Chapter 50: Chapter Forty-nine

The next week passed slowly, painfully slow for Mirabella. Hunter had been very busy. She hardly saw him anymore. He was appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

Every morning he left the house early, before she was even awake and came back in the hours of the next morning. He stopped coming back to the house. So, she thought maybe he was sleeping in his penthouse at the club, but soon she noticed he wasn’t even showing up there anymore. Not once had she seen him or bumped into him at the club in that whole week, not even when she went to his office to see him.

Gabriel too had become scarce in the club. Saraphina was the one who finally explained to her the situation.

“They’re handling some operations. That’s why you don’t see them around. That's how it gets over here at times like this.”

Mirabella had forced a smile when she heard it, but deep down, it hurt. She hated that she got to know what Hunter was doing from someone else. He didn’t tell her anything. He didn’t share his life with her.

It further proved to her that in his eyes, she wasn’t valuable. What he had with her was just sex — nothing more.

And yet, she had been wicked to herself, because she had allowed her heart to fall for him.

Yes. She finally admitted the truth. She was in love with Hunter.

No one had ever made her feel the way he did. No one had ever pushed her so close to destruction and yet made her crave it. He was like a ticking bomb, ready to explode and ruin her whole life. So, she must be very brave to have fallen for someone like him. Or she was just simply very stupid. Probably the latter. Given the circumstances surrounding them, it was the worst thing she did to herself.

Now she sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the small papers in her hand. Her flight ticket. Her passport.

Tomorrow she is leaving.

She wasn’t taking any luggage. She didn’t want to draw suspicion. Only her handbag with the important things. That was all.

Her heart kept beating fast, so loud she could almost hear it in her ears. She kept telling herself this was the best time to leave. Hunter was not around. He was busy somewhere with his business. He wouldn’t notice she was gone until it was too late. By the time he found out, she would already be far away.

She breathed heavily, forcing air in and out of her lungs. Then she tucked the papers back inside her bag, zipped it, and hid it inside her closet.

Tomorrow. She only needed to wake up, bathe, and leave straight for the airport. She had already told Hilda not to bother sending her off. Everything had to remain low-key. No suspicions.

Still, she felt fear. A heavy reluctance clung to her chest. She wondered if she was being foolish again. But she pressed the thought down.

Tomorrow, she will go.

Hunter in Russia

He walked out of a dark office with Ramos and Victor by his side. The warehouse smelled of oil and smoke. Heavy boots echoed in the corridor as Santiago’s bodyguards stood alert, watching every step they took.

They were ready for anything, but they wouldn’t dare to act. Not against Hunter.

Inside the office, Santiago had made his plea. He had offered half of his empire to Hunter. Half of his assets. And even more, he had offered his daughter’s hand in marriage.

All for protection.

Santiago’s enemies were closing in from all sides. His empire was crumbling. He needed an alliance, and he thought giving his daughter to Hunter would secure it.

If Hunter had known this was the “very important business” the older man had wanted to talk about, he wouldn't have flown all the way to Russia.

Still, he respected the man. Santiago had once been a friend of his father. When Hunter and his father had drifted, Santiago had sworn loyalty to Hunter instead. That loyalty had always meant something.

But a marriage alliance?

Nope. That would never work. He didn’t even know the girl. Although Santiago had shown him a picture when they were inside and had called a name he doesn't even remember anymore.

He didn’t want her.

He doesn't want to be here. Not anymore.

He wants Mirabella

Even here, in this cold land, his mind kept going back to his woman. Her stubborn spirit. Her voice. Her laugh. Her body. The way she both fought him and gave in to him.

He missed her. He missed her so much it was starting to burn inside him.

But he wouldn't be seeing her until after maybe another week.

It bothers him that he hadn’t told her where he was going, nor the reason. Although she was already entangled in his world, he still needed time to explain things to her. Properly.

He just couldn't wait to go back to his girl.

When they stepped outside the warehouse, the air was freezing cold. Their black car waited with its engine running. Tally leaned casually against it, cigarette in hand.

“So, what does Santiago want?” Tally asked, flicking ash onto the ground.

“He wants protection,” Victor answered, amusement clear in his voice. “And he offered half his assets. And his daughter, like a burnt offering to Devil.”

Ramos let out a short laugh. “Yeah. Free wealth, free wife. Sounds like a bargain, doesn’t it?”

Tally’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, wait. That’s the ‘very important business’ he dragged you here for?” He looked at Hunter, searching his face for any sign of reaction.

Hunter stayed quiet, his expression unreadable.

Ramos shrugged. “It is important. Kial is threatening his life and everything he’s built.”

Tally scoffed. “Sure, it’s important. But still, this is something he could have said on the phone. To fly you all the way here just to throw his daughter at you? And Devil, to think that you are fond of him.”

“It’s not that simple,” Hunter replied bored. “We’ll be here for some time. Things are more serious than they look. I promised him protection.”

Tally leaned forward, eyes narrowing with curiosity. “So… what are you going to do about his daughter?”

Victor chuckled. “He already turned down the offer. I think Devil has someone special already,” he added sarcastically.

Ramos grinned. “I think so too.”

Hunter finally moved, his hand gripping the passenger door as he opened it. He slid into the seat without a word, but inside, his body burned. The thought of Bella was stirring something in him. It always does.

Victor climbed into the driver’s seat. Ramos and Tally got into the back. The car roared to life and sped into the night, the sight of the warehouse fading behind them.

Hunter leaned his head back against the seat, his mind far away from Russia, far away from Santiago, far away from marriage alliances and empires.

His mind was with her.

Back in Hunter’s mansion, Mirabella sat awake, restless. She had tried to sleep, but her eyes refused to close. Every time she thought about tomorrow, her heart started racing again.

Her mind went over every little detail. The timing. The way she would slip out quietly in the morning without looking suspicious.

She thought of Ashley too. Sweet Ashley. The girl had been nothing but kind to her, checking on her whenever she could, apologizing for being too busy.

Mirabella felt guilty that Ashley wouldn’t even know that she is leaving.

Hunter sat in the lobby of the hotel suite. The others were nowhere in sight.

His glass of whiskey in hand as he stared at nothing in particular.

He couldn’t get Mirabella out of his head. He wondered what she was doing right now. Was she sleeping? Was she thinking about him? Or was she angry, hurt, because he hadn’t told her before he left?

“Fuck.” He cursed under his breath.

He wanted to call her. Just to hear her voice. But he didn’t. Not yet. He told himself he needed to finish this business first. Then he would go back to her. He didn't trust himself not to book a flight and go back to her immediately if he heard her voice.

He clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists. “I need a cold shower,” he muttered as he made his way to his room.