Mafia King’s Bride

9. Ana

NINE

ANA

I stride across the lobby, eyes locked on the elevator, ignoring the buzz of my phone reminding me about an upcoming meeting. Not now. Nikolai Petrov is going to see his daughter today, whether he likes it or not.

If he won’t come to me, I’ll find my way to him. Simple as that.

“Miss Petrov!” I hear my name being called from behind, and I come to a sharp stop, sighing as I turn around. It’s Ivan, my father’s aide—a man with a huge family. I watch impatiently as he hurries toward me, taking his time while the elevator doors open and close like a ticking clock.

“Ivan,” I say, forcing a smile. “It’s been a while.”

He nods, but then his face flickers with realization. “I’m sorry,” he stumbles. “It’s Mrs. Orlov now, isn’t it?”

Oh, right.

I barely noticed. Being Mrs. Orlov doesn’t sit quite right, and honestly, I’m still more Nikolai’s daughter than Dmitri’s wife. Always will be.

“It’s fine. Is my father in his office?”

Ivan scratches at his beard, thinking. “I’m not sure. I haven’t seen him today, but that’s because I haven’t been upstairs. He’s usually at his desk unless something urgent has come up.”

“Thanks, Ivan.” I take the opportunity to slip into the elevator before another interruption can slow me down.

The ride to the top floor is quick, and soon I’m stepping out onto the plush carpet that leads to my father’s office. His door is at the end of the hall, but I’ve got to pass through Daria’s space to get there.

When Daria sees me, she stands up quickly, clearly surprised. “Ana! What brings you here?”

“I’m here to see Papa,” I say, glancing toward his door. “Is he in?”

She hesitates, and that’s my first red flag. “I’m sorry, Ana, but he’s not in his office right now. You could leave a message, and I’ll make sure it reaches him.”

This feels weird. If he wasn’t around, Daria wouldn’t have hesitated. She’s hiding something, and I’m not about to let it slide.

I move closer, resting my hands on her desk, looking her straight in the eye. “Daria, did Papa tell you why I married Dmitri?”

She sighs, eyes darting to the door before she looks back at me. “No, but I figured it wasn’t exactly a love match.”

“Exactly.” I nod. “And he wasn’t thrilled about it, as you can imagine. But now he’s avoiding me, and I can’t figure out why. If he’s in there, I need to see him. It’s important.”

Daria shakes her head, her expression soft with sympathy. “I swear, Ana, he’s not here. I wouldn’t keep you from seeing him if he was.”

I fold my arms, skeptical. “Then why did you hesitate?”

She sighs again, rubbing her temples. “It’s just… he came in this morning looking stormy. I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn’t tell me. Just mumbled something about ‘handling things,’ and then left quickly.”

My brow furrows. “Handling things? Have you ever seen him act like that before?”

She shakes her head. “No, that’s why it stood out. Your father’s always so composed, even when things get heated. But this morning he wasn’t himself.”

This doesn’t sound like my father at all. He’s a calculated man, always in control. Something is definitely off, and it’s starting to make me nervous. Did Dmitri do something? God, I hope not.

“Thanks, Daria,” I say, but my mind is already racing through a dozen worst-case scenarios.

She nods, and I force a smile before turning to leave. My phone starts buzzing again—Steve, of course—but I ignore him. I’ll have to deal with work later. Right now, I need to get to my father’s house.

If he’s not at the office, there’s only a few other places he might go. I’m going to find him. Before something bad happens.

By the time I’m packing up my things at the end of the day, it’s already fifteen minutes past six. I toss my paperwork into my bag when Steve, who has decided my office is a nice place to loiter, looks up.

“You’re leaving already?” he asks, almost incredulous. “Since when do you leave before dark?”

“Yup,” I mutter, not bothering to explain as I shove the last of my things into my bag. “Which means you should probably pack up too because I’m locking the door.”

“Huh,” he says, like he’s got something more to add but is biting his tongue. Fine with me.

“You were never in a hurry to leave early before,” he presses. “Things getting better at home?”

I pause, brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”

Steve shrugs, piling his papers into a neat stack. “Well, it’s not really my place, but...I just noticed you’ve been working late a lot recently. I figured something was up.”

I give him a sharp look, crossing my arms. “And?”

He holds up his hands, quick to retreat. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it! Just making an observation.”

I shake my head, exhaling in exasperation. “Well, you’re right—it’s not your place. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got somewhere to be.”

Steve stutters a quick apology before scurrying out of my office like a scolded puppy. Shaking my head, I grab my bag and lock up behind me. There’s only one reason I’d leave this office before sunset, and it’s definitely not to have dinner with Dmitri.

