Chapter 131 Anya
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the house.
I stood frozen in the hallway. The broken mug was at my feet. Coffee was spreading across the floor.
Alexei's study door flew open. He stood there. His face was pale.
"Anya? What happened?"
"I..." I looked down at the mess. "My hands slipped. I was bringing you coffee."
His eyes searched mine. Suspicious. Calculating.
"How long have you been standing there?" he asked.
"Just now," I lied. "I just walked up. Why?"
He was quiet for a moment. Still watching me.
Then his expression softened. "No reason. I was just on a business call. It was private."
"Oh," I said. "I am sorry. I should not have interrupted."
"It is fine," Alexei said. He walked over. Helped me pick up the broken pieces. "Be careful. You could cut yourself."
"I will," I said.
We cleaned up together. He threw away the broken mug. I mopped the floor.
"Go to bed," Alexei said when we finished. "I will be there soon."
"Okay," I said.
I walked back to our bedroom. Closed the door. Sat on the bed.
And I finally allowed myself to breathe.
He did not know. He did not suspect.
I was safe. For now.
Because the truth was, I had never lost my memory.
I remembered everything.
I remembered Nikolai. Our marriage. Our love. Our fights.
I remembered Katya. The warehouse. The gunshot.
I remembered the water. The knife. The choice to die rather than be Volkov's prisoner.
But when I woke up in that hospital bed two weeks later, I knew immediately what had happened.
The doctor had explained it to me privately when Alexei was not in the room.
"You tried to kill yourself," he said quietly. "You cut your wrist. Very deep. You should have died. But we got to you in time."
"Where is my husband?" I had asked. "Where is Nikolai?"
The doctor looked confused. "Nikolai Markov? He is dead, Mrs. Volkov. He drowned months ago. Do you not remember?"
And that was when I realized. Alexei had told everyone I was his wife. Had convinced the doctors. Had rewritten my entire life.
So I made a choice.
I would pretend. I would act like I had amnesia. Like I did not remember anything.
Because if Alexei thought I remembered Nikolai, he would never let me go. Would never trust me.
But if he thought I was blank. Empty. His to shape and mold.
Then maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to escape. Or to kill him.
So I played the role. The confused wife. The woman with no past.
I let him tell me our story. Let him create our history. Let him believe I was his.
And I waited. For my moment. For my chance.
It had been months now. Months of pretending. Of lying beside him at night. Of letting him touch me.
It made me sick. But it was necessary.
Tonight, I had almost given myself away. Almost let him see that I knew. That I had heard everything.
But I had recovered. Played it off. Made him believe.
I lay down on the bed. Stared at the ceiling.
The drugs he mentioned. He had been drugging me. Trying to make me lose my memory for real.
But it had not worked. The dose had been too small. Or my body had been too strong.
Either way, I remembered.
Everything.
And now I knew for certain. Alexei was not just a monster. He was a liar. A manipulator. A man who had stolen my life and tried to erase my past.
I would make him pay. Somehow. Someway.
But first, I needed to be smart. Patient. Careful.
I could not let him know I remembered. Could not give myself away.
I had to keep playing the role. Keep pretending.
Until the perfect moment came.
The door opened. Alexei walked in. He had changed into his pajamas.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. "Just tired."
"You have been tired a lot lately," he observed.
"Have I?"
"Yes," he said. He sat on the bed beside me. "Maybe you should see a doctor. Get your blood checked."
"Maybe," I agreed.
He lay down. Pulled me close. I let him. Forced myself not to flinch.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," I lied.
We lay there in silence with his arms around me. His breathing steady.
I waited until he was asleep. Then I carefully slipped out of his embrace.
I walked to the bathroom. Locked the door. And turned on the shower.
And I finally let myself cry.
Silent tears. So he would not hear.
I mourned Nikolai. Mourned the life we could have had. Mourned everything Alexei had taken from me.
Then I washed my face. Dried my tears. Looked at myself in the mirror.
"You will survive this," I whispered to my reflection. "You will find a way."
I turned off the shower. Went back to bed.
Alexei was still asleep. Snoring softly.
I lay down. Closed my eyes. And I started planning.
Tomorrow, I would search his study again. Find more information. Learn more about his operation.
Because the more I knew, the more power I had.
And one day, I would have enough power to destroy him.
Just like he had tried to destroy me.
I fell asleep with that thought. A dark comfort.
Revenge.
It was the only thing keeping me alive.