Semua Bab Reckless Hearts: Bab 171 - Bab 180

"You wouldn't!" Nikolai whispered, real worry shining in his eyes Of course, Andrei was bluffing. He loathed cops as much as he was starting to hate his father, if not more. Turning state witness and betraying the family's trust was the furthest thing from his mind. But Nikolai didn't need to know this. In fact, the more convinced he was that Andrei was seriously considering running to the popos and singing like a canary, the more likely he was to reconsider his stance on his marriage to Holly. So Andrei pushed a little more, solidifying his bluff with a few more lies that sounded disturbingly convincing as he outlined his witness protection plan. "How long have you been thinking about turning state witness? When did you decide?" "Doesn't matter how long," he replied, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "What matters is that I am carefully considering all my options. All it would take is one phone call to Noah Boshoff, and a mystery file landing on the right desk, in the right o

Holly had been so focused on trying to get Willow to sober up that she'd failed to notice Andrei's meeting with his father was over. Now, because of her sister's big mouth, he very likely knew she was very close to being disowned by her father."Milaya?" Andrei said, his voice heavy with concern. "Why is your father cutting you off?"Horrified, mortified, and everything in between, Holly wished the ground would just open and swallow her whole. But after a minute passed and then two, and God still hadn't sent lightning to strike her down or split the ground open to gobble her up, she finally spun around with a shaky smile and tried to brush off Willow's comments as the ramblings of a drunken woman. "It's nothing. Don't pay her any mind. She's had a little too much to drink. She doesn't know what she's saying.""Yes, I do! Daddy threatened to cut you off when you told Liam you're in love with Drei. I was there, remember? On Aunt Ingrid's back porch? When Liam showed you Andrei's weddin

I know it's been a minute since the last update. If you follow me on my socials you know the reason for absence. If you don't follow me, my humblest apologies for going radio-silent. Without getting into to many details, life kicked my butt hard, and for a while it didn't look good. But here I am, finally seeing the light and ready to pick up Reckless Hearts. That said, I would like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for your patience. I know many of you may have lost interest in Reckless Hearts and moved on to other books, so you won't see this note. But for those who are still around, your support and patience means the world to me.With sincere gratitude, I thank you.P.S. I've summarised the events of Book 1 and 2 to get everyone up to speed without having to re-read the whole book, hope this helps jog your memory.Love,ValNote: if you want to connect with me, I go by @fading_inkstains.

Chapters 163–169: Becoming Mrs Ivanov Book 2 opens immediately after Holly and Andrei's wedding, exploring what it truly means to become part of the Ivanov family. Holly is formally welcomed as Matushka, the new matriarch of the Ivanov family, and undergoes the ancient Vow of Silence, binding herself to the family's traditions and secrets. While the ceremony symbolises acceptance, Rowena privately warns Holly that carrying the burden of the Ivanovs nearly destroyed Anya, and fears Holly may suffer the same fate. The newlyweds finally enjoy the wedding celebration Andrei secretly planned, but their happiness is short-lived when Nikolai storms the reception. He refuses to recognise Holly as Matushka, attempts to strike her, and openly challenges the marriage. For the first time, Andrei's lieutenants choose Andrei over Nikolai, signalling that power within the family is beginning to shift. Major developments Holly officially becomes Mrs Ivanov and Matushka. She takes the Ivanov fami

When Holly left Willow's room, she had a vague idea of where she wanted to go. But after aimlessly wandering the sprawling mansion, trying to find her way through the maze of rooms, only to end up where she had started, she was ready to admit defeat. She was utterly lost, her internal compass completely broken."How fun!" she muttered sarcastically as she stopped midway down a long corridor to study her surroundings, hoping for some clue to guide her. But only a GPS could save her at this point. She'd take a good old map, too.A nearby door swung open just then, and Holly couldn't hide her joy when Raymond, Andrei's butler, stepped out.She practically ran to him, ready to hug him. But the hard look in his eyes stopped her cold."Mrs Ivanov!" he exclaimed, his tone sharp like a splinter of ice. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!""You have?" "Yes, yes!" The butler said impatiently.Holly might not be book-smart, but nobody could ever accuse her of not being percep