Anna and Sofia, where are you now? Are you safe? Are you thinking of me too?
I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms again. This helpless feeling reminded me of the days right after myparents died—that agony of knowing your loved ones were in danger but being powerless to help.
But this time was different. I wasn't that helpless seven-year-old boy anymore. I had resources and power to search for and protect the people I loved. I wouldn't let history repeat itself.
No matter where they went, no matter what it cost, I would find them. Then spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes and winning back their trust.
Because without them, power, wealth, revenge—none of it meant anything.
They were my entire world.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Anna
At six in the morning, I stood outside Yekaterina's apartment door, holding a sleeping Sofia. The cold bit into my skin like needles, though I couldn't tell if it was from the dawn chill or the ice spreading through my chest. My finger hovered over the doorbell, unable to press it. Could I really drag Yekaterina into this? What if something happened to her because of me...
Finally, my fear for Sofia's safety won out. I pressed the bell, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Shuffling footsteps came from inside, followed by a muffled grumble. The door opened to reveal Yekaterina with wild blonde curls, wearing an oversized Mickey Mouse pajama shirt that made her look like a college freshman. She rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Who is it... this early..."
But when she saw me—disheveled, holding a child, tear tracks still fresh on my face, eyes wild with panic—she snapped awake instantly.
"Jesus Christ! Anna?!" she gasped, the last traces of sleep vanishing. She immediately stepped aside. "Get in here! It's freezing out there! What the hell happened to you?"
I stepped into her warm little apartment with Sofia, the familiarlavender scent wrapping around me and loosening my tightly wound nerves just a fraction. Yekaterina quickly shut and locked the door, then turned back to me, gripping my arms, her eyes searching my face.
"Anna, tell me what happened," she said urgently, voice low. "Did that bastard hurt you?"
My throat constricted, fresh tears threatening to spill. I held Sofia tighter.
"Katya, we need somewhere to hide," my voice came out thick and nasal. "Just for a few days... I don't want to drag you into this, but I don't know where else to go..."
Without hesitation, Yekaterina moved to my side and gently took Sofia from my arms. She carried her to the living room, carefully settling her on the couch and tucking a soft wool blanket around her small form.
Sofia frowned in her sleep, smacking her lips slightly, but didn't wake. The night's chaos and fear had been too much for a five-year-old.
"Now sit," Yekaterina guided me to the other end of the couch. "I'm making you something hot. You look ready to collapse. Then you can tell me everything."
I sat watching Sofia's sleeping face. Even in dreams, her brow was furrowed, tiny hands clutching the blanket. When we'd left the manor, she kept asking why we had to get up so early, why we couldn't wait for "Alex." I could only tell her this was a secret adventure, like her favorite fairy tales.
Yekaterina returned with two steaming cups of tea, pressing one into my frozen hands. The warmth seeped through the ceramic, chasing away some of the numbness in my fingers. I clutched the mug like a lifeline and tried to organize my jumbled thoughts, explaining as simply as possible—Alexander's hidden identity as a Pakhan, the constant threats, Tatyana moving in, and last night's fight that finally broke me. I left out the bloody details, just emphasized that I no longer felt the house was safe for Sofia.
When I finished, Yekaterina stayed silent for a long time. Herpretty eyebrows knitted together, fingers unconsciously tapping the cup. "I knew it!" she finally exploded, voice filled with vindicated anger. "Mob bosses are all the same! My family did business with him once—nearly gave my dad a heart attack! Who brings that many bodyguards to a business meeting? All of them with killer eyes! I should've warned you to stay away from him!" She got more agitated, slamming down her cup. "So now he's choosing his ex over you and Sofia?"
"I don't know, Katya," I shook my head wearily, feeling like my heart had a gaping hole with cold wind rushing through it. "All I know is that every second in that house, I felt like I was suffocating. I couldn't let Sofia stay in that environment anymore."
"You did the right thing!" Yekaterina said firmly, squeezing my hand with warm, strong fingers. "Leaving that kind of man was the right choice! Safety first! You and Sofia stay here as long as you need. I'd like to see who's got the balls to mess with you here!"
Her fierce loyalty was like a small but steady light cutting through the storm clouds in my world.
"Thank you, Katya. I don't know how to thank you. You've helped me so much over the years..."
"Stop! Don't!" Yekaterina held up a finger, cutting me off. She tried to look stern but her eyes were getting red too. "Anna Parker, you're talking about 'trouble'? Did you forget high school?"
"I got my lunch money stolen by those punks every day. And you—skinnier than me—kept stepping in front of me, arguing with them, even fighting them."
