Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Alexander
I shifted on the couch and felt a sharp ache shoot through my neck, snapping me awake.
Opening my eyes, morning sunlight leaked through the blinds, carving thin strips of light across the hardwood floor.
The study reeked of coffee and tobacco, with papers and photos scattered across the desk alongside several cold coffee cups.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my stiff neck. The clock read seven-thirty.
Anna and Sofia should be having breakfast in the dining room by now.
Thinking about last night's fight, a heavy wave of guilt crashed over me.
I'd said terrible things, dismissed her concerns about her daughter's safety as being "paranoid.
" Looking back now, those words stabbed at my heart like needles.
I stood up, working the numbness out of my limbs, and decided to shower first, then find them and apologize. Maybe today I could take Sofia to see those ponies she'd been talking about nonstop. It was a promise I owed her.
The hallway was quiet, only my footsteps echoing in the empty space. When I pushed open the bedroom door, something felt wrong. Too quiet. The air lacked the faint scent of Anna's perfume. I walked to the bed and touched the sheets—ice cold.
"Maybe she got up early, took Sofia to the garden," I muttered, but unease was already crawling up my spine like tiny ants.
I went to the closet and opened the doors.
Several of Anna's usual outfits were missing, including that blue dress I particularly loved.
I checked her vanity next—her makeup bag and daily skincare products were gone.
In the drawer, her ID and passport had vanished too, leaving only the credit card I'd given her lying there untouched.
That's when it hit me. They were gone.
The moment that thought surfaced, my brain went completely blank, like I'd been hit with a sledgehammer.
Then came the torrential rage and panic, crashing together in my chest, nearly tearing my sanity apart.
Blood roared in my ears, and the world started spinning like I was standing on a ship's deck in a storm.
I rushed to Sofia's room and pushed open the door. Empty. The little bed was neatly made, but her favorite doll lay abandoned on the carpet—it should have been in her bed, where it spent every night with her. Now those black button eyes seemed to accuse me of my failure.
Drawings covered the wall, one showing our family of three holding hands in the garden. She'd drawn a red crayon heart above our heads with "Family" scrawled beside it in wobbly letters. Looking at those innocent strokes, something twisted painfully in my chest.
Every detail from last night's fight flooded back with crystal clarity. Anna's tear-filled eyes, the tremor in her voice, the slam of the door when I stormed out. How could I have been so fucking stupid? How could I say such cold things to a mother worried about her child's safety?
My chest tightened, breathing became difficult—that familiar suffocating feeling hit me.
The room started spinning, walls pressing in, ceiling dropping low.
I recognized the signs of my PTSD kicking in.
Those bloody memories surged like a tide—my parents in pools of blood, the empty mansion, that bone-deep loneliness.
Now it was back, threatening to swallow me whole again.
But I couldn't break down. Not now.
I took several deep breaths, digging my nails into my palms. The pain helped me focus.
If Anna really had left with Sofia, they were exposed to real danger right now.
Marcus Warren was still out there, the Kolov family circling like vultures.
Without my protection, they were walking naked among wolves.
I walked to the stairway and shouted down. "Mark!" My voice echoed through the empty house, carrying a tremor I didn't even realize was there.
Minutes later, Mark hurried upstairs. Usually calm and composed, now his brow was furrowed, his face troubled.
"Sir, what do you need?"
"Where are Anna and Sofia?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.
Mark's expression grew even more grim. "I... I thought you knew. I haven't seen Miss Anna and Miss Sofia since last night. They didn't come down for breakfast—the kitchen prepared everything, but it's still sitting there untouched."
My heart sank. That icy feeling spread from my feet through my entire body, like being plunged into freezing water.
I told Mark to get Ivan to my study immediately—highest priority emergency. While waiting, I rechecked Anna's closet and vanity, hoping to find some clue that would prove me wrong. But each search only confirmed what I feared most—they were really gone.
Ten minutes later, Ivan rushed in. Still wearing last night's clothes, exhaustion written on his face, but when he saw my expression, he snapped to attention.
"Anna and Sofia are missing." I cut straight to the point, my voice cold as Siberian wind. "No one's seen them since last night."
Ivan's face immediately turned serious.
"I want every available man mobilized now. Lock down all transportation hubs, check every surveillance camera. Contact our people at airports, train stations, bus terminals—see if there's any record of them." My voice was steady, but the fire in my eyes could burn everything to ash.
"Yes, I'll arrange it immediately," Ivan nodded.
"And remember," I added, my voice carrying unmistakable authority, "under no circumstances are they to be harmed. No matter what happens, their safety is the top priority. If anyone touches a hair on their heads, I'll bury their entire family."
Ivan left quickly to execute the orders. I stood alone in Sofia's room, taking in this space filled with her presence. Her favorite storybook still lay on the nightstand, the closet door ajar, revealing her little pink dress. Everything so familiar, yet hollow without her here.
