Chapter 11


    Belle''s POV


    My eyes flicker as I am slowly awakened by small kisses on my forehead. The soft touch of the sunlight


    is making it hard for me to fully open my eyes to have a clearer picture of what''s around me.


    "My love....."


    Said the familiar soft voice. I inhaled and instantly recognize his scent. It''s Artan.


    I crinkled my eyebrows in confusion. This man was close to being deadst night. Howe he''s


    already awake now? I realized that I''m already in his arms all wrapped around him. He is half naked


    and a bandage is wrapped around his torso.


    When the doctor allowed us to be with himst night, I made sure to be on his side but I could not recall


    lying beside him in bed.


    He cupped my face with his palm and looked me in the eyes. He let''s out a naughty smile and spoke,


    his voice still hoarse.


    "I should have known getting shot is what it takes to wake up with you like this." He said while gently


    rubbing his fingers on my face.


    "Artan...you getting shot is not funny."


    I moved to step down the bed but I wasnt able to remove myselfpletely because he instantly


    grabbed me.


    "You know, my pole is kind of waving its g right now."


    My lips parted in disbelief. "Artan!!!!" Oh my god this man!


    I heard someone soft chuckle inside the room. When I looked around, I see Dardan, Besian, and


    Adnan looking at us all amused. I hit him on his chest which made him wince in pain.


    "Ahh.." He muttered.


    I squirmed because blood instantly soaked the gauze and bandage on his side.


    "I''m sorry...I''m sorry Artan."


    He just smiled and pulled me even tighter towards him but far fom the side where he got shot.


    "Artan you should stop straining yourself."


    "I will be forced to strain myself if you move. So just don''t move baby."


    I decided to stop putting up a fight.


    "That''s better." He said while nting a kiss near my lips.


    My palmnded on his face instantly, but his grin just grew even wider. For a man who got shot and


    almost died, this one looked the happiest.


    Artan signalled his men toe to us while his face is near mine.


    "You look a hundred percent Boss. I wonder why." Said Adnan who is looking at the two of us with a


    smile on his face.


    Artan softly chuckled and cocked his head to face Adnan. "Am I? Maybe because of this wonderful


    drug beside me."


    Yup the man haspletely lost it.


    "Boss, we need to talk about what happened." Said Besian.


    "Some other time." Artan replied.


    "The Russians deserve to answer for this! We will look weak if we let this one pass Boss." Scowled


    Besian.


    "What did I just say Besian?" Artan sounded calm but with enough firmness to cause chills to run down


    my spine.


    "But Boss..."


    Adnan ced his hand on Besian''s shoulder as if telling him to stop pushing.


    "We will talk some other time Boss, we will leave you and Ms. Belle alone."


    "Good. Tell everyone not to disturb us or I will shoot whoever goes through that fucking door." Said


    Artan and he doesnt look like he''s even kidding at all.


    Adnan soft chuckled and gestured a salute with his index and middle finger. "As you wish Boss."


    The three went out of the room leaving the two of us behind. I thought that this is the best time to plead


    to Artan not to exact revenge to Niki anymore. If there''s one person who can once and for all end


    this, it would be me. The very reason why this is all happening in the first ce.


    "Artan please.... you and Niki can still talk things over. You have been friends for a long time. Don''t


    put that friendship into waste."


    "I think Volkov and I are way past talking my Belle."


    "Please....I was devastatedst night when you were shot. It willpletely ruin me if anything


    happens to Niki and Alexei, especially now that I''m..."


    Artan crinkled his eyebrows, "Especially now that?"


    "Nothing. Just please Artan. No bloodshed anymore?"


    Artan looked at me like he''s thinking. "Okay.. for now."


    That''s good enough for me. It would buy me some time to think and hopefully end this chaos. Besian is


    so fixated in exacting revenge to the Russian Mafia and only his Boss can stop him from pushing


    forward with his n.


    "Youre wearing my shirt...you look perfect in it." Artan said as he drops his face on my neck.


    "Thanks for this by the way."


    He smiled. "You have my whole closet at your disposal baby."


    Artan''s eyes are slowly shutting down. I tried to fight the urge to close my eyes as well but eventually


    my eyelids became too heavy to bear. Slowly everything around turned so quiet, my body rxed for


    slumber.


    ~


    *Niki and Alexei in the study. They just had an argument when Yuri entered the room.*


    "Boss, Madame Volkov is here."


    The two looked surprised. Niki instantly stood up but noticed that Yuri looked very ufortable.


    "Uhhh... Boss, It''s Madame Irene Volkov."


    Irene entered looking calm andposed. "Thank you Yuri, you may now leave."


    Yuri nodded and shut the door on his way out. Niki and Alexei looked like they have seen a ghost.


    Irene ced her vintage Chanel bag on top of the chair in front of Niki''s wooden table. She slowly


    removed her coat and then her gloves.


    "Where are your manners boys? Is this how you greet your mother? No wonder the princess left this


    god forsaken house!"


    Niki and Alexei gave her a hug and kissed her on her forehead.


    "Matushka.." Said Niki. His facial expression is still one of puzzled surprise.


    "Matushka, what brings you here?" Asked Alexei, he has the exact reaction as Niki.


    "You know why I am here. Now sit. Don''t make me jump for your faces."


    Niki and Alexei sat down next to each other in defeat, knowing fully well what''sing to them.


