I had to look away. I couldn’t bear it.
I wanted to hold her. To stay. But I couldn’t. Not when the people who did this were still breathing.
I turned to leave. But before I did, I looked at her one last time. “I will fix this, Anna. Even if it kills me.”
I stormed out of the room, my rage burning through my veins, my path set.
Grandma would die for this.
I should have killed her the first time. I thought sparing her would keep the balance. That family meant something. But she had made her choice. Now, I’d make mine.
Chapter 29
ANNA
––––––––
The signed divorce papers lay in front of me, an unspoken finality weighing down on my chest. I stared at them for what felt like an eternity, my fingers tracing the edges of the crisp white sheets. One signature, and Gleb and I would no longer be bound together. It was what I wanted, or at least, what I thought was best.
I told myself I needed peace. That leaving him would be the first step toward reclaiming my life. Yet, the thought of walking away left an ache so deep, it felt like a wound that would never close.
Five million. That’s all I had asked for. Enough to disappear, to start over. But he’d doubled it.
A final act of control? Or of kindness? I hated that I didn’t know the answer. Hated that a part of me wanted to return it, if only to prove I didn’t need anything from him.
Since yesterday, my body had been wrecked with pain, soreness between my legs, relentless cramps, an ache that settled deep in my bones. But I hadn’t told him. I didn’t want his concern. Not after he came home in the middle of the night, his clothes soaked in blood, his presence dark and haunting. My first instinct was fear. had he killed again? Had he avenged our daughter?
He had tried to talk to me, but I ignored him. Let him drown in the same silence that had swallowed me whole. Nothing he could say would bring my daughter back. No amount of bloodshed could fix what had already been lost.
Still, a part of me wondered, was I being too cruel?
I was leaving for the United States today. I knew Gleb could find me if he wanted to, but I doubted he would leave behind his empire just to chase after me. And even if he did, there were ways to seek legal protection. The only decision left was which state I would reside in. I wanted a place far from danger, a state where I could start over without the fear of being hunted.
The door opened. I didn’t need to look up to know it was him.
“My two cousins and my brother... Can you let them go?” My voice was quiet, hesitant. I knew I was asking for too much, but this might be my last chance to plead for them.
“They’re already on their way back to Italy,” he said simply.
I exhaled in relief.
Gleb walked toward me, a small box in his hands. He opened it to reveal a delicate necklace. a single diamond embedded in a silver chain. “It’s a gift, take it with you.” He murmured. “So you’ll remember me.”
As if I could ever forget him.
My throat tightened.
He was really letting me go.
I took the necklace, my fingers trembling as I held it. I studied the necklace, turning it between my fingers. It was simple. Beautiful. But I wasn’t naive enough to take it at face value. “You’re sure it’s just a gift?” I pressed, watching his expression carefully.
“Yeah.”
A bitter smile touched my lips. “You didn’t put a tracker in it, did you?”
“No.” His voice was soft. “It’s just a gift, Anna. A real one.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay.”
