All Chapters of Blood And Vows : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

MikhailThree weeks had passed since that night at the warehouse. Three weeks since Anastasia put a bullet in Nikolas Orlov's chest. Three weeks since I watched the light fade from the eyes of an enemy.I should have felt victorious. I should have felt peace.Instead, I felt hollow.“Mikhail?” Dmitri's voice cut through my thoughts as I stood in my office, staring out at Moscow’s skyline. “The burial arrangements for Orlov... should we proceed?”I turned from the window, my jaw tight. “What burial arrangements?”Dmitri shifted uncomfortably. “Well, the body needs to be disposed of properly. We can't just leave it in the warehouse freezer forever.”“Anastasia handled it.” The words came out harsher than I intended. “She said she took care of everything.”“But boss, there's been no funeral. No burial. The Bratva, they've been asking questions. They want to see the body and know that the enemy is really dead.” I walked to my desk and poured myself a glass of vodka, my movements were sha

MikhailThe drive back to the manor felt like a descent into hell. Every mile that passed under our wheels brought me closer to a confrontation I'd been dreading since that phone call. Liliana sat beside me in the passenger seat, her face pale, her hands trembled in her lap.“He's alive,” she whispered for the hundredth time. “He's actually alive.”I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles went white. “We don't know anything for certain yet.”“Those photos…”“Could be faked. The phone call could have been recorded.” I said doubting my words. The evidence was too real.My phone buzzed against the dashboard. Dmitri's name flashed on the screen.“What?” I answered sharply.“Boss, I just got word from our contact at the hospital. Nikolas Orlov was indeed being treated there under a false name.” He said in one breath.My blood ran cold. “What do you mean was?”“He's gone. Disappeared sometime last night. Security footage shows him walking out with two men, but the cameras mysterious

MikhailThe old church on Nevsky Prospect looked like a graveyard in the moonlight. Its crumbling stone walls and broken windows seemed to whisper warnings as I approached, but I ignored them. I had to know the truth about Anastasia, about Nikolas, about everything that had been tearing my world apart.My footsteps echoed on the cracked pavement as I walked toward the main entrance. The gun tucked inside my jacket felt heavier than usual, but I kept my hands visible. If this was a trap, I didn't want to give anyone the chance to shoot me before I got answers.The massive wooden doors was slightly opened, revealing nothing but darkness beyond. I paused at the threshold, every instinct screaming at me to turn around and leave. But I couldn't. Not when Liliana's life might depend on what I learned here.“Aunt Anastasia?” I called out, my voice echoing in the empty space.“Come in, Mikhail.” Her voice came from somewhere deep inside the church. “We don't have much time.”I pushed through

MikhailInstead of going to the penthouse, Dmitri drove to the safehouse on the outskirt of the city. The safe house smelled like antiseptic. I watched the medic stitch up Anastasia's shoulder wound while she gritted her teeth and refused to make a sound. Blood had soaked through her shirt, turning the white fabric dark red, but she was alive. That was what mattered."You should have told me the truth from the beginning," I said, my voice harder than I intended.She looked up at me with tired eyes. "Would you have believed me? Would you have trusted me enough to work together?"I didn't answer because we both knew the truth. I wouldn't have. The evidence against her had been too convincing, too perfectly arranged. Someone had played us all like pieces on a chess board."The phone," I said, holding out my hand. "The one you took from them. I want to see everything."Anastasia reached into her jacket pocket with her good arm and pulled out a small black device. "The encryption was milit

MikhailThe tension in the room was thick. I watched Liliana's face as she stared at Anastasia, waiting for an answer that didn't come. Dmitri stood frozen, his eyes darting between all of us like a trapped animal.But I trusted dmitri with my life. We have been together since we were sixteen. He can't stab me in the back, we are like brothers."Aunt Anastasia," I said slowly, my voice carrying the weight of years of trust and betrayal. "How do you know so much about Dmitri's background?"She opened her mouth, then closed it again. For the first time since I'd known her, my aunt looked genuinely scared."I... I've worked with him for years. Of course I know he's Russian.""That's not what I asked." I stepped closer to her, my hand moving instinctively toward my weapon. "I asked how you're so sure. How you're so certain that Dmitri isn't Lucian's son."Dmitri finally found his voice. "Because I can prove it." He reached into his jacket pocket, moving slowly so no one would shoot him. "