Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Crime Lord's Obsession : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Nikolai drove silently through the night to the shore. He took his personal jet for a flight across the island to a nightclub in the nearest city. He ordered several bottles of whiskey and sat alone in the velvet booth at the far end of the room. A half-empty glass of whiskey rested in front of him. He had come here to think of the next move after the interrogation had failed. This club had been his company for the last five years after his world fell apart. He had very many unanswered questions about the attack that had his head spinning. The whiskey burned as it slid down his throat numbing all the thoughts running around in his head. He poured another glass and downed it without hesitation. He leaned back, running a hand across his jaw, his eyes unfocused as the crowd blurred into the distance. He poured another glass and downed it. Then another, until eventually he picked up the whole bottle and downed them until at last the faces around him began to lose shape, and mouths

The shrill ring of the phone split the silence of the hotel room. She froze mid-step, her pulse immediately skyrocketing. For a moment, she stared at the vibrating phone lying on the bedspread as if it were a venomous snake. She already knew who it was. Only one person used that number and called this late.Her hands trembled as she reached for it, dread pooling deep in her stomach. When she finally answered, her voice was barely above a whisper."H–Hello?""Sweetheart." The voice on the other end was terrifyingly calm.Her breath caught in her throat. "B–Boss…she whispered."I heard about last night," he said. Not a question, but a statement whose every syllable carried the weight of a storm about to break.Her throat went dry. "It wasn’t supposed to happen that way. I'm sorry, sir… I wasn’t careful. He wasn’t supposed to see me."The man chuckled softly, though there was no humour in the sound. "Of course, you were not careful, otherwise Nikolai wouldn’t have chased you halfway acro

Nikolai stood by the cemetery, unbothered by the downpour. His back jacket suit clung to his shoulders, his jaw clenched. The pain he felt in his heart was raw, just like how it felt five years ago. Roman's report on the investigation had revealed that there was only a one per cent possibility that the lady in the bar was Rosa. The remaining ninety-nine was that she was dead, just yet to be proven. Roman stood a few paces behind, an umbrella in his hand, silently watching his boss break down. How he wished he could ease his pain. "Boss," he said after a while when the downpour increased its intensity, "we should go. You’ll catch a cold." Nikolai didn’t move, he glanced at him, his eyes terrifyingly cold. "She would’ve turned twenty-eight today, and our daughter seven," his voice cracked. Roman exhaled slowly. "I know, but it's not your fault that it happened." Nikolai crouched, placing a single white rose on the headstone. His fingers lingered over the petals for a moment b

The scent of freshly brewed coffee and buttered toast filled the kitchen. Nikolai stood by the counter, sleeves rolled up, quietly arranging breakfast on a tray — eggs, fruit, and warm croissants. He paused on his tracks, last night replayed on his head- the taste of her lips, the sound of her voice when she called his name. The thought made his blood boil in his veins. It wasn’t supposed to happen to begin with but still, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Instead, he swore to cherish it. He placed the coffee cup down, exhaled deeply, and murmured under his breath, 'What have you done, Nikolai? You were only supposed to protect her, yet you've already slept with her twice!' ~~~~~~~~~~ Upstairs, Isabella stirred beneath the sheets. For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was until her eyes caught the faint mark on her wrist and the scent of his expensive cologne on the pillow beside her. Her heart raced in her chest. She sat up quickly, clutching the blanket to

Nikolai stood before the large mirror in his private suite, adjusting the cuffs of his black silk shirt. Behind him, a large white box lay open on the bed, inside was a deep sapphire-blue evening dress, its fabric flowing like midnight waves and delicate diamond cuts traced the neckline, designed to match the pendant he had bought her. When Isabella entered the room, she paused at the door, she hadn't seen it earlier. "What’s this?" she asked, her brows furrowing in curiosity, her big round eyes widening. Nikolai chuckled at her reaction and turned to her, his gaze softening. "A gift," he said simply. "You’re wearing it tonight." "What's happening tonight? Where are we going? she asked blinking. He smirked faintly, stepping closer and pulling her gently so that she fell into his embrace with a gasp. He slowly leaned and whispered in her ears, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. "I'm taking you out on a date." Isabella's lips parted in surprise. "A date?" He nodd