Fated by a Single Night
Ainsley
One unforgettable night. Two strangers. One secret that changes everything.
After the death of her beloved grandmother and a heartbreaking betrayal, Isabella Álvarez Volkov returns to Russia to start over. A drunken night with a mysterious stranger becomes a memory she tries to forget—until she discovers she's pregnant with twins.
Unaware that the father is Mikhail Petrov, one of Russia's most feared mafia bosses, Isabella chooses to raise her children alone. But fate has other plans. When they cross paths again, old memories resurface, dangerous enemies close in, and hidden truths threaten to tear them apart.
In a world ruled by power, betrayal, and bloodshed, can two broken hearts find love... before it's too late?
Chapter 2
ISABELLA'S POV :
One week. One week had passed since I arrived in Russia. Little by little...
I was getting used to everything. The freezing weather. The language I hadn't spoken fluently in years. The enormous mansion. Even my parents. For the first time... They were trying.
Mama knocked on my bedroom door every morning. "Breakfast is ready."
Papa would ask how my day had been. It all felt... awkward. But strangely comforting.
Maybe... We were finally becoming a family.
---
My phone suddenly vibrated.
❤️ Adrian Calling...
A smile instantly spread across my face.
Adrian Castillo. My boyfriend of almost three years. The man I had dreamed of introducing to my grandmother.
The man who once promised... "No matter where you are, I'll always choose you."
I answered the call. "Adrian!"
His voice was unusually quiet. "...Hey."
I frowned. "Are you okay?"
"I need to tell you something."
My heart suddenly dropped. There was something in his voice... Something wasn't right.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
"Isa..."
"I don't think this relationship is going to work anymore."
I froze. "...What?"
"I've been thinking about it for a while."
"I don't want a long-distance relationship."
I shook my head. "No."
"This isn't how we deal with things."
"Adrian..."
"I'll come back to Spain."
"Or you can visit me here."
"We can fix this."
He stayed silent. Then...
"There's someone else."
Time stopped. "W-What do you mean?"
He took a deep breath. "I met someone."
"We've been seeing each other."
I couldn't breathe. "Since when...?"
A long silence followed. "...Three months."
My grip on my phone loosened. Three months. I was still in Spain. Taking care of my dying grandmother.
While he... Was already falling in love with someone else.
Tears slowly rolled down my cheeks. "You cheated on me..."
"I'm sorry."
"No." My voice trembled. "You're only sorry because I found out."
He didn't answer. Not a single word.
"You told me we'd get through everything together."
"I know."
"You promised my grandmother..."
"...that you'd take care of me."
Silence. That silence hurt more than the truth itself.
"I hope..."
"...she never got the chance to see the kind of man you really are."
Then...I ended the call.
---
The phone slipped from my hand. It hit the floor with a loud thud. My knees gave way beneath me. Slowly...
I sank onto the carpet. For the second time in two weeks...
I had lost someone. Only this time...
He chose to leave.
---
ELENA'S POV :
I found Isabella sitting on the floor of her bedroom. Her eyes were swollen. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
"Isa..."
She quickly wiped away her tears. "I'm okay."
No. She wasn't. A mother always knows.
I walked over to her. Without saying a word I wrapped my arms around her. At first she remained frozen. Then she completely fell apart.
She cried against my shoulder like a little girl. "I'm so tired, Mama..."
It was the first time in years she had called me Mama. And hearing that...
Shattered my heart.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
"I'm sorry..." I whispered. "I didn't mean to cry."
Mama gently brushed the strands of hair away from my face. "You don't have to apologize."
"He cheated on me."
"I know."
"I wasn't enough."
She immediately shook her head. "No."
"You were."
"He simply failed to appreciate what he had."
I lowered my eyes. "I loved him."
"I know."
"And that's exactly why it hurts so much."
---
That evening papa knocked softly on my bedroom door.
"Can I come in?"
I nodded.
He entered carrying a small photo frame. It was an old photograph. Me. Mama. Papa. And Abuela.
A sad smile found its way to my lips.
"I found this while unpacking." He sat beside me.
"I know I wasn't there while you were growing up."
"I know I made countless mistakes." His voice grew heavy. "But if there's one thing I never want to see again..."
"It's my daughter crying over someone who never deserved her."
I looked at him. For years...
I believed I hated my parents. But today...
I realized they were trying. Maybe not perfectly. But sincerely.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
The warehouse was silent.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty building.
Viktor knelt on the cold concrete floor.
His face was bruised.
Blood stained the corner of his mouth.
"P-Please..."
"I have a family."
I looked down at him.
"So did the men you betrayed."
He lowered his head.
"I made a mistake."
"No."
My voice remained calm.
"You made a choice."
I turned away.
"Igor."
"Boss?"
"You know what to do."
"Yes, Boss."
Without another glance I walked away. Mercy had never had a place in my world.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
It was almost eleven at night. I couldn't breathe inside the mansion anymore. Everything reminded me of my grandmother. Everything reminded me of Adrian.
I grabbed my coat. My car keys. And quietly slipped out of the house. Twenty minutes later...
