After Anastasia traveled long miles, she arrived at a stunning contemporary mansion with a captivating exterior design.
The limousine she was inside parked at the mansion's courtyard close to the tranquil man-made fountain that graced the center of the mansion's grounds and the sculpture garden, casting a serene ambiance on a dark, chilly night.
Anastasia stepped out of the limousine, with Emery following behind. They strode striding past the hefty bodyguards positioned at the entrance as they both entered the house.
As Anastasia entered the house, she saw a handsome young man with white hair in the living area, with a charming smile on his lips.
She noticed he wore loose-fit grey jogger pants and a black t-shirt, giving him a cute yet spicy bad-boy appearance that surprisingly concealed his usual foreboding aura.
Although he always kept a warm and soothing atmosphere only around Anna.
Staring at him, Anastasia's cheeks blushed pink as she felt amused to see him tonight since he never mentioned his return to her or Emery. She was happy to meet her savior again.
"Long time no see, Anna." The white-haired young man said, still smiling at her.
Ambling towards him, Anastasia spoke softly. "Austin, you are back so quickly. Is this a surprise?"
Augustus, the white-haired young man, ran his long fingers through his messy, sleek hair. "I'm back home for good, Anna. Don't you like me here?"
Anastasia chuckled. She liked his presence around her, which made her feel saved and special. She didn't want him away from her sight either. "Sure, I'd like you here with me."
"That's why I can't stay away from you for too long," Augustus said, his voice filled with deep longing.
His eyes locked into hers while he admired how stunning she appeared in the elegant gown, her natural beauty shining without a cosmetic.
He wished the ceremony was ball party that he could go with her and have a romantic dance with the angel before him.
No matter how many times he has seen her in designer clothes or casual attire, she always looks beautiful and glows in his eyes. He can never get weary of staring at her.
When Emery saw her older brother's arms wide open, waiting for an embrace, she grinned at him, surprised to see him. "I have missed you so much, Buddy," Emery said, as she was heading to him.
She attempted to hug him, but he shot her a glare and nuzzled her aside. She slumped onto the nearby soft couch, stunned.
Emery scoffed in amazement that he had done it again. She playfully glared at him, but he didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he focused his attention on Anastasia, still wearing a charming smile on his lips, reminiscent of a lovesick teenager reunited with his first love after decades.
What a stupid lover boy! Emery cursed in her heart. She knew how much her brother loved Anastasia even though he hadn't formally expressed his feelings to her yet.
Anastasia noticed Emery was upset at what her elder brother did, but he didn't mind. She scolded him softly. "That was harsh on Emery. She only wanted her brotherly embrace."
"It has been a long time since we last saw each other, and I'd like to embrace you first," Augustus said, before explaining why he pushed her aside. "Emery has had her fair share of my hugs since childhood. Now that I'm a grown-up man, I will reserve my embrace for the special woman in my life."
Hearing his words that conveyed sincerity and love, Anastasia's cheeks flushed a deeper pink as she drew closer to him and entered his embrace, resting her head on his broad chest.
"She deserves your hug more than I do." Anastasia insisted.
"I know about that," Augustus said. He enveloped her in a tight hug, his arm wrapped around her with a hungry intensity, yet gentle enough not to feel suffocating, as he whispered his longing in his velvety voice. "But, Anna, my heart can't stop yearning to reconnect with yours because it has missed you so much. I've missed you."
Augustus Rodriguez is 34 years old, the heir to the Rodriguez mafia clan and the second-in-command in his empire, following his grandfather. Other mafia gangs fear him and the underworld knows him as "Mad Dog" because he mercilessly kills anyone who opposes his goal or poses a threat to his loved ones.
That night, he found Selina almost lifeless on the bridge, his heart wracked with guilt and fear of losing her as he saved her.
From that day on, he stayed by her side, protecting her from those venomous people in the world and ensuring her happiness. Anyone who threatened to harm Anastasia would face his wrath.
He will always remain by her side and doesn't want to leave for even a day, but he has to depart for a year to attend to some business in the underworld. Being away from Anastasia for a year felt like an eternity for him.
"I missed you too, Austin." She wrapped her arm around his waist tightly, sniffing his pleasant sandalwood scent that sent tranquility to her haunted heart.
"Can you two stop acting like lovers? Geez!" Emery growled with jealousy as she rolled her eyes, tired of seeing their everlasting embrace.
Emery had grown accustomed to her brother's cheeky behavior as she wasn't hurt by his action earlier.
"How have you been? I hope you didn't hurt anywhere. Did you keep to your promise?" Anastasia inquired, still in his cozy embrace while her eyes scanned his body for a slight bruise.
Augustus gently stroked her back for comfort as he answered. "I'm healthy, and my business went well, too. Just like I promised, I didn't let anything happen to me."
He ended the embrace, but he still felt unsatisfied with its length. However, he needed to examine her body to make sure she was unharmed.
"How was it?" he asked, recalling that Anastasia and Emery had returned to the Netherlands a week ago to prepare for the concluding ceremony.
"I messed up Zane's ceremony, and now his clients are furious about his abusive words and journal, thinking he consciously said those awful words and printed those journals. His company and position will be in a total mess." Anastasia answered.
"We'll know tomorrow if everything went according to your plan. The media will report on it. " Augustus said.
"But Zane won't let the media broadcast it. Do you think the media will broadcast on what happened at the ceremony?" Emery asked, looking curious.
"I have taken care of that perfectly." Augustus replied, staring at Anastasia.
Augustus breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she was unharmed. However, he couldn't help but notice that she was acting strangely, her hair unusually wrapped around her neck.
At first, it seemed like she was playing with her cascading hair, but there was something odd about it.
"Yes. He would be in pain throughout the night." Emery added.
"Did you meet Zane?" asked Augustus.
Anastasia appeared calm, but Augustus noticed the fury and pain beneath the surface that always ignited, especially when anything related to Zane came up.
Anastasia met Augustus's anxious gaze and replied, "Yes, we met, and nothing happened." She smiled, trying to sound reassured.
She saw Augustus observing her neck and knew he would notice the fingerprint she was hiding if she delayed in his presence for another second.
Standing up from the couch, she said, "I'm exhausted. I will go take a shower now and catch up on enough sleep. Good night."
As she turned around to leave, she heard Augustus's voice filled with anxiety.
"Hold on, Anna," Augustus ordered in a calm tone. He walked up to her and gazed at the dark hair enfolded on her neck as if it was hiding something from his sight.
"Is there something you're hiding from me, or maybe something happened between you both that you don't wish to tell me? He didn't touch you, right?" Augustus demanded in a possessive tone yet calmed.
He felt something was wrong, and she didn't want to open up to him about it. His anxiety and calm expression were slowly transforming into an intense, menacing demeanor.