Mafia Bloodlines

Chapter 10

Anastasia's pov

"I want my daughters Anastasia. I mean it," he said with a firm voice laced with a hint of desperation.
"I'm their father Anastasia and I have every right to be a part of their lives. Sixteen years, I missed sixteen years of their lives, Ana."  He continued leaving me feeling a pang of guilt in my chest. It was my fault that my girls never had a father.

"Fine. They can come and live with you. You are right it would be selfish of me to deprive you your rights." I told him. He smiled but there was still a hint of shock on his face. He must have not thought that I would agree so easily.

" If that's all I'd like to leave." I say as I walk towards the door. Not giving him a chance to respond.

" Why did you leave? You could have come back here, fought me for our son's custody, questioned me about Klara but you didn't. You ran." He said with his smile faltering.

" Let's not talk about the past. I thought going to Spain was the best decision at the time." I replied making sure to show him that I won't be taking this conversation any further. He grabbed my other hand before I could grad the door handle

" And why Spain? I just don't get it. We thought you were dead for so long and all the while you're alive."

" I took back my father's mafia with the help of Santiago and we made a coalition. That's why. Now let go of my hand." I replied, making sure to sound collected.

" A coalition? With Santiago Valverde? That man is my enemy, you can't be working with my enemies Anastasia you are my wife." Vladamir said as he gripped my hand tighter. He is being absurd now.

" I don't like your tone, I haven't been your wife for sixteen years, I won't start now. You have a wife, waiting for you downstairs. Santiago is your enemy and that's your problem. I owe you nothing Vladimir. I've agreed to let you have the girls so everything is settled." I told him and then I removed my hand from his grip and walked out.
We walked back in the dining room and they were all still seated, waiting in anticipation.

" I think we all made tough decisions. I will let Ulyana and Faina stay here for a year. I will still be living in Spain because of business but I will alternate Weeks between here and there so I can see my children more often, all of my children." I declared. They all  couldn't believe I  agreed to this.

" Do we even get to have a say in this matter? Mama I can't live here with them. My family is you, Ulyana, Blanca and uncle Santi we can't just leave them. They have survived without us for this long, sure they can do more years.
I get you wanting to be near your sons but giving us away to Vladimir, no." Faina whined.

" I think I missed the part where we were asking for your permission Faina. Your mother and I have concluded the matter, you will be moving in with us tonight and that's the end of it. " Vladimir said.

" Whatever asshole," she spat and he sent her a glare, Faina gave him one back and they stayed like that for a while because they  both weren't backing down until he leaned back on his chair and his hard face formed what should have looked like a smile, instead he looked a bit constipated. Luca then stood up from his seat and raised his glass.

" A toast, to my two sisters and Papa's two wives. Novikovs for life" Luca announced and Klara choked on her wine. Shit, I never divorced Vladimir. This just keeps getting worse.

" Novikovs for life" Zakhar shouted as he also raised his glass along with Luca, the rest of us were appaled.

As I laid my head on the chair  my mind reeled with the events of the evening. The dinner conversation had been stilted, the tension palpable. I was taken by surprise by what we discovered tonight.

As I gazed around the table, my eyes met Vladimir's. His expression was a mix of guilt and regret. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had known I was alive. Would he have still married Klara? Would he have still built a life without me?

The thought sent a pang through my chest. I had thought I was over the pain, that I had moved on. But being here, surrounded by the remnants of our past, brought it all flooding back.

I thought about the years I had spent in captivity, the years Vladimir had spent thinking I was dead. It was a complicated situation, one that I wasn't sure how to navigate.

As the dinner drew to a close, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. I knew that I had to make a decision, one that would affect not just me, but everyone around me.

As I sat in the silence of my room back at the hotel my thoughts consumed me. I thought about Vladimir, about Klara, my four sons, about our complicated situation. I thought about the years we had lost, the years we could never get back. And then I made my decision. I would divorce Vladimir, the girls would get a chance to know their father and live with their brothers and I would get my sons to forgive me. It was the only way to uncomplicate things, to give everyone a chance at a little normal, a polygamous family is not very ideal at the moment. We  had left the Novikov mansion so that the twins could get their luggage and I would take my flight back to Spain.

Just as I was lost in thought, Faina burst into my room.
"Mama, I don't understand why we have to stay here. I don't want to live with Vladimir and his new wife." She said with discontent in her tone.

I sighed, trying to placate her. "Sometimes change can be a good thing, Faina. This will give you and Ulyana a chance to build a relationship with your brothers and your father. Being a Novikov isn't that bad."

"Says the woman who kept her maiden name the whole time whilst married into the Novikov family." Faina said as she raised an eyebrow, there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice

"I remained Anastasia Bukhari because that has always been my identity.  I wanted to have an identity outside of your father.I was also my father's only child, and I kept it for him. I will always be a proud Bukhari."I replied with a smile and a hint of pride in my voice

"Mama, now that we know Papa thought you were dead all this time, does that mean you'll forgive him and you'll get back together?" Ulyana asked. I didn't even see her coming in

"Do you still love him?" The last statement came out as a whisper.

I took a deep breath, trying to choose my words carefully. "I'm not getting back together with your father, Ulyana. Things with us are just too complicated. So I'll uncomplicate them by divorcing him."

Ulyana's face fell, but she didn't push the issue. I didn't answer her last question because I honestly couldn't. I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. The truth was, I didn't know. I had hated Vladimir for so long, hated him for abandoning me, for moving on without me.
Maybe I hated him as much as I loved him. Maybe all  those feelings would never truly disappear.

" I will see you guys soon. I promise, I'll be back next week. Don't worry yourself so much Ulyana take care of your sister and you,Faina stay out of trouble. " I said as I gave them both one last kiss before they left. I really hope that letting them go there was not a mistake.

As I watched my daughters leave, a mixture of emotions swirled inside me. I couldn't help but wonder if I had made the right decision in letting them stay with Vladimir and his family. The thought of them adjusting to a new life, one that didn't include me, was difficult to bear. But I knew I had to be strong, for their sake as much as mine. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of my stomach.
The entire time at dinner Valentino was looking at me with his eyes full of rage, not just me, his sister's too. I'm clearly not his favourite person but I want to win him back, all of my sons. Leaving them back all those years ago was a bad decision. I wasn't thinking straight, I was thinking from my pain. I practically abandoned them all because I was afraid it would kill me to see him with someone else.