(Flashback)From a distance, Ivan observed as his sister introduced Ana to her circle of friends.The atmosphere was one of celebration—a reception party orchestrated to embrace Ana into the fold of the family. Although Ivan harbored an innate aversion to such gatherings, he understood the importance of this event for Ana. Moreover, the chance to showcase her as his wife was an intoxicating satisfaction he couldn’t resist.Truth be told, he felt an immense sense of pride to have her by his side.Just a year ago, if someone had posed the question of whether he would marry a woman whose father had inflicted substantial losses on his reputation and power—a man who, in his estimation, deserved the most brutal and ruthless demise—he might have reacted with disdain before dismissing it with a laugh.But life had its own way of surprising him. Ana had entered his world, turning his preconceived notions upside down. She was like a fresh breeze in the midst of his chaos, bringing with her a ne

[IVAN]When a knock falls on the door of my home office, I’m almost taken aback to find Ana actually listening to me for once.I can’t help but wonder what’s behind this change. It shouldn’t have been so easy to convince her to meet me like I wanted.A nagging thought creeps into my mind, suggesting that she might have her own agenda in complying with my request.I can’t wait to find out.I lean back into my chair and prop my elbows on the armrests. It makes a squeaky sound, while my eyes remain fixed on the woman still standing at the door.“You called,” she says, her facial expression devoid of any emotions.Little does she know that no matter how much these past few years have changed her, deep down, she’s still the same Ana. I can tell when she’s trying to hide something or keep her emotions in check, and right now, she’s doing exactly that. It’s a game we’ve played many times before, a game that I’m very good at.I gesture towards the chair opposite mine. “Please, have a seat.”S

[IVAN]I can tell Tatiana is intrigued by me, and I can’t help but find it amusing.Even after Ana tried really hard to get our little girl to play outside and not bother me (she might as well have said I am the monster who eats kids for breakfast, lunch and dinner), my adorable daughter keeps coming back to me.Sometimes she hides behind the curtains, peeks at me through the windows, or even checks through the keyholes, as if I wouldn’t hear her laughter and giggles.Every time she’s around, I can sense her curious eyes on me, and she doesn’t seem like someone who gives up easily. My daughter, for sure.I don’t plan to give up on us either. By hook or crook, I’ll win Ana’s trust back, and then there will be nothing breaking us apart. I’ll have my woman and my kids, and I’ll do everything I can to make things right, even though I know Ana won’t make it any easier.But no matter how much she acts like she doesn’t care, has moved on, or could be better without me, I won’t take no for an

[IVAN]She couldn’t resist, could she? Good for me.The moment I step out of the bathroom, I catch Ana tiptoeing around the bed, looking like a deer caught in the headlights once she notices me too. I can’t help but be amused. She looks just as embarrassed and flushed as she did years ago when we were newly married. I still remember the first time she saw me naked. Her jaw just dropped, her eyes popped wide open, her whole body turned rigid, and she would bite her lip, not knowing how else to act normal.Strangely, she’s doing all those things right now, and it’s a miracle that like old times, I haven’t made any moves and tossed her on the bed to fuck her brains out. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?I sigh. Instead of doing what every muscle in my body aches for, I close the bathroom door and walk towards the closet. Ana, as if frozen in time, stays still and painfully quiet. The closer I get, the faster her chest rises and falls, and her eyes dart around the room, anywh

[IVAN]The first time I kissed Anastasia was at her home, in her room, against the wall of her bedroom. It was after the very first time I had felt that kind of rush—the rush to claim someone exclusively for myself, to make a woman mine. At first, I thought it was because she was untouched that I had felt that strange desire—the desire of possession, but I was wrong.The reason I wanted to bring Ana into my life was that I couldn’t tolerate even the thought of any other man touching her the way I so desperately wanted to. Hell, I couldn’t have tolerated it if any other man had even looked at her the way she was in my eyes. Even if I wasn’t her first, I wanted to be her last. Her forever. Her happily ever after.My beautiful and innocent Anastasia, the woman for whom I broke all ties with my family, the woman for whom I could have burned down the whole damn world.I knew from the moment I first met her that she was the one for me, the woman who had the power to turn my world upside dow