Epilogue
Elena
Three months later
Playing with my engagement ring nervously, I look through the window and gaze at the guests standing everywhere with champagne glasses clutched in their hands. They’re all waiting for us to exchange our vows right in front of them. But I haven’t told him, and I don’t know what his reaction would be.
I should have told him the day I discovered it. But I couldn’t. Fuck, I was so nervous back then and so shocked and so full of emotions that I didn’t even know if I should tell anyone at all. Not even Yeva who is my closest friend.
I blow out a deep sigh and storm out of the room. People’s eyes widen as they stare at me in shock. Kicking my shoes off to the side, I lift the layers of my dress and run past all the people who are gaping at me in wonder.
What are they thinking at the moment? A runaway bride?
I shake my head and open the door where Maksim and all the groomsmen are chitchatting while sipping their whiskey.
As soon as their eyes land on me, the room goes silent.
“Elena?” asks Maksim worriedly. “Are you okay?”
His hair has been carefully slicked back, and he’s wearing a dark-blue, sharp tuxedo. He’s devastatingly handsome. His eyes lock on mine and never let go.
“We need to talk.” I blurt out.
“Alright, boys, let’s head out. The bride wants to have ‘the talk’ with the groom.” Says Daniel Walton mockingly and the rest of the men chuckle.
As soon as we’re alone in the room, Maksim grabs my hand and kisses it gently.
“Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?” he asks and winks at me.
Dropping my gaze to the floor, I breathe in and breathe out slowly. Then I raise my chin and meet him square in the eye.
“I’m pregnant.”
Fuck. I didn’t mean for the words to come out like that.
My teeth sink into my bottom lip, and my face pales. His eyes gleam, and his lips part.
“Are you serious?” he asks breathlessly.
“I wanted to tell you before I just couldn’t because I didn’t know what your reaction would be.”
He gazes at me with big gray eyes. Unmoving. Unblinking.
“I’m happy. The happiest I’ve ever been in my whole entire life.”
He crashes down on my parted lips, bruising them while slipping his tongue inside my mouth. He kisses me like a man who’s been starving for me. When he finally pulls out, we both begin panting for air.
He gives me a half-smile as soon as his eyes land on my swollen lips.
“I fucked up your lipstick. Go get it fixed, put on some shoes and meet me downstairs so I can marry the shit out of you.” He says hoarsely.
I chuckle gleefully and run toward the door. As soon as my hand lands on the doorknob, his voice interrupts me.
“Hey,” he says, and I turn around to face him.
“I love you. I really can’t believe my luck.” He says gently.
“I love you more. Nothing can ever keep us apart.”
Who would have thought that a woman like me, after everything I’ve been through, would find utter happiness?
That’s the thing about darkness. No matter how scared and lonely you might feel, you can easily get rid of it by turning the light on. Sometimes it could be as easy as shifting your thoughts toward the positive or never letting go of the ones you love the most.
And that’s exactly what I did.
The End
Afterword
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure. Maksim and Elena’s story, just like many others, had to come to an end.
I hope you enjoyed their story just as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you’re thinking of leaving a review, please do it here.
Hugs,
S.S. Richards
Sneak Preview of Havoc
(Daniel Walton’s story)
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Havoc
Prologue
Eva
“Alice, someone’s looking for you.” Emma says as she places a pile of clothes on my desk and blows out a deep sigh. “I’m fucking tired. I need a break.”
She sinks into one of the chairs across from my desk and pops a bag of chips open.
“Who’s looking for me?” I ask and she shrugs.
“I don’t know he didn’t say his name. However, he’s a very handsome man I must say.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head slightly. Looking at the inventory list sitting by my side, I inhale sharply as anxiety swirls all over me. I’ve been in this office for four hours now and I’m not even half way through finishing this report.
Lifting my chin up, I look at Emma as she inserts a chip in her mouth and rolls her eyes at the taste of it as it melts in her mouth.
“I still have a lot of work to do so whoever wants to see me, you can tell them I’m not available. He’s probably a customer or something.”
“Sure. But, if he’s actually a customer, damn is he hot. He also smells of money and power.”
Her words turn my throat into dust. Swallowing thickly I ask, “You said he smells of money and power?”
She nods her agreement.
“I’m telling you, you have to see this guy.”
My heart picks up its speed. Licking my dry lips, I smile at Emma as my whole body starts shaking. It’s probably not what I’m thinking. I’ve been living in peace for three years now. It cannot be him.
“Fine.” I say as I rise from my seat and walk out of the office toward the front of the store.
Instantly, the atmosphere tenses and my breathing gets more pronounced as I gaze at a random tall man dressed in a black suit, standing in the middle of the shop.
Shaking my fear away, I manage to form a genuine smile on my face.
“Can I help you?”
He stares back at me without saying a word. The last time a man like him looked at me this way was before I ran away and never looked back.
“Yes, you can definitely help me.” A deep-toned voice comes from behind me, making me root in my place. Every hair on my body stands up and for a fraction of a second, it feels like my legs can no longer hold me standing still.
The smile on my face dissipates as the man who was standing behind me a moment ago comes into view. His cruel gaze travels up and down my body and lingers on my lips.
I want to run away. I need to get the fuck away from him but I can’t. The loud thumping of my heart is all I can hear. The temperature around us goes from hot to cold in a matter of seconds.
“Is that how you greet customers in your shop?” he asks mockingly as his eyes roam all over the shop.
“Dan – Daniel,” I croak.
His eyes darken and his nostrils flare. He takes a step forward until there’s no more space between us. I begin to withdraw myself mentally from him and the cruelty of whatever punishment awaits me now that he had officially found me.
Leaning his head down, he only stops when his mouth is an inch away from mine. His lips part and the tears pool in my eyes. The heat that radiates from his body is an indication of the anger that’s boiling in his blood.
“So, what should I call you? Alice Ross or Eva Walton?” he hisses through clenched teeth and the tears instantly seep down my cheeks.
The words are stuck in the back of my throat, refusing to come out. The man I ran away from three years ago is back. Only this time, he’s ten times worse. He’s the devil dressed in a neatly, tailored gray suit. His blues study me intently with blazing fire in them.
Hot blood courses through my veins like a volcano. He found me and there’s no going back.
“Grab your shit, wife. We’re going home.”
Order Havoc
Also by S.S. Richards
Standalone Novels
Devoted To You
The Agreement
Havoc
Dark Mafia Romance – Beasts In The Dark Duet:
At His Mercy<
br />
His To Keep
Learn more at:
www.ssrichardsbooks.com
About the Author
As a young teenager, S.S. Richards started creating imaginary friends and could invent a story in her head within a matter of seconds. A gift that lead her into believing she may be “super talented” after all. One day she decided to open her laptop and start feeding words into it, and that’s where it all begun. She decided to make a career out of writing.
His To Keep: Beasts In The Dark (Book 2) Page 14