't for his father's insistence to have a home-cooked meal with him at least once a week, he wouldn't even bother coming by. The place had stopped feeling like a home long before his mom died. "What can we do for you, sir?" The two ladies asked, ready to be of service, as they
Reckless Hearts 114|Like A Pendulum
"First time?" asked Thabo, Lev's mortuary technician friend. His brilliantly white teeth, as he smiled at Andrei, were a stark contrast to his smooth mahogany skin. "Hardly," Andrei replied and quickly shut his mouth, afraid if he didn't, the unbearably warm stench would creep into him and taint every inch of his soul. They passed several closed doors as Thabo led them down an endless corridor. He candidly explained that the air-conditioning system was out of order, hence the humidity and smell. "We logged it two days ago, but they have yet to send the technicians to fix it. I guess no one cares about the material comforts of the dead," he said, taking them deeper into the bowels of the morgue. Just when Andrei began to think the man had no idea where they were going, Thabo abruptly stopped in front of a cavernous room whose metal doors were wide open, like a gaping mouth. "There they are," he said, pointing at several bodies lying on cadaver carriers. "Why are they out in the o
Reckless Hearts 113|Seen And Smelled Death
"I was surprised you went with orchids," said Diane, the beaded strands tinkling softly as she pushed the curtain back in place and returned to her workstation."Aesthetically wise, I would have gone with roses," she added, setting the potted plant on the table. "Anything but roses!" Andrei murmured, running his fingers on the tips of pink tulips peeking out from an elaborate arrangement on the counter beside the cash register."But I like the symbolism behind orchids," she continued, as if Andrei hadn't spoken. Her hands moved deftly as she got down to work and performed magic with the Spanish moss, curly willow vines and some clippers. "Did you know that orchids were associated with virility in ancient Greece? In fact, Greek women believed that if the father of their unborn child consumed large, new orchid tubers, the baby would be a boy. If the mother ate small orchid tubers, she would give birth to a girl."Andrei didn't know this, of course. He'd chosen orchids for their enduran
