But Marcus's call threw everything off.
"Pakhan, our guys got ambushed on Tomaso's turf. We lost a dozen men."
A dozen? This was planned. That old bastard Tomaso!
I had to drop the plan to follow Anthea and get to headquarters to send reinforcements. By the time I finally finished dealing with it all, lunch was long over. My phone showed Anthea's location at the manor—she and the lawyer were done talking. I drove straight to the manor.
But when I got home, I didn't find Anthea and Olei waiting for me. I found her trying to leave with Olei—she'd discovered I'd broken into her apartment and violated her. So I took all her communication devices. I had the guards seal the manor tight. Not even a fly could getout. I knew this would only make her hate me more, but I had no choice.
I couldn't lose her. Not again.
The first couple days, Anthea seemed okay. Maybe she thought I wouldn't really keep her locked up forever, that she still had hope I'd let her go in a few days. Maybe it was just because Olei was there and she didn't want him to worry.
That afternoon, I came downstairs and saw her and Olei sitting on the carpet building with blocks. Her expression was soft as usual, her tone bright like always. I stopped, afraid to disturb their peace.
"Mommy, look, does this go here?" Olei held up a blue block, his little face full of expectation.
Anthea took the block and studied it carefully.
"Let me think..." She drew out the words, finger tapping her chin. "If we put it here, won't the castle tip over?"
"No, it won't!" Olei said urgently. "I calculated it—this is the most stable spot!"
"Oh? Our little architect calculated it?" Anthea raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of affection. "Then I believe you."
She handed the block back to Olei and watched him carefully place it on the castle. The block stood firm. Olei clapped his hands excitedly.
"Success! Mommy, look!" The little guy beamed with pride.
Anthea laughed, that smile so warm it was like spring sunshine, making me almost forget she was here because I'd imprisoned her.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Anthea ruffled Olei's hair, praise flowing freely. "My son's a genius!"
Olei's face flushed red, but he still tried to look modest, carefully controlling the curve of his lips.
"Mommy, will you build blocks with me every day?" Olei leaned into Anthea's arms.
Anthea's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly covered it. "Yes, Mommy will be with you every day."
Just then, the electronic watch on Olei's wrist beeped. He looked down, his little face scrunching up. "Mommy, I have to go study."
"Go ahead, baby." Anthea patted his back.
Olei climbed out of Anthea's arms and ran upstairs. When he passed me, he stopped and called out, "Daddy."
His tone still carried the happiness from moments before.
I nodded, watching his small figure disappear around the staircase. When his footsteps faded completely, the temperature in the living room dropped several degrees. I turned back to see Anthea already standing, her smile completely gone.
"How long are you planning to keep me locked up?" she asked coldly, those eyes that had been so gentle now capable of freezing everything.
My heart ached. I'd only heard her use that cold tone when we first reunited.
I met her gaze, my voice hard. "If you still want to leave, then forever."
She stared at me for a long time. I thought she'd say something—beg me to let her go, or curse me out. But she said nothing. She just walked past me and went upstairs to her room. The door slammed shut like a loud slap across my face.
That night, she refused to eat, didn't touch the steak on the table. After Olei finished dinner, she told him she was going to rest in her room, no interaction with me at all. Maybe she just didn't like tonight's steak? I told myself, since the meat wasn't tender enough and the seasoning wasn't great.
