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47|This Hate That I Have
Last Updated:
2024-12-31 04:12:20
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Reckless 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 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
Last Updated : 2024-12-31Reckless Hearts 51|Wilful Arrogance
Andrei quickly reached behind him for his gun and aimed it at Cooper. "Lock the door and shut the blinds," he said, motioning to him to get moving. Cooper was smart enough to do as he was told, reading the situation for exactly what it was, a nightmare that could end in a few minutes or last several hours based on his choices alone. "What is this? How did you get in?" Cooper asked, and Andrei had to admire his ability to remain calm even when his world was spiralling into chaos and the walls of his cookie-cutter townhouse were fast closing in on him. Had he not touched Holly, Andrei might have even liked him a little for trying to scare him off as he clumsily waved his phone around and threatened to call the cops if he didn't let go of his precious Chloe. "Relax," Andrei said dismissively. "I'm not a psychopath. I don't hurt defenceless animals. You know who else I don't hurt?" When Cooper remained mute, he continued as he set Chloe beside him, "Women!" "I don't know what you'
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 52|Follow The Trail
Andrei didn't have time to panic and stress over his countless mistakes with Cooper. He had a meeting with his attorney. So, when he got home, he jumped into the shower again and changed into a fresh set of clothing, removing all hints of his extracurricular activities. Adrian Blaine, heir to Blaine Inc, a law firm catering to Rock Castle's royalty, arrived soon after, and they settled down on the patio. Over a hearty breakfast, courtesy of Helga, they worked on the purchase agreement, oblivious to the cool morning breeze and the miserable view of the once-majestic Cape Dutch building across the road. Halfway through their meal, Andrei threw a spanner in the works when he asked Adrian to draw up a year-long marriage contract and a prenup agreement. "Excuse me?" the attorney choked on his coffee, panic flickering on his face as he coughed and gasped for air. "Did I hear you correctly?" he continued once his coughing fit had died down. "You want a marriage contract and prenup agr
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 53|Not Backing Down For Anyone
"Out with it," Nikolai said once the door clicked in place, and they had all the privacy in the world. "With what?" "Your plan. What are you thinking?" "Mikhail plans to start his own outfit," Andrei announced. "Are you sure?" Nikolai asked, holding his head in his hands. "Jesus, Andrei, you can't go around making such accusations. The last time we thought someone planned to branch out—" "You killed an entire family," Andrei finished off his statement for him. "You killed Kristof and his entire family, and all for what?" "Why don't you just come right out and say it? Get it off your chest. I know you still hate me for what I did to Mila—" "Papa!" Andrei gritted his teeth, the rage he'd long locked away threatening to break free. "I begged you not to do it. I pleaded with you to stand down, and what the hell did you do? You slaughtered all of them, and for what?" "I was acting on the information I had at the time!" Nikolai defended himself as he stood up and glared at him, his
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 54|Insanity At Its Finest
Holly awakened to a deluge of emails and DM's on her social networks. All were from Cooper. All were sent after she blocked his phone number. And all were in the same vein, gravitating between despair and deranged threats. "This is crazy," she whispered as she read one of his emails, her eyes growing huge with disbelief and disgust the further down she went. She wasn't expecting an apology, but Cooper was truly doing the most by trying to minimise his actions and going as far as placing all the blame on her. It was one thing to assault her and another to absolve himself of all blame. This was insanity at its finest, and his cowardly actions left a bitter taste in her mouth. She made up her mind there and then to make him account for his actions. Mad as hell and ready to take back the power Cooper had stolen from her, Holly grabbed her laptop and gobbled down two hazel-nut croissants and three cups of coffee while searching the internet for information on applying for a protection o
Last Updated : 2025-01-09Reckless Hearts 55|A Mess Of Things
Holly didn't realise she'd spoken out loud until the nurse replied with a genial smile, "I thought you knew? Isn't that why you're here?" "What's wrong with him?" Holly asked, shooting the nurse a pleading look. "Are you a family member?" Holly shook her head, and the nurse clammed up when she realised she may have shared more than she should have. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be discussing this with you," the nurse quickly excused herself, but Holly stopped her before she could slip away. "I know you can't tell me anything about Mr Ivanov's condition, but can you, at least, answer this?" "What?" "Mr Ivanov's son—" "He has a son?" The nurse's shocked response told Holly everything she needed to know. She thanked her for her time and retraced her steps, her mind racing with a million thoughts as Eric drove her to Glen Eagles. Her parents, cosying up around the fire in the living room, were surprised but happy to see her. Her father immediately scooted over to make room for her on
Last Updated : 2025-01-09
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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
