جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 120

YULIAOne year. That was how long it had been since I left London.A year since I'd stepped onto that private jet with my mother, carrying two suitcases and a heart I wasn't sure would ever feel whole again.I had stopped counting the days somewhere around the sixth month.Life had simply moved on. So had I.“Yulia, please pass me the bread.”I reached across the breakfast table and handed it to Dmitri.“Thank you.”“You're welcome.”I continued eating while my mother poured herself another cup of tea. Andrei sat beside her, scrolling through something on his phone while Dmitri and Daria argued over who had taken the last piece of fruit.“Oh, Yulia. Before I forget, we're invited to a birthday celebration this weekend,” my mother announced.“Hmm. Whose birthday?”“One of Andrei's associates.”“Maxim Smirnov.” Andrei finally looked up from his phone. “You should come.”“Yes.” My mother smiled. “So you're coming with us.”I gestured to myself. “Me?”She chuckled. “Of course. Why not?”

NATALIE “Why the hell did you call me here?” “You know why.” He glowered at me and held out his hand. “Where's my money?” I scowled and reached into my handbag, pulling out an envelope. I tossed it onto the table. “Three thousand pounds.” He caught the envelope and counted the money. “I told you to wait until Friday to get the full amount.” I snapped. “But you keep calling me.” He scoffed, opened a small packet on the table, and took another sniff of the powder. I turned my face away in disgust. “You brought some when I called.” He peered at me. “That means when I call, you answer immediately!” I flinched at his tone. “Fine!” I hated the way he spoke to me. I hated the way he looked at me. Most of all, I hated the fact that I had allowed myself to get involved with him in the first place. Why did I ever agree to this plan? At the beginning, it had seemed simple. Everything had been carefully arranged. My mother had assured me that nothing could go wrong.

YULIAI was halfway through reviewing a case file when someone knocked lightly on my office door.“Come in, please.”The door opened. I looked up from the documents in front of me.One of my colleagues stepped inside carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers.My eyebrows lifted.“These are for you,” she said, smiling.I stared at the bouquet.The flowers were arranged beautifully, a mixture of soft pink roses, white lilies, and small clusters of delicate baby's breath. The arrangement was elegant without being too extravagant, wrapped in simple cream paper and tied with a dark green ribbon.“For me?”She laughed. “Yes, Yulia. Unless you know another Yulia around here.”I smiled and accepted the flowers. “Who brought them?”She shrugged. “Check it out. There's a card.”I checked. Sure enough, a small cream envelope was tucked between the flowers.“Thank you.”She nodded and walked out.I retrieved the card from the bouquet and opened it.Yulia,I hope these brighten your day as much as

YULIAThree weeks had passed, and without me realizing it, Alexei had become a comfortable part of my life.We talked almost every day. Sometimes it was a good-morning message before work. Other times we spent hours talking about absolutely nothing. He was easy to be around, patient, funny, and thoughtful in ways I hadn't expected. I really enjoyed his company.Now, I sat on my bed with my laptop open beside me, talking to Adeline over a video call. She had been asking questions about Alexei for the past ten minutes, and I couldn't help smiling at how invested she seemed in my relationship.“Sooo. . .” she said, narrowing her eyes at me through the screen, “give me the latest update. How is Mr. Alexei doing?”I laughed softly. “Why do you sound like you're conducting an interview?”“Because I need details,” she said, completely serious. “You disappeared to Russia, broke my heart by leaving me here, and now you're out there living your best life with a mysterious man. I deserve upda

KENDRICKI was dressed for work, my suit perfectly fitted, my watch secured around my wrist, and my phone already filled with notifications. I picked up my jacket from the back of the chair, about to leave my bedroom when I heard hurried footsteps coming down the hallway.“Daddy!”I turned just as a small figure came rushing through the open door.A grin immediately spread across my face. “Nalani.”She ran straight toward me, and I caught her in my arms before she could crash into my legs.“There’s my girl.”I lifted her off the floor and held her against me, covering her cheeks with kisses.She giggled, squirming in my arms. “Daddy, stop!”Her little voice made me laugh even harder.I kissed her forehead. “Daddy missed you.”Finally, I lowered her slightly but kept my arms around her. “How are you, Daddy's princess?”She placed both little hands on my cheeks and smiled. “I'm fine, Daddy.”“You're fine?”She nodded enthusiastically. “Vewyyy fine!”I chuckled. “Good. That's what I lik