Her Volkovs #Book 4

Chapter 40

St. Michael Hospital

Nikolai fell to his knees in the hallway outside intensive care as Devon delivered the news to them.

Alexei was fighting his way to see Belle but the General's security prevented him to go inside the room.

From not too far was Belle's mother, sobbing on her husband's chest.

Matushka was calming Alexei down while the other brother was aghast- still on the floor, speechless.

"I just want to see her! I want to see her! Belle!" Yelled Alexei.

"Alexei please..."

"Matushka! I need to see her. I am her husband! I have the right to see her!"

"She doesn't want to see you or Nikolai or anyone from your family. She needs to rest. You must

leave." Said Devon with a hint of warning on his tone. He steps away and then instructed something to

the Palawi security men.

"We need to give her time, Alexei. Your wife is going through a very hard time. She needs to rest. We

will come back later." Said Matushka, pleading to her son.

Alexei clenches his jaw, eyes glistening with tears. He turns his back and pressed his fist to the wall. In

his mind, there is no one to blame but him. He knows how badly his actions had hurt Belle and how

things they have done pushed their wife to miscarriage.

Irene holds back her tears as she consoles Nikolai. He just lost his babies and he knows he is about to

lose his wife as well. The Russian Mafia Boss has just made the biggest mistake and it cost him the

lives of his unborn children and the woman to whom his world revolves around.

The Volkov matriarch is afraid that Nikolai goes back into the rabbit hole. She has seen how destructive

he was to himself and to everyone around him when he went through something like this in the past.

She knows how much Belle means to the brothers. She is their world, she's the air that they breathe

and the sun that gives light into their lives. Irene can't even begin to imagine what will happen if they

lose Belle.

Irene cups Nikolai's face to force him to look her in the eye, "Look at me Nikolai. You have to pick

yourself up. Belle needs a little breathing space right now but we will come back and get her. You still

have a wife who needs you. You have to hold on."

Nikolai wasn't able to say a single word. In his mind, what he did to her was unforgivable. Belle was so

convinced that his love for her was a sham. He recalls her face right before she bled. Her eyes said it

all. He broke her heart. Worst of all, he broke her.

-

The Volkov Mansion

Nikolai is standing by the window as he impatiently waits for news from the hospital. His brother went

there despite the advice of Matushka to give Belle the time she needs. Nikolai and Alexei believe that

the longer it takes for them to see her and talk to her, the more they will fall apart. They need to talk to

her and explain everything. More importantly, they need to be with her as they go through the loss of

their babies.

The Russian Mafia Boss saw the SUVs pull over their driveway and so he hurriedly went to the grand

foyer to meet Alexei.

"What happened?" Asked Nikolai.

Alexei just looked at him, not saying a single word. Boris, Andrey and Dimitri have the same look of

hopelessness on their faces. They left the brothers to talk.

"What happened? Did you see her?"

"She's gone." Alexei answered with a faint voice.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Nikolai asked as he grabs Alexei to meet his gaze.

"She's not in the hospital anymore. She was fetched by a helicopter right after we left."

"Do you know where she was sent to?"

"No. Hospital personnel and even the doctors were kept in the blind. Papa and Ma's phones are

untraceable. Amy would not talk to me. Pa pulled some strings to keep this all under the radar. I

contacted our connections to get a location but it was a dead end."

Nikolai cups Alexei's face with his palms. "I will find another way. We will get our wife back. We will not

stop until we find her and get her home."

He already turned his back on him to go to the study when Alexei spoke again, "What if she doesn't

want to be found?"

Nikolai was halted as his brother's question hits close to home. He brushed off the thought because he

knows that he is not prepared to face that one scary supposition, "What matters is she's still our wife.

Nothing and no one can ever take her away from us. I will make sure of that."

-

The only sound that can be heard in the middle of the night is the taped knuckles hitting the punchbag

inside the gym. No one seems to be in the mood to sleep especially the Boss and the Underboss of the

Russian Mafia. Nikolai hits the bag relentlessly, sweat dripping down his bare face and half-naked

body. Boris is holding the bag tightly as his Boss punches his heartache away. Too bad for him

however, this is only the first night that Belle is gone. Their future is still uncertain and that's what

makes Nikolai lose his mind.

He managed to push away his wife, a woman with the purest of heart and did nothing but love him and

his brother without any condition whatsoever. She accepted him for who he really is. She was there at

his worst. She knew his demons. She was his ride or die.

Nikolai was deep in his thoughts when he heard a commotion outside. When they came to check, they

saw the two maids crying in front of Dimitri. Alexei is screaming from the master bedroom, obviously

agitated about something.

"It's okay. Next time ask the butler before you go inside the Boss' bedroom. From now on, never touch

Madame's things until you are told otherwise. Now go on." Said Dimitri to the maids.

