Instead, I replied, “Yes?”
The door flung open to reveal a disheveled-looking Aleksandr along with Susan, our receptionist. “I’m sorry, Dr. Whitfield. I tried to keep him out.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “It’s okay. I’ll see him.”
“Are you sure? I can call security.”
“No, Susan. It’s fine.”
She nodded reluctantly before shooting Aleksandr a venomous look. To my surprise, he wasn’t giving her one of his smirks or cocky remarks. Instead, his face was ashen.
Once we were alone, I cocked my brows at him. “Don’t tell me you busted in here to plead with me to take Maksim back?”
Aleks shook his head mournfully. “My uncles tried to assassinate Maksim yesterday afternoon.”
The words pierced through my chest like icy daggers. No matter how hard I tried to speak, I couldn’t find my voice. Finally, I croaked, “Is he…?”
“He’s alive. Barely.”
Staggering back, I collapsed into my chair. Maksim was almost killed. He could’ve died. It was one thing to know he was alive in the world without me speaking to him, but it was quite another thinking he was gone.
“Thank God,” I murmured.
“It’s seriously an act of God that he’s still here.”
“What happened?”
“The bastards stabbed him repeatedly.”
“Stabbed?”
Aleks nodded. “They used knives instead of guns to not draw too much attention.”
The thought of Maksim being hurt and in pain caused a shudder to echo through me. Pinching my eyes shut, I asked, “Why are you telling me this?”
“I want you to come and see him.”
“Aleks, I–”
When his arms grabbed my shoulders, my eyes popped open. “He’s in a coma right now, Sarah. The doctors said there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be waking up. Don’t you see? Right now, he doesn’t think he has anything to live for. That’s why he won’t come back to us.”
Agony ricocheted through me, but in my stubbornness, I argued, “Please don’t ask me to do this.”
“I have to. You’re the only person who could bring him through.”
“Considering you were a part of his deception, I shouldn’t even be talking to you.”
“For fuck’s sake, Sarah, the man is in a coma!”
“I’m aware of that.”
“Then start fucking acting like it.”
I narrowed my eyes in fury at him. “How dare you talk to me like that?”
“Look, I know besides the fact I’m a man, I also can’t possibly know the pain you’re feeling, considering the way Maksim went about things. But listen to me when I say this. Maksim loves you. He has been in love with you since before he kidnapped you. Maybe from the first moment he saw your picture. And yes, he was a fucking idiot for deceiving you as he did, but you have to understand he’s never been in love before.”
“He hasn’t?”
