Chapter 16


    Belle''s POV


    I want to die.


    I wish that the ground will just swallow me at this very moment to save me from this embarassment.


    Why is he looking at me like that? What is up with him? And the band. God this band! It''s like Matushka


    paid them to be on cue or something.


    "Are you okay? Do you want to go home? We can leave anytime you want, just say the word." Artan


    whispered while squeezing my hand on top of my thigh.


    "I''m fine Artan, how about you? How are you feeling? Your wound, does it still hurt?"


    "Don''t worry about me. I''m..."


    Artan attempted to hold my chin when suddenly.


    Bammmmm!


    Niki mmed his ss on the table, everything on top shook and vibrated. Everyone, except for


    Matushka and Alexei looked at Niki inplete surprise.


    Alexei drank everything from his ss all the way down, while sporting the exact facial expression as


    Niki. Matushka''s lips are pulled to the side slightly, looking like she expected Niki''s reaction.


    "I need a drink!" My bestfriend raised her hand to catch the attention of the server. She was handed a


    ss of champagne and she drunk it immediately without a single drop left.


    "One more! Yes!" She asked for another ss and drank it again all the way down. I reached for my


    bestfriend''s hand to calm her nerves down. I know that her anxiety is in its hyper mode considering that


    we are surrounded by mobsters and mafia men. And of course, considering what Niki just did.


    Matushka smiled and widened her eyes in amusement to my bestfriend. "Amylinda Lee am I right?"


    "Yes. Yours truly, Matushka. I mean Madame Irene, I mean...."


    "Haha! You are such a charming doll my dear."


    "Hehe...uh...thanks?"


    Matushka smiled and raised her ss for a toast.


    "Cheers to theing bundle of joy!" She nced at me, offered the sweetest smile and continued,


    "May the rightful druglord bring the mother home tonight!"


    Oh my god!


    I feel like a permanent lump formed in my throat, I''m actually suffocating. My bestfriend spilled her drink


    in front of her in disbelief.


    "Uh, excuse me." Amy stood up from her chair and went to the privy.


    I took the ss of water from the table and sipped, not even attempting to look around in humiliation.


    My goodness, what is Matushka doing? I''m already starting to think that going to this party is a bad


    idea. Argh!


    I thought that was it but to my horror, Niki stood up from his chair and sat down right next to me,


    taking over Amy''s chair. He then pulled my chair towards him abruptly, it made a screetching sound


    against the concrete ground.


    My body swinged to his side, along with my chair. He made sure that we are too close that there''s not


    an inch of gap in between us. In an instant, I felt this electric current running down my spine as our


    bodies collide. Oh god. This is the Volkov effect.


    A gasp escaped my mouth when all of a sudden, Artan pulled my hand towards him. "Let''s go home."


    He said, looking mad serious.


    "Not a single chance." Alexei said while pointing a gun on Artan''s head from the back. Everything


    happened so fast, I didnt even notice Alexeiing up at us.


    At this point, Niki and Artan''s men are already pointing guns at each other, one wrong move and this


    night will surely end in bloodbath. Even the band has halted from ying. Everyone stood frozen


    waiting for each other''s next move.


    My hands are already shaking I don''t know what to do. I looked at Matushka hoping that she could help


    me from the situation.


    "Alexei Viktor Volkov, put that gun down." Matushka said calmly while slicing her food and putting it in


    inside her mouth like there''s no gun toting going on around her.


    Alexei however did not seem to hear Matushka so I stood up and faced him and wrapped my arms


    around his waist while looking up at his face.


    "Alexei, please? Look at me." I palmed his face to force him to look me in the eyes. He looked down at


    me and I can see that I''m slowly getting into him. "Don''t do this please...." I hugged him tight and rested


    my head on his chest to ease him down.


    Slowly, Alexei lowered his gun down. His men followed suit and ced their guns back to their sides


    and back. Artan''s men did the same thing one by one.


    I swallowed the huge lump in my throat as everything slowly goes back into ce. "We will talkter


    okay?" I said while rubbing my palm on Alexei''s back, my caress admittedly calmed him down.


    Meanwhile, I need to have a word with someone who needs to answer some questions.


    "Matushka, may I have a word with you?"


    "Oh, what is it my princess?"