    Irene followed them next to the sofa. She faces them and raised her hand from the top of her head,


    swung it to a curve andnded a p on Alexei''s face. Thetter looked to the side as he epts all


    the strength of Irene''s p.


    "I fought for her...." Said Niki.


    "The sweet princess is still not here. You did not fight for her enough."


    Irene swung her hand once again andnded a p on Niki''s face. She then walked back to the


    chair while slowly massaging her hand.


    "I will stay here for a while. I have all the time in the world to listen to yourme excuses. Now speak."


    "She doesnt want to see us." Said Alexei.


    "If I were the princess, I never want to see you two as well. In my case, I will smother the two of you in


    your sleep and bury you 10 ft below the ground. All these years, I havee to realize that dead


    bodies make for a good kind of fertilizer to the soil. Have you seen my roses and tomatoes back home?


    Who would have guessed being a wife to your Fathers will make me an expert agriculturist."


    Niki and Alexei remained silent.


    "Nobody''s talking? Very well, you have until dinner toe clean or else Matushka is going to be very


    upset. You don''t want to see an upset Matushka dont you boys?"


    ~


    Belle''s POV


    "Artan, open up."


    He tapped his side, gesturing me to sit next to him in bed. I''m holding a bowl of soup in my hand trying


    to feed this stubborn man in front of me. Artan has apparently been awake long before I woke up. And


    he has taken that opportunity to kiss me on god knows what part of my body. The man is wounded but


    still manages to take advantage of the situation.


    "No." I muttered.


    "Then I''d rather starve to death." He replied.


    "Do whatever you want Artan."


    I ced the bowl on the table next to the bed and exited the room. I rested my back on the door as


    tears fall down my eyes. His stubbornness reminds me so much of Niki. It''s like everytime he


    speaks I see and hear Niki in him and I hate it so much.


    "Ms. Belle? What''s wrong?" It''s Dardan. The bandage can be seen on his arm where he was shot,


    peeking through his white cotton shirt.


    "Nothing Dardan." I said as I wipe the tears from my eyes.


    He looked at me unconvincingly. "Just tell me if you need anything."


    "Thank you Dardan."


    "I should be the one thanking you Ms. Belle."


    I looked at him all puzzled. I have put their Boss'' life in jeopardy but sill he manages to say this to me?


    He smiled at me and continued, "I havent seen the Boss this happy Ms. Belle. He never smiles


    genuinely except when youre by his side."


    I just offered him a faint smile and walked past him. "Ms. Belle, if you can stay a little longer, please do


    so. Give the Boss a chance to prove himself worthy of your time, and perhaps your love."


    "Dardan, I have cause enough trouble to your Boss and the Albanian Mob, it''s not wise for me to stay."


    "Can''t you see? The Boss believes that you are worth all of it. You''re the only one missing in his life, a


    wife and mother to Aria."


    "Do you realize how much your asking me Dardan?"


    Dardan was obviously taken aback. I can see in his facial expression that he himself was surprised by


    his own bluntness.


    "I...I''m sorry Ms. Belle."


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "It''s okay. I have to go."


    Dardan looked defeated. He nods and turn his back on me and opened the door to his Boss'' room.


    When I''m already in the living room my eyes widened because of a sweet surprise.


    It''s Aria. The little angel.


    She instantly ran towards my direction with a smile on her face. She hugged me so tight, my heart


    instantly melted.


    I knelt in front of her to meet her in the eyes. "How are you my little angel?"


    She kissed me on my nose as her answer. Oh god, this little girl has no single clue of what''s going on


    around her. I feel like my heart is being crushed.


    "The Boss wanted to see her so I brought her back home." Adnan said, his hands are in his pockets as


    he spoke.


    I stood up and held her hand tightly. She looked at me from head to foot while her eyebrows are


    crinkled. I think she noticed something that really caught her attention.


    She pulled me to follow her. I looked at Adnan all puzzled. He just shrugged his shoulder telling me that


    he has no idea.


    "Hey Aria, where are we going?"


    She just continued walking and climbing up the grand staircase towards her room. She went directly to


    her closet and I think that she''s looking for something based on the clothes being hurled out every now


    and then.


    I sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to finish whatever it is that she''s doing. She then raised


    her hand while holding a pink shorts. She pulled me up and then raised the shorts in front of me as if


    trying to measure if the shorts will fit me. It was then that I realised that I am not wearing anything


    except for Artan''s shirt and panties. The little girl wanted me to wear something underneath. A smile


    instantly formed on my face.


    She cocked her head to the left and then to the right being all serious in dressing me up.


    "Uhh... I think that will not fit me Aria."


    She ced her index finger on her right cheek as if thinking. Secondster, her eyes widened in a light


    bulb kind of moment. She again pulled me to follow her this time in her father''s room. We went directly


    to the walk in closet. She scoured and scoured and finally settled on her Father''s boxer shorts.


    She looked so confused when she realizes that there''s a slit in the middle where the man''s member


    usually goes through when they pee. I tried so hard to hold a giggle but eventually failed. Oh goodness


    his little angel is so adorable.


    We were interrupted by a knock on the door and it''s Adnan.


    "Hey,e with me Aria your daddy wants to see you."


    He then carried Aria in his arms. The little girl gestured me to follow them but I don''t want to go back


    there anymore so I just made an excuse.