I found myself standing outside one of Moscow's most famous bars. Loud music spilled onto the streets. People laughed. They danced. They forgot their problems.
Maybe...
That was exactly what I needed. Just for one night. To forget. Even if only for a few hours. I took a deep breath. Then pushed the door open.
I had no idea...
That walking into that bar...
Would change the rest of my life forever.
One week. One week had passed since I arrived in Russia. Little by little...
I was getting used to everything. The freezing weather. The language I hadn't spoken fluently in years. The enormous mansion. Even my parents. For the first time... They were trying.
Mama knocked on my bedroom door every morning. "Breakfast is ready."
Papa would ask how my day had been. It all felt... awkward. But strangely comforting.
Maybe... We were finally becoming a family.
---
My phone suddenly vibrated.
❤️ Adrian Calling...
A smile instantly spread across my face.
Adrian Castillo. My boyfriend of almost three years. The man I had dreamed of introducing to my grandmother.
The man who once promised... "No matter where you are, I'll always choose you."
I answered the call. "Adrian!"
His voice was unusually quiet. "...Hey."
I frowned. "Are you okay?"
"I need to tell you something."
My heart suddenly dropped. There was something in his voice... Something wasn't right.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
"Isa..."
"I don't think this relationship is going to work anymore."
I froze. "...What?"
"I've been thinking about it for a while."
"I don't want a long-distance relationship."
I shook my head. "No."
"This isn't how we deal with things."
"Adrian..."
"I'll come back to Spain."
"Or you can visit me here."
"We can fix this."
He stayed silent. Then...
"There's someone else."
Time stopped. "W-What do you mean?"
He took a deep breath. "I met someone."
"We've been seeing each other."
I couldn't breathe. "Since when...?"
A long silence followed. "...Three months."
My grip on my phone loosened. Three months. I was still in Spain. Taking care of my dying grandmother.
While he... Was already falling in love with someone else.
Tears slowly rolled down my cheeks. "You cheated on me..."
"I'm sorry."
"No." My voice trembled. "You're only sorry because I found out."
He didn't answer. Not a single word.
"You told me we'd get through everything together."
"I know."
"You promised my grandmother..."
"...that you'd take care of me."
Silence. That silence hurt more than the truth itself.
"I hope..."
"...she never got the chance to see the kind of man you really are."
Then...I ended the call.
---
The phone slipped from my hand. It hit the floor with a loud thud. My knees gave way beneath me. Slowly...
I sank onto the carpet. For the second time in two weeks...
I had lost someone. Only this time...
He chose to leave.
---
ELENA'S POV :
I found Isabella sitting on the floor of her bedroom. Her eyes were swollen. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
"Isa..."
She quickly wiped away her tears. "I'm okay."
No. She wasn't. A mother always knows.
I walked over to her. Without saying a word I wrapped my arms around her. At first she remained frozen. Then she completely fell apart.
She cried against my shoulder like a little girl. "I'm so tired, Mama..."
It was the first time in years she had called me Mama. And hearing that...
Shattered my heart.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
"I'm sorry..." I whispered. "I didn't mean to cry."
Mama gently brushed the strands of hair away from my face. "You don't have to apologize."
"He cheated on me."
"I know."
"I wasn't enough."
She immediately shook her head. "No."
"You were."
"He simply failed to appreciate what he had."
I lowered my eyes. "I loved him."
"I know."
"And that's exactly why it hurts so much."
---
That evening papa knocked softly on my bedroom door.
"Can I come in?"
I nodded.
He entered carrying a small photo frame. It was an old photograph. Me. Mama. Papa. And Abuela.
A sad smile found its way to my lips.
"I found this while unpacking." He sat beside me.
"I know I wasn't there while you were growing up."
"I know I made countless mistakes." His voice grew heavy. "But if there's one thing I never want to see again..."
"It's my daughter crying over someone who never deserved her."
I looked at him. For years...
I believed I hated my parents. But today...
I realized they were trying. Maybe not perfectly. But sincerely.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
The warehouse was silent.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty building.
Viktor knelt on the cold concrete floor.
His face was bruised.
Blood stained the corner of his mouth.
"P-Please..."
"I have a family."
I looked down at him.
"So did the men you betrayed."
He lowered his head.
"I made a mistake."
"No."
My voice remained calm.
"You made a choice."
I turned away.
"Igor."
"Boss?"
"You know what to do."
"Yes, Boss."
Without another glance I walked away. Mercy had never had a place in my world.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
It was almost eleven at night. I couldn't breathe inside the mansion anymore. Everything reminded me of my grandmother. Everything reminded me of Adrian.
I grabbed my coat. My car keys. And quietly slipped out of the house. Twenty minutes later...
I found myself standing outside one of Moscow's most famous bars. Loud music spilled onto the streets. People laughed. They danced. They forgot their problems.
Maybe...
That was exactly what I needed. Just for one night. To forget. Even if only for a few hours. I took a deep breath. Then pushed the door open.
I had no idea...
That walking into that bar...
Would change the rest of my life forever.
Chapter 2
— Chapter 2 of 16