I walked to her bed and picked up the abandoned bunny toy.
Its fur was matted from her hugs but still soft.
I remembered when she got this gift half a month ago—she'd slept with it every night since.
Once when it accidentally went to the laundry, she cried all night until I personally went to retrieve it.
Now she'd left behind even this most cherished companion. That fact hurt more than any accusation—Anna had taken Sofia, and they were so determined to leave this place, to leave me.
I realized the fatal mistake I'd made—I'd been so focused on protecting their physical safety that I'd completely ignored Anna's emotional needs.
Tatyana moving into the manor, my "cooperation" with my ex, the things I'd said defending Tatyana—I was only now beginning to understand what all that meant to Anna.
Footsteps interrupted my thoughts. A maid approached nervously, holding an envelope.
"Sir, we found this by the front door..."
I took the envelope. Anna's neat handwriting, just my name. My hands trembled slightly. I opened it to find a single sheet with just a few brief lines:
Alexander,
I've taken Sofia and left. Not because I don't love you, but because I have to protect her. I can't keep her in this uncertain environment anymore.
Please don't come looking for us. It's better for everyone.
Anna
The paper shook in my hands. Her handwriting was still so familiar, but the finality in those words cut like a knife.
"Don't come looking for us."
Did she really think I'd give up on them? Did she think I'd let them face this dangerous world alone?
I stood up, gripping the letter tightly. Enemies still lurked out there, Marcus Warren's threat hadn't been eliminated, and the most precious people in my life thought leaving me was safer than staying.
This pain was more excruciating than any physical torture.
But I wouldn't give up. I couldn't give up.
I grabbed the phone and dialed another number.
"It's me," I said to the voice on the other end, my tone carrying an unfamiliar coldness even to myself. "Cancel all other operations. There's only one priority now—find my family. Use every resource, every contact. Find them fast."
After hanging up, I took one last look at Sofia's room. That drawing was still on the wall, that innocent sketch of a happy family now seeming both precious and distant.
I walked to the window, gazing out at the peaceful garden.
Sunlight danced on the rose bushes, dewdrops sparkling.
Anna loved pruning the flowers at this time of morning while Sofia chased butterflies on the lawn.
Those ordinary mornings, those tender moments I'd missed because of work—looking back now, every single one was precious.
I picked up Anna's letter again. I noticed a blurred mark in the bottom right corner, like a dried water drop. Were those her tears? Had she been in as much pain as I was now when she wrote this?
This discovery made my heart even heavier. She hadn't left coldly—she'd left with the same pain and helplessness. That made me even more certain I had to find them, not to imprison them, but to make amends.
A knock at the door interrupted my self-recrimination. Tatyana.
"Alexander, I heard Anna and Sofia are missing." Her voice carried concern. "Do you need my help?"
"No," I answered curtly. "I'll handle it."
"Listen, I know we've had our differences, but if you need my intelligence network..."
"I said no." I cut her off, my tone harsher than intended. "Actually, I want you to move out of the manor temporarily. I've booked you a hotel room. Ivan will take you there."
Tatyana froze. She was silent for a moment. "I understand," she finally said, hurt creeping into her voice. "If that's what you want."
After Tatyana left, I felt a surge of relief. This decision should have been made long ago. Anna's feelings mattered more than any strategic advantage. If I'd understood that sooner, maybe things wouldn't have come to this.
Outside, storm clouds were gathering, promising heavy rain. The thought of Anna and Sofia somewhere out there, cold and wet without proper protection, made my heart clench painfully.
Ivan called back, and I answered immediately.
His voice carried tension. "Pakhan, we have something. Someone spotted a vehicle and people matching the description at a motel on Long Island. But when our people got there, they were already gone. The staff said they only stayed one night and checked out early this morning."
"Any clues about where they were heading?" I asked urgently.
"Mrs. Volkov seemed cautious, didn't reveal anything. But the staff said she asked about directions and timing to get to the airport."
Airport. My heart sank. If they left New York, the search would become infinitely more difficult.
"Double the surveillance at all airports, train stations, and bus terminals immediately. I want our people at every exit." I ordered. "And keep tracking that vehicle. They might have switched cars or changed their travel method."
"Understood." Ivan nodded and left quickly to execute the orders.
I walked to the window, watching the darkening sky outside. The first raindrops hit the glass, then multiplied rapidly until the entire world was shrouded in rain.
Anna and Sofia, where are you now? Are you safe? Are you thinking of me too?
I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms again. This helpless feeling reminded me of the days right after my parents died—that agony of knowing your loved ones were in danger but being powerless to help.
But this time was different. I wasn't that helpless seven-year-old boy anymore. I had resources and power to search for and protect the people I loved. I wouldn't let history repeat itself.
No matter where they went, no matter what it cost, I would find them. Then spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes and winning back their trust.
Because without them, power, wealth, revenge—none of it meant anything.
They were my entire world.