Page 76 of Arranged Bratva Virgin

I grab it and unfold it as worry strains my nerves.

Stefano,

I just went out for a bit because I needed to clear my head.

Darya

X

It’s a really straightforward note, simple and to the point, but instantly, I feel ill when I read it. If Marco isn’t the one causing shit with me, that means there is someone else out there, and Darya might be in danger wandering around on her own.

I drop the note and run from the room, hoping to find that she at least took the bodyguard with her, but knowing her, she didn’t.

I question Daniel, my head of security. “No, sir, no one went with her.”

“Not even Mikael?” My driver is trained in defense and would be able to look after her if anything happened.

He shakes his head. “She wanted to drive herself. I didn’t know it would be an issue.”

“Fuck.”

“Is something going on, sir?”

“Yes, I need to know where she is.”

“We can track the car. She took one of yours. Did you try phoning her?”

“No, I don’t think we need to track her yet. Let me give her a call first. If she doesn’t answer, you can do that for me.” I take a deep breath. “I wanted to find out if anyone was with her first.”

I pace up and down near the front door with the phone pressed against my ear. It’s ringing.

My stomach feels tense with worry.

This girl is my entire world, and if anything happens to her, I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself.

“Stef?” Her voice comes through the line, and I practically fall over from relief. I let out a heavy breath of air that I didn’t know I was holding.

“Where did you go?” I say, too heated and too abrupt.

Chapter 24 - Darya

Stefano goes straight to his office without even trying to come and talk to me, so I assume he must be furious with me. I don’t know how to handle him when he gets this way. I feel anxious and miserable. I wish he would just try and see if from my side.

He doesn’t seem to understand how much I care about him and how worried it made me when he disappeared like that. I head up to my own bedroom, needing some space to think and clear my head.

An hour goes by, and I start to feel more and more claustrophobic and stressed out.

The more I sit here alone, the more I feel overwhelmed with how much I have fallen for Stefano—and how cold he can be towards me. I think I have fallen in love with a man who is incapable of feeling the same way in return. Tears sting the back of my eyes.

Finally, when I can’t take it anymore, I grab a piece of paper, scribble a quick note and leave it on my bed. Then I grab my handbag and walk straight towards the garage. I choose one of Stefano’s cars and climb inside. I need to get out of here.

The garage door slides quietly open, and I know Stefano won’t even hear it, so that’s fine. I don’t need him rushing out of the house and cussing me out for going out without a security guard to accompany me.

I need to think.

And I don’t need a babysitter for that.

I push the car into gear and hit the open road. At first, I don’t know where I’m going, but then realize I am heading somewhere very specific without planning it at all. It’s as though my heart knew what I needed to do.

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