Page 41 of Sweet Deception (Savage Vow #2)

ANNA

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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.”

He hesitated. “Let me take you to the airport.”

I nodded. “Thank you for letting my sibling go.”

He dipped his head, but I could see the sorrow in his eyes. The helplessness.

I picked up the pen, forcing my heart into silence. My hand trembled as I moved to sign my name.

This was what I wanted. This was what I needed. But why did it feel like I was making a mistake? Why did it feel like leaving him wouldn’t bring me the peace I craved?”

“Anna...” His voice cracked.

I looked up, meeting his gaze. His face was flushed, and unshed tears lingered in his stormy eyes.

“I have to, Gleb.”

“Because of our daughter?”

I swallowed. “Not just that.” My voice wavered, but I pushed forward. “We’re caught in a war older than us, Gleb. For my peace of mind, for my sanity... I need to stay away from it all.”

He exhaled deeply, rubbing a hand over his face. Then, in a quiet, almost broken voice, he said, “That stillborn baby you held yesterday... wasn’t ours.”

My breath stalled.

My fingers went numb, and the pen slipped from my grasp. “What?”

He looked away, shame shadowing his features. “I should have told you sooner.”

I shot up from the bed, my pulse pounding in my ears. “What are you saying?”

“Our child is alive, Anna.” His voice was low but firm. “He’s a boy. Your father has him.”

The world tilted beneath my feet.

I gripped the bedpost, my knees threatening to buckle. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

He stepped toward me, but I flinched back.

“Our son is with your father,” he repeated.

No,” I whispered, shaking my head. This couldn’t be real. It was too cruel, too impossible. I had grieved. I had mourned. I had held a dead child in my arms. But Gleb wasn’t flinching. His jaw was tight, his expression solemn.

“Anna...”

“No,” I said again, louder this time. I stumbled back a step, my breath coming too fast. My chest felt tight, my stomach twisted so hard I thought I might be sick. “You’re lying. You have to be lying.”

“I wish I was,” he said, and the quiet devastation in his voice made my knees weaken. “But our son is alive.”

Something inside me shattered. “And you let me mourn a dead child? You let me believe...” My voice broke. Anguish ripped through me. “How could you?”

“It wasn’t my plan,” he said, his own voice strained. “I thought he was dead too. But then I found out... Your father took him. With my grandmother’s help.”

My stomach twisted violently.

Rage.

“Your father wants you dead, Anna. I couldn’t risk losing you too.” He said. “If I had told you, you’d probably be in Italy right now.”

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “You think keeping me in the dark was the better option? Do you have any idea how I feel right now?” My voice cracked. “I mourned a child that wasn’t mine. I grieved for a loss that didn’t exist.”

“I thought I was protecting you.” He said softly, his voice strained

“I’m going to call my father.”

“And tell him what?”

“None of your business,” I snapped, though the words tasted like poison on my tongue.

My hatred for my father burned hotter than ever. How could he do this? How could he steal my child and think I’d simply accept it?

I picked up my phone, dialing the number I never thought I’d call again. To my surprise, the call connected.

“Anna.” His voice was calm. Gentle, even.

My vision blurred with tears. “May you reap every ounce of the evil you’ve sown.”

“You didn’t call to curse me, did you?”

“My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles turned white. My stomach churned, nausea rising in my throat. “You stole my baby.” The words barely made it past my lips.

“Of course, Anna. That was the plan all along.”

I gasped, horror constricting my chest. My vision blurred with unshed tears. He spoke as if this was normal. As if I had never mattered beyond my ability to give him an heir.

“You are a monster.” My voice trembled. “I renounce you as my father.”

“The baby is ours, not just yours,” he said flatly. “He is strong and healthy, Anna. I will raise him to be a leader. A bridge between our cartels and the Russians. He will be the key to ending this war.”

My fingers clenched around the phone. “Are you telling me I’ll never see my son?”

“I’m telling you that if you don’t return to Italy within twelve hours, you won’t live to see tomorrow.” He sighed. “Your sister has already told me how much Gleb loves you. If I could avoid killing my own daughter, I would. But you might leave me no choice.”

I ended the call, my hands shaking violently. The pain in my chest was unbearable. Knowing my child was alive should have been a relief. But it wasn’t. Because he wasn’t in my arms.

Gleb’s voice cut through my despair. “I’ll get our son back. That’s a promise.”

“How? Walk into Italy and demand him?” I scoffed bitterly.

He sighed. “Anna, can you stop fighting me? He’s my son too.”

“My father threatened to kill me unless I return to Italy within twelve hours. I can’t even trust you to protect me.”

“Fine. Sign the divorce papers and leave.”

“Really? You already want me gone.”

“I know I failed you, Anna.” He swallowed hard.