"What's this about?" Asked Nikolai as he removes the tape from his hands. They can still hear Alexei

scream from the second floor, obviously already inebriated.

"The maids washed the duvet, the sheets and Madame's clothes they took from your bedroom. And

Alexei...well.."

Dimitri did not even have to explain further. Nikolai knew why his brother got mad, as ridiculous as the

reason may be.

"I got this. You two may sleep." He said to Dimitri and Boris.

When he got inside their bedroom, he saw Alexei holding a glass of vodka in one hand while his other

hand is caressing Belle's robe to his chest. He is already half asleep but is murmuring something,

'Princess, I miss you. I love you so much. I'm sorry. I love you. I need you.'

Nikolai took the glass from his hand slowly and covered his brother with the duvet. He noticed that the

maids certainly took and changed every single sheet and clothing that could have at least have Belle's

scent. He completely understands why his brother went crazy. The maids did their fucking jobs

fantastically in wiping things clean. He started to get pissed as well when suddenly he remembered

something.

He went to the counter where they hide the stashes of Belle's panties they used to collect. He took

several pieces and put them right beside his brother. In his mind, this should be enough to put the

fucker to a few hours of sleep.

Right now, Nikolai knows that his brother needs him by his side as much as he needs Alexei. He saw

what his brother went through for so many years just to save Yelena from herself. Nikolai was the sole

witness to the façade that his sister and Alexei were making in front of Vyacheslav, the Russian Mafia

and the rest of the world. In the losing end was Alexei. He cared for her perhaps a little too much while

she was in love with someone else.

When Alexei finally found someone whom he fell in love with, Nikolai promised himself that his brother

was going to get the love that he so deserves. A true and genuine love from a woman who openly gave

her heart without regard to what the world will say. A love that was, without reservation, given by Belle

to him and his brother.

As to himself, Nikolai just realized how much he misses Belle terribly. No words can describe the pain

in his heart right now, knowing that he might have completely lost her.

The dismal silence in the whole mansion is deafening. Looking at her portrait hanging on the wall, he

started to think of what might have been their future. He was finally on his way to build his own family

with a woman he's madly in love with. They could have had the babies months from now and Belle

would have been a great mother to his first born --a mother that he never had when he was a little boy.

He recalls asking Vyacheslav about his mother at the dinner table one Christmas night. His little

curious mind did not understand why Alexei and the other kids had mothers who hug, kiss and wipe

their tears whenever they cry. He did not understand why he was allowed to play outside while his

classmates were making Mother's day cards once every year. He did not understand why he found it

hard to draw an image of his mother when Ms. Griffin asked them to show a drawing of his family to

class.

Vyacheslav did not mince his words when he explained to Nikolai that his mother did not want him. She

was going to get rid of him the moment she knew she was pregnant but Vyacheslav wants to take

responsibility for his child. He paid her off to keep the baby until Nikolai was born. Vyacheslav flew to

the United States, carrying the baby in his arms.

His father then went on to say that whatever happened in the past, he must take it as it is and grow up

to be a man for himself. It was not long enough when Yelena, Irene, Viktor and Alexei played a role in

his life. Until then, he was raised to be Vyacheslav's heir. He was taught a lot of things that made him

who he is in the present---dealing with heartbreak however was not one of them.

-

The next day and without any sleep, Nikolai arranged a secret meeting in a secluded area outside of

the big city. They are inside their SUV as they wait for someone from the high ranks of one of the

agencies of the US government to alight from an entourage of black cars. The woman was in her mid-

forties, blonde hair and has a frigid demeanor. She gets inside Nikolai's SUV, all serious and business-

like. She hands him a brown envelope containing pictures of Belle from inside the Palawian Embassy.

W: They did not leave the US. Her father asked assistance from the State Department for their safe

passage from the hospital to the embassy. Since then, the embassy is in the no-fly zone and security

has tripled in size. The General hired private contractors mostly with Palawian ancestry as bodyguards.

Nikolai: Is there a way in?

W: It's business as usual in the left-wing annex of the embassy. (Points at the part of the picture) It is

connected to the main residence but expect it to be heavily guarded.

Nikolai: And what about Sergey Yvanislov? I cannot afford someone like Sergey on the wind while my

wife's security is beyond my control. Someone out there is protecting that motherfucker. And you still

don't have intel about him until now.

W: Mr. Volkov, I have eyes only in the outside world, I have little to no influence in the underworld. As

far as the agency is concerned, Sergey is a ghost. He disappeared after his whole family was

massacred by your people. We do not know if he is even alive. All we know is he has the money to pay

people off for him to stay alive. I assure you, if his name comes up in any chatter, you will be the first

one to know.

-

Volkov Holdings (VH)

Nikolai, Alexei, Dimitri and Andrey are inside the big Boss' office planning their next move. Boris

approached Nikolai to tell him that someone who claimed to be working with Governor-General Galves Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

wants to see him.

