5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Anastasia
O nce my tears dry, I decide that I am not going to waste this opportunity to explore the city. Adrien said I wasn’t a prisoner. If he won’t take the time to get to know me, then I’m going to take the time to know his city. This is my city now as well.
The house is so huge, it’s like a maze, and it takes me a minute to find the front door. He said I had to take a guard with me when I go out but I say bullshit to that. I’m tired of being treated like a prisoner. I’m going out on my own.
I go outside and see a guard down the driveway but that’s it. It’s day out now, so I guess the guard duty is lighter this time compared to at night. I just have to get past that one guard and then I’m free to explore Paris on my own terms.
There’s a tree-lined area next to the driveway that I can hide in and slip through.
Taking a deep breath, I run to the trees before anyone can stop me.
My heart is racing as I hide behind a tree, waiting to see if Adrien or any of his guards come rushing out to grab me and force me back into his house.
But nothing like that happens.
I move slowly through the trees to limit the sound I make. The guard at the end of the driveway doesn’t even see me. His eyes are trained to pay attention to threats and I’m not a threat.
I make it out of the trees and onto the road before I take off running.
I quickly lose breath. I was never one for cardio that much.
Thankfully, I have my phone with me so I get an Uber once I’m far enough away from the house.
The driver shows up within fifteen minutes and takes me into the city proper.
I have him drop me off near the Eiffel Tower.
I mean, if I’m going to see Paris might as well do some of the iconic things first. I spend the day looking at the famous sights and getting a bite to eat from a cute café.
The one thing I was not prepared for is the fact that practically everyone smokes here.
It makes the city stink but the city is so beautiful that I’ll forgive the people for it.
I don’t have a lot of money on me so I can’t buy anything but that doesn’t stop me from going to nice shops and trying on clothes.
My mom used to take me and my sisters shopping for clothes all the time when I was a kid but after my dad died and Denis took over, I lost those moments.
I laugh as I try on different clothes, feeling like a kid again.
Once that gets boring, I spend time just walking around the city.
Taking in the architecture, checking out a museum, eating more food.
Denis limited how much food we could eat as he wanted to keep us weak.
The past few years since I lived with Natalya I slowly allowed myself to eat more. Now, I let myself indulge.
I don’t even realize how much time I’ve spent in the city until the sun starts to go down in the sky. I really need to get back.
I get another Uber and wait on the street for it. A car pulls up to me. “Are you my ride?” I ask.
The man in the driver’s seat nods. I get into the backseat and he takes off. I have Adrien’s address in my phone and it becomes apparent that the driver is taking me in the wrong direction.
“You’re going the wrong way,” I tell him. As I look at my phone, I see it ding, letting me know that my Uber is here. I frown. But I’m in the car now…
A weight settles in my stomach and I realize: this isn’t my ride. I got into the wrong car. I was never taught how to tell the scammers from the trustworthy people because I was kept too sheltered.
The driver catches my eye and smiles.
I have to get out of this car now. I wrench open the backdoor and fling myself from the car.
Thankfully, he’s not driving too fast. My body still lands on the ground, pain running through my arm.
He stops the car and gets out, coming right towards me.
We’re at an intersection full of other cars. Surely someone can help me.
Before I can push myself to my feet, the man grabs my shirt and rips it down so the neckline is hanging low. I slap him across the face and it makes him back away with a grunt.
That’s when I take off running.
Fortunately, the driver doesn’t follow. He must realize I’m a lost cause. I make it to a café and ask for help behind the counter.
The female worker gives me a sympathetic smile. “I will make sure you get into the right car.”
“Thank you.” I get another Uber and make a point of checking the app to make sure the driver is the right person.
The barista waits with me before my car comes. I triple check that this is the right person before getting into the car. Somehow, I manage to make it home without any other issues.
I don’t even know what that man was going to do to me. Rape me? Kill me? Sell me into sexual slavery?
I shudder at the thought.
I have the driver stop down the street from the house so I can sneak back through the trees to the house without the guard spotting me. Somehow, I manage to make it back inside without being seen.
But the second I step through the door, I’m confronted by Adrien’s angry face staring back at me. He descends the stairs and comes right for me. I gasp when he grips my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.