“But if staying with me only makes you hate me, then maybe you should go. You think I’m doing nothing?

” His voice was eerily quiet. “I haven’t slept.

I haven’t eaten. I’ve spent the past twenty-four hours calling every contact I have, bribing people, threatening others, sending my men across the country. ”

I blinked, taken aback. He did look... drained. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his normally composed expression now strained.

“I never...” My throat tightened. I had been angry. Desperate. But not once did I truly want to leave him.

“I’m tearing Moscow and Rome apart to get him back,” he continued. “And the only thing I get in return is you looking at me like I let this happen.”

“I had my grandmother killed in the same hospital where our son was taken. I burned the place down to send a message.” His voice was tight and rough.

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

“Gleb...” I whispered.

“She deserved it,” he said after a pause, his voice tight. “For what she did to you. To our baby.” His hand ran over his face.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered.

Was I apologizing for my anger? For blaming him? Or for the fact that, despite everything, I still wanted to trust him?

My hands trembled as I clutched the fabric of my dress. I felt like my body had become a hollow shell, like my son had been ripped from me along with the air in my lungs.

Gleb reached for me, but I jerked away, wrapping my arms around myself. “Every second, I wonder if he’s crying for me. If he’s cold. If he’s scared. And I can’t do anything, Gleb.” My voice cracked.

He exhaled sharply, his fingers clenching at his sides. “I know. And that’s why I won’t stop until he’s back.”

Silence.

When I finally raised my gaze, I saw him leaning against the doorframe, watching me. He looked... tired. Not just physically, but soul-deep. Like a man worn down by everything he had done, everything he had lost.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and stood on unsteady legs. Slowly, I walked toward him.

When I reached him, he pulled me into his arms.

A sob tore through me. “I’m not going anywhere, Gleb. We’ll get through this. Together.”

He tightened his grip, as if he needed to believe that. “I’ve already handled my side of the family. I’ll renegotiate with the others today. As for your family... with the amount of money I’ve spent, we should get answers soon.”

I nodded against his shoulder. “I just wish I had our baby here,” I murmured. “I imagined what it would be like, holding him, hearing him cry, waking up to his little hands reaching for me.”

Gleb’s fingers caressed my back. “I’ll get him back, Anna.”

I closed my eyes, letting myself believe him. Letting myself hope.

We stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, saying nothing. Just breathing. Just waiting.

Then my legs gave out.

Gleb caught me immediately, lifting me effortlessly, his hands supporting my weight.

“Yesterday, you said you love me,” I whispered. “Did you mean it?”

“Anna..”

“I need to know,” I choked out.

His eyes darkened, and suddenly his lips were on mine. Desperate. Wordless.

“I love you,” he murmured against my lips. “With everything I have.”

My chest ached. I pulled back just enough to see his face, my fingers grazing his jaw.

“After all this is over...” Gleb exhaled. “I want us to start over.”

I looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“A real wedding. Just you and me. No forced vows, no threats hanging over our heads.” His thumb brushed my cheek. “I want to give you the life I should have given you from the start.”

My chest ached at the quiet sincerity in his voice.

A small, shaky smile tugged at my lips. “I’d like that.”

“And our baby will be watching, too.”

A lump formed in my throat. “Yeah...” I swallowed hard.

“But during the ultrasound, they told us it was a girl.”

Gleb stilled.

“My grandmother and your father made the doctors fake the results.”

I nodded, unable to speak.

Gleb’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen before answering. “Boris.”

He set me down gently, my heart hammering. His expression remained unreadable, but I saw it, a fleeting spark behind his gaze.

“Say that again,” Gleb demanded. His fingers curled tightly around the phone.

My breath caught. Please. Please, let it be good news.

Then, his face changed. His lips parted slightly, his grip on the phone loosening. Disbelief. Hope.

“I’ll be waiting,” Gleb said and ended the call.

“What?” I demanded, crawling toward him. “Gleb, what is it?”

He turned to me slowly, his voice thick with emotion. “They have your father.”

“His mistress betrayed him. Gave up his location.”

A rush of relief flooded me. “Oh, thank God.”

But Gleb wasn’t finished. His gaze locked onto mine, something unreadable flickering in his expression.

“What?” I asked, my pulse quickening.

“Our baby...” He took a slow step toward me. “They found our baby, Anna. He’s being sent over, too.”

My heart stopped.

The air left my lungs, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

My knees buckled. I didn’t realize I was falling until Gleb caught me.

“You... you don’t mean that,” I whispered.

“He’s alive,” Gleb murmured. “He’s coming home.”

A pained sob escaped me. I buried my face against his chest, shaking with relief so strong it hurt.

Gleb caught me, holding me tight as I cried into his shoulder. His hand slid up my back, anchoring me to him.

Was I truly going to see my baby again?