He was searched by Boris for any weapons before letting him inside. He was basically forced to sit

down right across Nikolai and Alexei even though the man was insisting that he need not sit because

his business with Nikolai won't take long.

"Speak." Said Alexei.

"Mr. Nikolai Vyacheslav Volkov?" Asked the man, all fidgety.

"It depends. Why are you asking?" Inserted Dimitri.

The man sighed in frustration, "If I can just have my cellphone and eyeglasses back, I have a picture of

Mr. Volkov there. Please? So we can all go on with our day?" He was looking at the faces of the men in

front of him giving particular attention to the man unbeknownst to him, is actually the one he's looking

for.

"Why did the General send you here?" Asked Alexei.

"I need to give some papers to Mr. Volkov."

"What papers?" Asked Dimitri.

"I just need Mr. Nikolai Vyacheslav Volkov please."

Andrey took the envelope from him forcefully as Boris drags him out of Nikolai's office. On his way out

however, the man yelled something that alarmed the brothers.

"You've been served Mr. Nikolai Vyacheslav Volkov!"

When they opened the envelope, it was then that they realized that they were divorce papers -- Nikolai

as the defendant and Mary Arabella Galves Volkov as the plaintiff.

Belle just filed for divorce to legally dissolve their marriage. The nightmare that Nikolai was scared of

happening just became a reality.

Not long enough, Alexei's phone rang and it is the Cartel Boss.

"This is not a good time Axel."

"Having a bad day huh?"

"What do you want?"

"I just thought that you'd want to know that your name came up at the registrar and in one of the courts

in Bogota. I had my people dig for information and they confirmed that it was filed by lawyers hired by

Mary Arabella Volkov."

"She filed what?"

"It's a petition for divorce. Expect that you will be served within the week. And by that I mean, make

sure that never happens."

-

Belle's POV

"It's done Ara." Devon said as he got off the phone.

"Thank you Devy." I said, looking at the window as the sun starts to set.

"Are you sure about this?"

I do not know what to respond. At this point, I am not sure about anything. All I know is that this must

be done. From here on, I need to get used to not having Nikolai and Alexei beside me. I thought by

now, after so many times those two broke my heart, that I'd get used to this feeling. I was wrong. One

can never get used to the pain and the heartbreak.

I had a feeling that my parents and Devon knew about my relationship with both Nikolai and Alexei.

Apparently, the two came clean to my father a long time ago. My father knew I was in a relationship

with the two and he also knew that Nikolai and Alexei are the Russian Mafia Boss and Underboss. My

parents and I never really got the chance to talk about it, they did not even ask me why or what has

gotten into my head for marrying two Mafia men. All my father said was that he trusted Nikolai and

Alexei with my safety plus I think he did not really have much choice that time because I was already

pregnant.

I also found out from Devon that when my parents went back to the hotel the night before I bled, Nikolai

and Alexei confessed to my father what really happened. That they forgot about my birthday and that

we were having problems but they vowed to work things out with me. However, my father told them that

after what they have done, the decision will ultimately be mine.

"Ara."

"Yah. I'm sorry Devy. I was just thinking about something."

"It's okay. Remember that I will always be here for you. You have us, Ma and Papa and Amy. We will be

here for you and the..."

"Omg! B! Devon! Come and see this!" Amy said rushing into the room, almost yelling at us. She's now

looking outside the window, utterly flabbergasted.

Something is happening at the embassy entrance. It's the document process server that my father

commissioned to serve the divorce papers to Nikolai. He was dropped off at the gate, the brown

envelope containing the divorce papers are taped over his mouth and his hands are tied together as he

begs the security personnel to let him in.

That poor man. He was just doing his job.

This means that Nikolai already knows that we are here at the Embassy. I am not surprised a single bit.

With how vast his network and influence over New York, Nikolai can basically do everything he wants

and get any information he needs. Even though my transfer from the Hospital to the embassy was

considered classified information, Nikolai still got a hold of it with no trouble.

I knew that divorcing the two was not going to be easy. They have made it very clear a few times in the

past that they are not having any of it. Even though at that time, it was only a joke. To them however, it

was too damn real to a point that Nikolai threatened to kill anyone who will facilitate the divorce

including the lawyers. That is why I asked my father to hire the best law firm hoping no Volkov has

influence over them.

Devon just talked to one of our security. The process server has something to give me and he said that

it is very important. The man is already begging like his life depended on it. Knowing fully well Nikolai

and Alexei and what they are capable of, there is no doubt that his life actually depended on it.

The man has bruises all over his face and his left eye is already swollen. His hands are shaking as he

opens a paper he took from his jacket pocket.

"Your husband is a very bad man and you are right to divorce him." He whispered before he handed

over the paper.

I did not even attempt to read it. I just placed it on top of the table in my room and try to forget about it.

Right now, no matter what they say or do, there is no place in my heart for any forgiveness.