    Unbelievable! She''s acting like she doesnt have a hand in all of these but obviously she''s the reason


    why we are all here.


    "I need to talk to you privately Matushka."


    "Oh, don''t bother, you can say whatever you want to say. Go on." She''s sporting a smile on her face


    but I can perfectly see through her eyes. She''s the mother evil.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    If this is what she wants, fine! I will indulge her. "I do not appreciate you ying god to our lives. Artan


    came here because he respects you as a second mother to him. He was ambushedst night and he


    almost died from it, but he still chose to be here because of you."


    She signalled everyone to leave the tent except for the people from our table.


    "Dear princess, bless you and your golden heart but I don''t think Artan dly came here because of


    me."


    I was taken aback by Matushka''s words. What is she talking about?


    "Belle, let''s go." Artan said as he tries to grab my hand to drag me.


    "The fuck youre going! Sit." Alexei butts in.


    "Artan? What does Matushka mean? And don''t you dare lie to me!"


    He clenched his jaw but did not say a single word.


    "Artan!" I yelled. I''m already fisting my hand in anger.


    "Artan is here to disy you as a trophy. The ultimate kill. His most prized possession. Poaching


    Volkov''s pregnant wife. One cannot look more powerful than that. Am I right Artan?" Matushka said, still


    looking calm andposed.


    "Do not listen to them Belle! That is not even close to the truth!"


    Part of me somehow expected this. It''s not like Niki and Alexei did not warn me against this


    situation. They did. Many times before. Just the same, the pain hit me straight to the heart.


    Matushka took something from her bag and threw it on top of the table. "Read it. That''s supposed to go


    out for tomorrow''s daily."


    It''s a newspaper page with a picture of me and Artan. Oh my god. This was taken just today while I


    was helping him adjust his tie. He''s looking at me intently with a smile on his face and it so happened


    that I was smiling as well.


    There''s a full article about the two of us, but just the caption itself is enough reason for me to hate


    Artan to the bone. The caption read:


    Cargo and Shipping Mogul Mr. Artan Bogdani, with his soon to be Mrs. Bogdani, Mary Arabe Galves.


    A phntropist, teacher, and daughter of the former Governor General of the Republic of Pwi.


    The lovely couple shared to us that they are expecting a baby Bogdani soon. And they are set to wed


    two days from now in an undisclosed location where only the closest friends and rtives are invited.


    "Belle."


    "No! Don''t touch me Artan!"


    "Listen to me...."


    He tried to grab my hand but I pped him on his face as hard as I can it made Artan look to the side.


    "I said no! Stay away from me! I don''t ever want to see all of you ever again! Leave me and my baby


    alone! That includes you Matushka!"


    "I''m afraid that''s not gonna happen princess." She answered while wiping her mouth with the table


    napkin.


    All of a sudden, my feet was removed from the ground. I was scooped by Niki and carried me in his


    arms towards the front of the band. Matushka called the band back to y us a song, and so they did


    rather hurriedly.


    "Now we talk." Niki said while putting me down and grabbing me towards him abruptly.


    He ced my arms on top of his shoulders while pulling me close to him very tight.


    "Since you and your boyfriend have just broken up...."


    "Artan is not my boyfriend. Not by any chance." I interrupted him.


    I could swear that Niki''s eyes glittered when he heard that. My lips parted when he stepped closer to


    the mic stand while pulling me with him, grabbed the mic and pointed it to my mouth.


    "Can you say that again baby?"


    "Don''t call me baby. And no I''m not...Ugh!" I pushed the mic away from me because this lunatic seems


    to enjoy pointing it right in front of my mouth.


    "Let it be put on record that Artan Bogdani is a fucking loser and the woman he tried to call Mrs.


    Bogdani said and I quote Artan is not my boyfriend. Not by any chance."


    Geez, this man has absolutely lost it. I could not believe I fell in love to this 10 yr old kid.


    Alexei is looking at our direction with a smile on his face while shaking his head to his Brother''s


    undeniable lunacy. He is holding in his hand a cigar he just lit while his other hand is holding a ss of


    drink.


    Matushka and Artan are walking away from the tent towards the direction of the swimming pool. Only


    me, Niki, Alexei, and now my bestfriend who just got out from the privy and the band are left inside


    the tent.