I needed Ayla.
Remembering my father’s words from twenty years ago, I stood up.
An angel is the person you can’t see yourself living without. Don’t ever let her go. Because if you lose her, then you will forever be incomplete.
He was right. I would be incomplete without Ayla. I thought about her sweet voice, gentle touch and kisses, and her loving eyes. She was mine.
As I walked out of my office, I prayed that Ayla could forgive me. I had to tell her the truth about Sasha. I didn’t fuck her, but I still touched her. I wasn’t going to lie. Ayla didn’t deserve anything less.
I also prayed that she accepted me. I wasn’t going to change. I was still the Boss and would be until my last breath. I prayed she was ready for this fucked-up life.
I stopped in front of the piano room and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. All I wanted was to hold her in my arms and forget everything.
Opening the door, I stopped when I saw the room empty and dark.
What the fuck?
Quickly walking out of the piano room, I made my way to our room. I opened the door and saw it was only gently illuminated with the lamp on the nightstand.
Ayla was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the wall. The soft glow danced over her beautiful face as she sat stoically.
“Ayla?” I questioned, walking further into the room and closing the door behind me.
“Cold. Ruthless. Heartless. Arrogant. Killer. Unlovable. Alessio Ivanshov can’t love or be loved. Those are all the words that you are known as, right?”
Ayla’s words stopped me dead in my tracks, my heart stuttering at her bleak, distant tone. She let out a small laugh, shaking her head.
“Ayla, what are you talking about?” I asked, panic welling inside of me. I didn’t like her tone or the way she avoided looking at me. She didn’t sound like my Ayla.
“I wanted to believe you were different,” she whispered, this time her voice breaking over the words.
I lurched forward, desperately wanting to wrap her in my arms and erase all her sorrow. Ayla’s head snapped toward me, and I sucked in a painful breath at her expression.
Her eyes were filled with tears, her face red and filled with pain and grief. She looked at me as if I betrayed her.
The look in her eyes was enough to tell me what I needed to know.
No. No. No. I panicked.
“I thought you were different.” She wiped her tears away. “But I was wrong.”
Chapter 10
Ayla
“Ayla, what are you talking about?” Alessio asked. He was panicking, scared about what my words meant, while I was breaking inside.
“I wanted to believe you were different,” I whispered hoarsely, hating how my voice broke over those words. I hated how much power Alessio had over me. He was my peace, my strength, but he was also my weakness. He had the power to break me.
And that was exactly what he did.
After putting my heart together, after giving me hope, he took it all away, leaving me empty and broken again.
“I thought you were different,” I continued in the same small voice. It was true I knew what type of man he was, but with me, he was different.
The Alessio I knew was sweet and gentle. Out there he was a killer and heartless, but with me, he was everything I needed.
But it was all a lie.
Swiping my tears away, I finally turned toward Alessio. Even in the darkness, I could see his tensed body and rigid shoulders. His face was twisted with panic and dread.
“But I was wrong.” I choked on the words.
I didn’t have to say anything else. Realization flashed in his blue eyes. He understood that I knew the truth.
“Why?” I asked, my voice dropping to a mere whisper. He took a step forward but stopped when I shook my head. A sudden surge of anger coursed through my body, prompting me to quickly stand up and face him.
“Ayla…” he breathed, his voice shaky. I didn’t know why, but his voice made me angrier. It reminded me of when my world fell apart around me, crushing me mercilessly.
“Where are you going?” Maddie asked as I walked up the stairs.
Without stopping, I said over my shoulder, “I’m going to see Alessio.” Since the morning, after Lyov and Isaak made their appearance, I hadn’t seen Alessio. His missing presence had left an aching hole in my chest, and I just wanted to be near him again, even if it was just for a few minutes.
Smiling, I made my way to his office. I was only a few feet away when I saw the door open, and Sasha ran out, her face panicked. My eyebrows pulled up in a frown at the sight of her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, walking closer. She gasped at the sight of me, her hands going up to her chest. My eyes widened when I saw what she was holding. A ripped red thong.