Page 41 of Anastasia

He nodded once more, turning on his heel, and walking toward the exit.

He was desperate for more soldiers, it was obvious. The last person anyone would go to for help was Adrik Zolotov. He was an independent man, and the whole world knew it. If it weren’t for the fact that my stepfather, Roberto, hadn’t introduced us as kids—we wouldn’t even bother speaking to one another.

Walking out of my office, I made my way to my room. The moment I was there, I opened my door and saw Anastasia sitting on the couch by the window. She looked like an angel as the sun caressed her delicate skin.

Walking over to her, I let my hand roam up her arm. It finally drew her attention, prompting her to look at me. I noticed the tears in her eyes for the first time just before she threw herself into my embrace. I instinctively wrapped around my arms her waist as she cried into the crook of my neck.

“I’m so tired of this!” she sobbed, pulling away and wiping her tears. My gaze was slightly narrowed in concern as I took her in.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, hoping she was okay.

She sat down on the bed before sniffling up her tears. I reached out to move some of her hair from her face as I stood in front of her.

“I got a call from my mother’s rehab facility and they told me she tried to kill herself,” she whispered. I pulled her into my lap and held her to me. My hand rubbed up and down her back as she wrapped her arms around me once again.

“I know Alex didn’t have a choice, but I can’t shake the feeling that all anyone ever wants to do is leave. My mum has been selfish my entire life.” Suddenly she stopped as realization came across her face. “I’m sorry, I tend to forget that you don’t care.”

She was preparing to get up, but I held onto her.

“Talk to me,” I muttered.

Anastasia

Iplaced my head on his shoulder. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I loved this side of him. He made me feel like I wasn’t alone at times, fostering a wish from me that he could act like that all of the time.

“All my life I have been acting like I washermother. I allowed myself to have hope that, for once, she was my mum and she wanted more from herself. I understand why she’s so sad. Her life is all screwed up, but is it selfish of me to wonder why she has to ruin mine?” I asked.

His hands rubbed my back soothingly again, leading to the butterflies in my stomach to suddenly awaken.

As I inhaled his cologne, I found myself growing a sudden craving for him that was more than sexual. It was hard to explain, but it was a lot harder for my mind to comprehend.

“I’m here for you, Bambolina, I just hope you remember that,” he stated. His voice was deep and rich with his perfect Italian accent sliding off each word. Being held by him felt like my favorite place in the world. With Valentino, I felt protected and cared for; I felt like I was finally home.

I smiled sadly.Was I foolish for feeling this way?

“I was going to visit her,” I whispered. He nodded his head silently, unwrapping his arms around me. I felt my heart drop at the absence of his arms. A whisk of wind hit me as the need for him to return grew drastically.

“Let’s go,” he declared.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I looked at him. I got off his lap, my gaze unwavering. He was so magnificent that I couldn’t keep my eyes off.

He let out a sigh before running a hand through his hair. Without saying a word, I continued to follow his hand while he stood up and fixed his suit.

“You’re coming?” I questioned, trying to ignore the way my heart swelled.

He ignored me and just grabbed my arm. My eyes lingered on his as he stared at me. He would do this quite often. Sometimes, I caught myself staring back and just wondering what was going through his mind.

“What?” I asked, rather bluntly.

He clenched his jaw and then began walking me out of his room. I didn’t say a word.

Valentino pulled me over to his side, continuing to stroll down the hall. I just followed right beside him until we made it outside, to his car. There was no longer any energy left in my system as he pulled open the passenger side door for me to get in. Once I was seated, he walked over to the other side and got in.

No words were exchanged as he started up the car and drove down the road.

“Where am I going?” he questioned. I completely forgot to give him the address.

“Sorry,” I muttered before telling him where the facility was. He seemed to know exactly where to go, so I took that as a sign to lean back in my seat. I wasn’t in the mood to discuss anything, so I turned toward the window in sorrow.

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