Dimitri sat back in his chair, arms crossed, watching as his close friend Leo flipped through a thick file of papers. His curiosity about Crystal had been growing since the day she stepped into his life, so he had asked Leo, a trusted friend who did background checks for him, to look deeper into her past.
"Here’s the thing," Leo started, glancing up from the file. "Crystal’s family went to extreme lengths to keep her in the dark. She doesn’t know anything about their involvement in the dangerous side of things."
Dimitri leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "How is that even possible? She grew up in their house."
Leo shook his head. "Not exactly. She spent most of her school years in boarding schools. College was the same story—far away from her family’s influence. Her parents made sure she lived a normal life, away from the mafia’s reach."
"Why?" Dimitri asked, almost incredulously.
"They’ve been hiding her, Dimitri. They kept her existence low-key for a reason," Leo continued. "It’s because she’s the only daughter. They’re protecting her. Someone was bound to come after her, given your families’ history. They knew that."
Dimitri smirked, shaking his head. "Well, they failed."
Leo chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Seems like it. From what I’ve gathered, they tried to keep her out of this life because she’s naive. Mafia and dangerous stuff scares her, so they figured ignorance was the safest way."
Dimitri sat quietly for a moment, processing everything. Crystal had been living a sheltered, completely normal life while the rest of them navigated the dangerous world of power, betrayal, and bloodshed. It almost seemed absurd to him.
"They’ve hidden her well," Dimitri muttered. "But it didn’t work in the end."
Leo raised an eyebrow, watching him closely. "Yeah, but what now? I mean... what are you planning to do? You’ve got her, but what’s the endgame here?"
Before Dimitri could answer, the door creaked open, and the maid stepped in hesitantly. "Sir, Miss Crystal is calling you. She’s waiting in her room."
Dimitri leaned back in his chair, amused. "Tell her I’ll be there in a minute."
The maid stood her ground, not moving. Dimitri glanced at her with a hint of annoyance. "What is it?"
"Miss said that if you don’t come in two minutes, she won’t eat today, won’t speak to you again, and... "
"i’ll never cook with you again," he heard Crystal voice through the phone which the maid was holding . Her voice echoed through the room.
Dimitri laughed, genuinely entertained. "She’s using my own tricks against me."
Leo watched the exchange with wide eyes, completely bewildered. This wasn’t the interaction he’d expected between Dimitri and the girl he had supposedly kidnapped. This was... something else.
"Coming, doll," Dimitri called out, loud enough for Crystal to hear over the phone. He grinned as he heard the line click off, signaling that she had hung up.
Leo couldn’t hide his confusion. "What is going on here?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Dimitri stood up, still smirking as he straightened his jacket. "Love in the air, my friend," he said casually. "I can’t keep my doll waiting, you know."
Leo blinked, utterly perplexed. "Love? You kidnapped her for revenge, didn’t you? What’s this about love?"
Dimitri shrugged, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Plans change, Leo. Things evolve. Don’t overthink it."
Leo’s confusion deepened as Dimitri made his way to the door, leaving his friend standing in the room, a mountain of questions on his face. "Wait," Leo called after him, "What are you going to do about this... revenge?"
Dimitri paused at the door, glancing back over his shoulder with a smirk. "Revenge? Who said anything about that? I’ve got more pressing matters to attend to. Like making sure my doll doesn’t starve herself out of spite."
And with that, he strode out of the room, leaving Leo to mull over the strange turn of events. Dimitri, the man known for his cold ruthlessness, was suddenly talking about love as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Leo couldn’t quite grasp what was happening, but one thing was clear—Dimitri was playing a different game now. And he was playing it on his own terms.
YOU ARE READING
Kidnapped to love
RomanceThe cool night air stung her cheeks as she stumbled through the deserted alley, her heart racing with panic. The echoes of her footsteps bounced off the walls, but no matter how fast she ran, the shadows behind her seemed to close in. "Keep running...