Lahat ng Kabanata ng Reckless Hearts: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

"Absolutely not! We've talked about this, Papa!" Andrei Ivanov grunted irritably as he lowered his towering frame on the burgundy camelback sofa in the den of his ancestral home in Glen Eagles, north of Rock Castle. Surprisingly, Pavel, the Ivanovs' longtime butler, dressed in a dark suit and not a hair out of place, remained unfazed by the tension in the room. The same way Andrei's father, Nikolai, sat unperturbed behind his vintage desk as he gazed back at him, "Yes, you will cancel your flight." Massaging his temples to stave off a looming headache, Andrei explained—yet again—why he couldn't cancel his flight the following evening, citing every excuse he could think of. When that didn't work, he doubled down and lit a cigarette, taking long, deep puffs before addressing his father again in a much firmer tone, "You've known about my move to Moscow for a while now. It's happening, with or without your approval. I suggest you get on board fast!" "I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Ni

While a glum Andrei sat with his lieutenants in one of the highly sought-after boxes at the Mirage, pondering his father's offer, on stage, under the dazzling spotlight, Holly Marie Anderson had none of his ninety-nine problems.In fact, life was going swimmingly for her. And why wouldn't it? After all, she was the star of the show, and the only reason the theatre was packed to capacity for the second night in a row. Drunk on the awe and adoration of her fans, Holly had one job and one job only: to deliver yet another jaw-dropping, heart-thumping performance. And that's precisely what she did. To say she was on fire was an understatement. Hell, she'd spent a tough three months preparing for the show and survived countless hours of gruelling practice sessions and dress fittings before embarking on a whirlwind press tour. In the twelve weeks leading up to this moment, Holly had lived and breathed Juliet, so much so that sometimes she was terrified she'd have a hard time letting go of

Devastated, Holly turned to her parents, silently pleading with them to pull her out of her never-ending nightmare. But, like her, they had no idea how to fix her. So she grabbed her mini crossbody bag, dazedly left the room, and wandered down the sterile corridors and out of the building, leaving her parents to discuss her upcoming surgery, physiotherapy, and all the other treatment plans Dr Evans thought were necessary but would never help her return to the stage.The crisp winter breeze was a shock to her system as she hobbled to one of the benches facing the hospital's entrance. She pulled her long cashmere cardigan closer and wound the heavy woollen scarf around her neck. She was so grateful that despite the short notice, her mom still had the foresight to stop at her townhouse in Morningside Mews and get her some warm clothing. Holly dug out her phone from her bag and fiddled with her knee brace as she scrolled through the less than thirty contacts. Half were family, including

Trigger warning: self harm, illicit substance useWithin minutes, Holly was at Crush, a high-end nightclub in downtown Rock Castle and one of Andrei Ivanov's favourite haunts. She headed straight to the bar, demanding to know which VIP room the Russian was in. Tony, the bartender—a new guy Austin Hawthorne had hired soon after he took over the club—nicely told her Andrei wasn't around. "He hasn't been here in a while," said the bartender, showing off his skills as he tossed the cocktail shaker into the air in a fancy move and swiftly caught it on his forearm."What about your boss? Is he around?"Tony shook his dreadlocked head and pointed at the back office door, "The manager's here, though."Holly had no need for a manager. Her business was with Andrei and possibly Austin since they were thick as thieves. Disappointed her trip was in vain, she perched herself on the barstool and ordered three tequila shots, downing them in quick succession to the cheer and applause of the small c

"Ivan, Igor, where's my wife? Found her yet?" Andrei asked from the back seat as he threw his phone at Ivan so he could log in to the Hot Connexions app. They'd picked him up half an hour ago from Aero's headquarters. Now, they were on a lonely stretch of road, racing to the rendezvous spot, an old airport—well, not exactly old since it was still in use. But only by a few select government officials and well-connected people. One phone call to the right person had made it possible for Andrei to use it tonight. He could have used his private airstrip in Linksfield, but the Hawks were on his back after the shit with Dreams and Leks' string of bad deals. They were much harder to buy off than the po-pos. Tonight's venue had cost him an arm and a leg, but it was a small price to pay for the privacy and anonymity it guaranteed. "Guys, why am I talking to myself?" he asked when his lieutenants showed no signs of life. "Well, very few women have a death wish—" Ivan began, but paused, his ey