A Moment Of Reflection…

Ivan. The metallic scent of gun oil and raw tobacco always brought a strange sort of order back to my head.I stood near the far wall of the industrial warehouse on the outskirts of Moscow with a lit cigar pinned between my index and middle fingers.I dragged a deep inhale of the tabacco, holding it in before exhaling. The thick, grey smoke curled upward toward the rusted steel rafters before dissipating slowly.It was a habit I’d tried to kill a dozen times over the years and had failed. But these days, I keep it far away from the estate.Vanya hated the smell. She'd banned me from lighting up anywhere near our bedroom, near her, or inside the house, and I obeyed her without a second thought.If my wife asked me not to bring poison into our home, I took it to the docks or the warehouses.Through the hazy cloud of ash, I watched my men work.They were moving crates of high-grade military hardware and heavy crates of unmarked ammunition, stack by stack, securing the shipments destine

Fireworks In Your Heart…

I blinked, shifting my gaze to my young right-hand man. He was looking at me cautiously, holding out the manifest for the final signatures.“You lost me for a second, Boss,” Lev said softly.“I heard you,” I grunted, flicking the spent butt of my cigarette onto the concrete floor and crushing it beneath the heel of my boot.Snatching the pen from his hand, I scribbled my signature across the bottom of the document, and tossed it back against his chest. “Lock down the south bay. I’m going home.”“Yes, Boss.”_The estate was quiet as I made my way up the wide marble staircase. I pushed our bedroom door open and stepped inside.Vanya was standing in front of the long vanity, dressed in a sleek, ivory silk nightgown that pooled around her ankles.She held a silver brush in her hand which she slowly dragged through her dark, shining hair.Even after past-odd years, after carrying twins, after all the grief and time that had tried to wear her down, my wife was still the most breathtaking c

Disobedience…

For a long moment, she remained still. Then, I felt her exhale a deep, soft breath.Vanya set the silver brush down on the table. She turned slowly in my arms, reaching up with her small, warm hands to cup both sides of my face. Her dark eyes, soft and clear, searched my features.“I’m not angry with you anymore, Ivan,” she said softly, her thumb gently tracing the line of my jaw. “I know you love us. I know you tried.”Relief, pure and heavy, washed over my chest like a tidal wave. I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holding since forever, staring down at my wife as a faint, breathless smile touched my mouth.“You scared the hell out of me,” I grumbled, my voice thick as I wrapped my arms completely around her, lifting her clear off her feet. “I thought you were going to lock me out for a month.”Vanya let out a quiet, melodic laugh—a sound I would trade my entire empire to hear—and wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her toward the high bed.I laid her down on the s

Who Sets The Rules…

Her cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and hesitation, but she knew better than to push me when my tone dropped like that.Slowly, Tasya sat cross-legged on the cold floor in the center of the room, looking up at me like a child awaiting judgment.I stood up from my desk, took three slow steps forward, circling her seated form like a hawk hovering over its prey.I stopped behind her, then circled back to the front before crouching down directly in front of her.“Have you apologized to your mother for how you spoke to her yesterday?” I asked softly.Tasya swallowed hard. I saw the sharp bob of her throat as she looked at me. “No, Papa... not yet. She left early today.”“And what is that paper in your hand?”Tasya shifted slightly, holding out the paper. “It’s... it’s a plan for my birthday next week. I wanted to talk to you about it because Mama said we shouldn't celebrate it this year. She said we should keep it quiet.”I took the paper from her fingers, glancing down at

All Chapters of The Mute Bride For The Don: Chapter 261 - Chapter 264

A Moment Of Reflection…

Fireworks In Your Heart…

Disobedience…

Who Sets The Rules…