I’m going to see my father.

The drive to Papa’s place takes longer than usual—typical New York traffic—but eventually, I pull into the driveway of his Long Island home. Familiar faces greet me as I step out of the car, but no one mentions Dmitri. They know better.

The house hasn’t changed since the last time I was here, and nostalgia hits me as I walk through the hallway. It’s quiet—too quiet.

Oh well , I sigh to myself. Sacrifices, right? You gotta make them when there’s no one else to carry the burden.

I walk into the living room and spot Maxim immediately. His face lights up, arms open wide in that fatherly way of his—one of the few people left who hasn’t put distance between us.

“Anastasia. It’s been a while.”

There it is— Anastasia . Maxim’s the only one who still calls me by my full name and hearing it from him is like a warm hug I’ve been needing. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until now, how much I’ve missed home in all the ways that matter.

“Maxim,” I say, managing a small smile. “I came to see Papa. Is he around?”

At my words, his expression changes, his warm demeanor faltering. He shifts on his feet, looking uncomfortable. Something’s up, and I’m already tired of the secrets.

“Ah, Anastasia,” he says, his voice softer. “Your father is unavailable right now. Perhaps it’s best to come back another time.”

I narrow my eyes, already suspicious. “Maxim, what’s going on? Out with it. What are you hiding?”

Maxim glances around, his gaze flickering nervously. Without another word, he gently takes my elbow and leads me into a quieter corner of the room, out of earshot from anyone else.

My heart starts racing. Did something happen to my father? Is he sick? Worse?

Once we’re alone, Maxim lets go of my arm, and I turn to face him, squaring my shoulders. “What happened?” My voice is sharper than I intended, but I can’t help it. I need answers.

He sighs heavily, running a hand through his thinning gray hair. “Your father doesn’t want to see you. Not yet, at least.”

My stomach drops, the floor seemingly disappearing beneath me. “What?” The word comes out harsher than I mean. “Is this Dmitri’s doing? Because if he?—”

Maxim shakes his head quickly. “No, no. It’s not Dmitri. Your father doesn’t want to see you because he can’t bear to face you after what happened.”

I stare at him, the confusion twisting into frustration. “What do you mean ‘after what happened’? What did he do?”

Maxim looks at me with a deep sadness, like he’s been carrying this weight for too long. “Ever since your marriage to Orlov, your father’s been beside himself. He blames himself, Anastasia. For letting you carry his burden, for putting you in a position where you had no choice but to marry him. He’s been trying to find a way to make things right, but… he can’t face you until he feels like he’s done that.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. My father— my Papa —has been avoiding me, not because of Dmitri, but because of his guilt?

“He thinks I’m angry with him,” I mutter, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut. “But I married Dmitri because it was the only option. We both knew what had to be done.”

And now, after everything, he’s just going to disappear and leave me to deal with the consequences alone?

“I thought we were past all that,” I say, my voice rising, heat building in my chest. “I agreed to marry Dmitri so Papa wouldn’t have to pay the price for his mistakes. Now he’s going to push me away? Abandon me? After everything?”

My emotions are spiraling now, years of pent-up frustration crashing against the surface. I tried not to feel this way—I really did—but now it feels like I’m drowning. I was forced into this life, into this marriage, and now my father is too ashamed to face me?

“After everything I’ve sacrificed for him, the least he could do is stand by me !” I snap at Maxim, the words spilling out before I can stop them. “He’s the one who left me to deal with the fallout of all this. And now I’m supposed to just accept that he’s refusing to see me?”

Maxim sighs heavily, his hand resting on my shoulder again. “Anastasia, I understand how you feel. But give him time. Your father is a proud man. He can’t face you until he feels he’s made things right.”

I laugh bitterly, shaking his hand off. “Time? I’ve already given him time . I’ve done everything I can to protect him, to save him from this mess. But if he can’t face me now, after all of this, then maybe I’m better off without him.”

I take a step back, anger and sadness swirling together in my chest, the weight of everything pressing down on me. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them away quickly.

“I won’t reach out again,” I say firmly, my voice cold. “If he wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me. But I won’t be waiting.”

Before Maxim can say anything else, I turn and walk away, my footsteps echoing through the quiet house. Each step feels heavier than the last, but I refuse to stop. I refuse to let the tears fall.

I’ve never felt this alone before. But I’m strong, stronger than this fucked up situation.

I am still Anastasia Petrov. No matter what, I refuse to lose myself.

And they’ll see that. One way or another.