Chapter 15
Ava’s POV
My hands trembled. Then I shook my head and turned away. “No.
I was wrong. I thought… I thought it was him.
The man sobbed, his voice ragged. “Please… I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing
Fabio’s voice hardened. “So, you broke into her room and attacked her. Who sent you? Tell me, and maybe you’ll live.” Daniel added, “You’re lucky the Don changed his mind. You’d be dead already, you piece of shit.”
Fabio took my arm, leading me out of the room. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
“Free him,” I said, my voice flat.
Fabio stopped, his eyes wide with disbelief. “What did you just say?”
Then I said, meeting his dangerous gaze, “He’s useless. Don’t waste your time on him. With that, I left him speechless.
I walked, my mind filled with the man who destroyed my family. His face, sometimes clear, sometimes blurred, haunted me. When I felt threatened, his image flashed in my mind, a warning.
Who is he? Where is he? Why, after all these years….
I took a deep breath and went to the garage. My car had been sitting there for two days. I drove away from the villa, but my heart pounded. The old feeling of terror, the one I’d carried for years, was back.
A week had passed since I’d last seen Fabio. He was likely swamped with work, his business, and all the organizational responsibilities he carried.
And to keep myself occupied and find a sense of normalcy, I’d taken up gardening and floral arranging. It was a way to clear iny head.
I was mowing the lawn when I accidentally nicked my finger. “It was just a small cut, nothing serious,” I muttered to myself. “Need a hand?” A familiar voice broke through my thoughts. I turned slowly, and there he was, hands tucked into his pockets. “Fabio… you’re here,” I said, surprised. When did I start calling him by his first name so casually? I sighed and turned away. searching for a bottle of water to clean the cut. “I’m fine.”
He followed me into the garden shed, sighing as he looked around. “I see you’ve been keeping busy. Thinking of becoming a florist, like your mom’s hobby?”
My smile faltered at the mention of my mother. I glanced at him. “Yeah, it was her hobby… I didn’t realize how relaxing it could be.”
Then, my eyes landed on his hand. He’d been keeping it in his pocket. He’s injured. Without thinking, I took his hand in mine. “Oh, what happened to this?”
He seemed almost stunned as I held his hand, inspecting the scrapes and bruises on his knuckles and the thick bandage around his fist. He didn’t say a word; he just watched me.
When Hooked up, his eyes snapped away, and I felt a sudden flush. I let go of his hand a little too quickly and turned to grab scissors and some cloth for my own cul
“I had a bit of a… disagreement with some associates the other day,” he said, breaking the silence
“Why?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“Things didn’t go according to plan,” he replied, calm. “But it’s been handled. He then picked up a pink rose from the table and handed it to me. I took it without thinking and placed it in a vase.
+8 Pearls
“About this house,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Since you own it now. I was wondering if you’d be willing to sell it back to me. It’s… well, it’s the Romanov Residence, after all.” I looked at him, waiting for his response.
“Okay, so…” He eased himself into my little garden chair, which, let’s be honest, looked like a toddler’s seat compared to him.
He’s this huge, imposing guy, and the chair just seemed to shrink under his weight. I was half expecting it to fold like a paper crane. Then, thump! He was on the floor, his face turning a delightful shade of embarrassed tomato,
I tried to keep a straight face; I really did. But the sight of this powerful man sprawled on the shed floor was just too much. I burst out laughing, and it echoed around the small space.
He groaned, rubbing his backside, and gave me a look. “Really funny,” he grumbled, his cheeks still pink. “Didn’t realize I was your personal comedy show.”
“Sorry, I can’t help it…..
He had this half–annoyed, half–sheepish expression, which just made me laugh harder.
“A–Are you alright?” I asked, trying to sound concerned while leading him to a sturdier, much larger chair.
“Do I look
alright?” he grumbled, settling into the new chair with a noticeable wince.
He sat there, a definite frown etched on his face, but there was also a hint of… well, almost embarrassment. It was a sight! never expected to see. Yet, despite the potential danger, I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips. Why am I smiling? He could have me eliminated in a heartbeat.
“You’re not… you’re not going to, like, punish me for laughing, are you?” I asked softly, pressing my lips together to try and contain another giggle.
I handed him a bottle of water, and he took it with a clearly annoyed look.
He rubbed his face, then said, “Alright, let’s get down to business. You want to buy this house back?” He took a slow sip of
Water.
I nodded, letting out a long sigh to try and relax my tense jaw. “Yeah. I want to live here forever. I’m done with all that… marriage stuff. I just want to be single, live here, tend my garden, maybe adopt a bunch of cats when I’m older. And I want out of the organization. Like out and out-
”
He choked on his water, coughing, and then blurted out, “Are you seriously telling me this?”
His face suddenly turned serious, the playful annoyance vanishing. He placed the water bottle on the table with a sharp thunk and loosened his tie, his gaze intense. “Come here, a little closer,” he said, his voice low.
I took a step closer, bracing myself for whatever he was about to say. I knew I was pushing my luck. But the thought of leaving the organization, of shedding the Romanov name, felt like the only way to survive. If I was useless, then maybe, just maybe, they’d leave me alone.
“No one,” he said, his voice sounding with a dark edge, ‘gets to have a ‘normal life‘ when they’re the last Romanov, Think about it. Who’s going to protect you when they come back? They’ll kill you before you can even blink”
“But who are they? I don’t even know them…”
Exactly
