Contract Marriage: Married to My Ex-Husband's Alpha Stepfather [BL]

[FROLO]

Anya was panicking.

She knew that the stakes had suddenly gotten higher, and with a stiff Sergei in the backseat, she knew this was either going to be the longest day of her life, or this was going to be the day a Sergei Moskowsky completely shut down.

It was tempting to think that the woman being there, all panicky and shit, was because of Svetlana and her darn threats.

However, even Anya knew Svet understood the extent of the Moskowsky power. Sure, she could get to a few villagers, but then the Moskowsky hum a wall that had been erected around those villagers would take her out in the fifth second.

Still, it was new for Anya.

Only because Svetlana may have been the craziest woman she had ever met, but she cared about Katya. Svet calling her with threats could only translate to one thing in their relationship...

Desperation.

The woman had tried to get to her friend and failed.

"Anya, Rahim is not picking. Katya too... Andre is at the lobby," Volkov said, like that was supposed to make them feel better. But then this wasn’t even about anyone feeling better.

This was about Katya shutting down again.

They had been there the first time it had happened, and it was safe to say that it wasn’t the easiest of days.

"Go to the company, he has to be there," Anya said, like she was sure.

Maybe it was a long shot, but she was choosing to believe that after everything and all the stakes, even in his panicky state, Katya would find his way to the one place that he felt guaranteed a part of safety for him.

And that...

Was the company.

The company that still haunted him.

"Sergei... You, okay?" Anya asked when they got there, and Sergei was still lost in his own world.

He looked like he was grieving.

Maybe he was.

Maybe he was grieving the monster that he had made himself.

Maybe he was grieving the effects his own system had had on the one man he truly cared about.

Maybe he was trying to cope, but even if he tried harder, would it even change the fact that everything that had happened was on him? Would it change what the truth was?

"Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?" Sergei asked passively as he stepped out of the car himself.

Usually, he would wait for Volkov to come open the door for him, but he was trying so hard not to fall apart, not to show that seeing Katya that defeated had knocked the breath out of him.

Maybe it was his way of dealing with the fact that he was never going to be the good person in Katya’s story, and it hurt. Like hell. Probably worse than hell.

"Andre is here..." Anya sighed as she got out and left Volkov to park the car.

Maybe Anya had thought Svetlana was bluffing.

Maybe she had thought that after everything, Volkov was just trying to run with the joke. But Andre being here was confirmation enough, especially with his gun out in the open like he wasn’t even bothered to hide it.

Anya rushed after Sergei, who was so close to reaching Andre. She knew there would be something else altogether if those two met, but ultimately it was only a matter of time, wasn’t it?

Because before Anya could reach them, Andre stood in Sergei’s way.

"Not today, Satan," Anya sighed softly as she paused, running her hand down her face while she kept dialing Rahim and failing. It was strange because Rahim was never one to not pick up calls, especially a Moskowsky call.

It would never end well for her, and she knew that too, so what had happened with Katya?

"Where is Romanov?" Andre asked Sergei, not even bothering to hide the disdain on his face. He looked as calm as always, like the Glock 47 in his hand was for playing simple games with Sergei.

"..."

Sergei didn’t answer. He just stared at the man like this was the face of retribution on behalf of Katya. Like this was the one thing that he was not even sure how to deal with.

And for someone who ruled an entire business empire with his intelligence and the city with his insanity, Sergei’s silence was not good enough for Andre.

He needed answers.

He would get them.

Come hell or high water.

"You or one of your lackeys did something to my friend, and he is suffering away from all of us. Oh, I will only ask a second time, and after that, what happens is not going to be on me, Moskowsky.

"Where is Romanov?" Andre insisted.

Sergei stared at the man who was always rational, like this was definitely a low for him. At the same time, the fact that the silent one was here instead of the unhinged woman meant something else altogether.

"Your friend is an employee of Moskowsky. He is working. I don’t know what you are doing here, and unless you have business with the executive offices, you need to leave.

"Your friend already caused a circus before, and was only excused because..." Sergei said, sighing instead of finishing his sentence.

Andre raised a brow at that. He knew this couldn’t be easy, but it wasn’t for him either. It wasn’t easy always having his family being hurt in different ways because of the same family.

"You don’t know here he is," Andre laughed emptily.

"You’re pushing it."

"No. You are pathetic, Moskowsky. Do you even know why you did all that for him? Why you actually cross all those lines?" Andre asked, and Anya, who had been close, stiffened.

This didn’t sound good.

At all.

"What the fuck are you on about?" Sergei asked, growling.

"Looks like even the great Sergei Moskowsky can be a stupid little shit. Anyway, good luck with your empire," Andre said, shaking his head before he walked away, but not before dialing the one call that had both Sergei and Anya confused.

"Ayo, Svet... he isn’t here either... yeah... how’s his heart rate... fuck, I suppose it all comes down to the cheating bastard... yeah, yeah, I’m coming... alright we won’t kill him for now...

"...Don’t make me say it, Svetlana... dammit... fine. I agree. Only fuckass Yaroslav manages to calm him down when he’s too scared... happy now? Get off my phone and let me find good reasons not to kill that cheater this morning."

The world held its breath as Andre got on his bike and drove off.

Anya, Volkov, Sergei... they all stood there, as they had just been introduced to the one thing that neither of them had expected. Or perhaps it was the one call that shouldn’t have meant anything.

But the fact that Andre picked it up when they were there. The fact that Svet had Andre say the words that would remind the father that the son was always going to have an upper hand, regardless?

That was different.

Deliberate.

That was insanity.

Oh, but the silence that followed was too loud, even as hundreds of thoughts raced, with each of the trio wondering what the heck had just happened. There was no way, right?

"He is lying," Sergei let out, his denial obvious.

But maybe he couldn’t be blamed.

After all, Yaroslav had cheated.

So how could Katya be going back to him? How could Katya even be at the café that he and Yaroslav used to frequent?

It made no sense.

Or maybe, this time, Sergei was the blind bat.