“Where were you?” he asks.
“Out. Exploring the city.”
“I told you to take a guard with you if you were going to leave.”
“Well, I decided against that. I’m not a prisoner here, Adrien. You told me that. I wanted to have some fun for once away from a prison guard.”
“You could have been killed. I have enemies here.”
“Do they know who I am?” When he hesitates, I nod. “No. They don’t. I was safe.”
His eyes roam over my chest as he lets my chin go. “Why is your shirt like that?”
I glance down at it. The man had pulled it down low, ruining it.
Before I can explain it to Adrien, he says, “Were you seeing someone else? Did you fuck another man just to spite me?”
I scoff. “I can’t believe you. You actually think I went out to sleep with another man? Who would I have met?”
“You spent the entire day in the city and I know you’re desperate for an adventure. You could have met any man you wanted.”
“I didn’t sleep with anybody.”
“Then why is your shirt like that?”
“Is that all you can think of?” I ask him. “My shirt is ruined so it must be because I slept with someone else. Are you that obsessed with sex that you can’t consider any other alternative?”
“If there’s another alternative, then tell me.”
It’s my turn to hesitate. If I tell Adrien about the man who tried to kidnap me, he’ll never let me go out on my own again. I really will be stuck inside as a prisoner.
I can’t tell him the truth.
“You know what?” I say. “Yes. I did kiss another man. He grabbed my shirt and pulled it down. And it was great. It was a wonderful time. But it was just a kiss. I didn’t sleep with him. I left and came back home. Happy?”
“Of course I’m not happy. You just told me you kissed another man.”
“And you told me you were going to sleep with other women after we married.”
“Yes,” he grits out, “until I agreed to not do that. But what do you do? You kiss a man the second you get the chance to leave. You’re staying inside for the rest of the night where I can keep an eye on you. You broke our deal, Anastasia.”
“What does that mean? You’re going out to sleep with whoever you want?”
“When I want, yes. Now, stay inside. I’m going to keep an eye on you tonight. And go change. I hate the idea of another man’s hands on you.”
“You are a fucking hypocrite,” I seethe.
“And you’re a fucking brat. Go change.”
“Don’t tell me what to do!” I run past him up to our room and slam the door behind me like a little child. I don’t care one bit.
I’m not sure how I’ll ever be happy with Adrien.
Adrien
I don’t have time to deal with Anastasia’s moods. Not when I have Remy Allard I have to worry about.
The fucking bastard has been my enemy for years now.
He’s the reason I wanted to make the alliance deal with Nico in the first place.
Nico and Mikhail and Liam’s power and money that they bring in will ensure more power for me here.
More money is more power and more power will allow me to bring Remy down.
I need to make a show of my strength to get him to back down.
I use the new money I’ve already gained from working with Nico and hire more men to steal from Remy. They steal a drug shipment of his right out from under his nose.
I’m settled in the back booth of one of the restaurants I own when Remy barges inside with three of his men, all their guns aimed at me.
My guards stand to attention and aim their guns right back.
The restaurant is closed this time of day so I don’t need to worry about civilian casualties. That always makes things messy.
Remy charges right over to my booth.
“If you want to talk,” I say to him, “then my guard is going to have to take your gun from you. You don’t get to come into my restaurant and threaten me like this.”
“And you don’t get to steal millions of euros from me.”
I shrug. “It was pretty easy to do. It’s not my fault you didn’t keep your drug shipment better guarded.”
Remy slams his hand down onto the table. “You fucking bastard.”
“Don’t hate me, Remy. Hate yourself for being bad at the game.”
“I am going to take you down eventually, Adrien. Don’t get so arrogant. I’ve heard you’ve gotten married.”
I tense. The thought of Anastasia already makes me tense. She’s confusing. She wants an adventure just not with me. And she believes in love like a na?ve little fool. My life was so much simpler when I could just sleep with any woman every night and not worry about emotions.
Now, I feel like I have to comfort my wife or understand her and I’m just not accustomed to shit like that.
It also doesn’t help that she went out and kissed some random man while she doesn’t even want my touch. Am I that repulsive to her? All women want me.
So why doesn’t my own wife?