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 4
ISABELLA'S POV :
A sharp headache greeted me the moment I opened my eyes.
"...Ugh." I slowly sat up. Everything around me was unfamiliar. A spacious bedroom. Dark gray walls. A luxurious chandelier. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the snowy skyline of Moscow.
My heart skipped a beat. "...Where am I?" I quickly looked around.
Then...
My breathing stopped. My black dress from last night was lying on the floor. Beside it...
A man's white dress shirt. My eyes slowly drifted toward the other side of the bed. A man was sleeping peacefully. Messy black hair. Strong jawline. Broad shoulders. The same man from the bar. Memories from last night came flooding back.
The drinks...
The conversation...
The drive...
Then...
Nothing. I couldn't remember anything after that.
My hands began to tremble. "No..."
I quietly lifted the blanket. My cheeks immediately burned. "...Oh, God." I covered my mouth.
Tears formed in my eyes. "Please..."
"Tell me nothing happened..." But deep inside... I already knew the answer.
---
The man stirred slightly. Panic immediately took over.
"I need to leave." I hurriedly picked up my clothes. Got dressed as quickly as I could. My fingers shook so much that I could barely button my coat.
Before leaving... I looked back one last time. He was still asleep. "I-I'm sorry..." I whispered. Not knowing why I was apologizing.
Maybe...
To him.
Or maybe...
To myself. Then I quietly walked out of the room. Without looking back.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
The sunlight slipping through the curtains woke me. I frowned. "...Morning already?" I rubbed my forehead.
Even I had drunk more than usual. Fragments of last night flashed through my mind. The bar. The crying woman. Her smile. Her perfume.
Then...
Everything after entering the penthouse became blurry. I sat up. The bed beside me was empty. Only a faint scent of vanilla remained. My eyes landed on the bedside table. There was nothing. No note. No name. No phone number.
Nothing...
She had disappeared.
---
A few minutes later...
Someone knocked. "Boss."
"Come in." Igor entered. He stopped the moment he noticed the empty room.
"...She left?"
"Looks like it." Igor scratched the back of his neck. "Should we find her?"
I stayed silent. For some reason... I couldn't stop thinking about her tearful smile. Then another thought crossed my mind. A thought that made my expression darken.
"...Igor."
"Yes, Boss?"
I looked at him. My voice was unusually serious. "...Do you remember if I asked you to buy anything last night?"
He frowned. "What do you mean, Boss?"
"...Protection."
The room fell silent. Igor thought for a moment. Then slowly shook his head. "No, Boss. I don't remember you asking."
Neither did I. I closed my eyes. "Damn."
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
I stepped out of the luxury building and immediately hailed a taxi.
"Miss?" The driver looked at me through the mirror.
"Where to?"
I hesitated. Then quietly gave him my home address. The entire ride... I stared out the window. Snow continued to fall. People walked by as if nothing had happened. Yet my world felt completely different.
---
When I arrived at the mansion...
Mama was already waiting. "Isa!" She walked toward me. "Where have you been?"
"I..." I couldn't tell her. How could I? "I stayed at a friend's place." A lie. The first lie I had ever told my parents.
Mama sighed in relief. "You should've called."
"I'm sorry."
She gently touched my cheek. "You look pale."
"I'm just tired."
"If you don't feel well, rest."
I nodded. "I will."
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
Three days. Three days had passed. Yet I still couldn't forget her. It wasn't guilt. It wasn't regret. It was... Curiosity. Who was she? Why did she look so heartbroken? Why did she leave without saying a single word?
"Boss." Igor entered my office.
"We checked the bar's guest list."
"And?"
"No information."
"CCTV?"
"The cameras outside were under maintenance."
I leaned back in my chair. "What about inside?"
"The owner said one of the storage drives was corrupted."
I let out a dry laugh. "So..."
"It's like she disappeared."
Igor nodded. "Yes."
For the first time in years... Something had slipped through my fingers. And I hated not knowing.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
Days turned into weeks. Little by little, life returned to its routine. Or at least...
I pretended it did. I buried myself in work at my father's company. Smiled when people talked to me. Acted as if everything was fine. But every night I remembered those gray eyes. And every morning I forced myself to forget them. Because we were strangers. Nothing more. Nothing less. Or so I believed.
---
One morning, I woke up feeling strangely nauseous. I rushed to the bathroom. "Ugh..." A wave of sickness hit me. After several minutes...
I slowly washed my face. Maybe it was just stress. That had to be it. Right?
A sharp headache greeted me the moment I opened my eyes.
"...Ugh." I slowly sat up. Everything around me was unfamiliar. A spacious bedroom. Dark gray walls. A luxurious chandelier. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the snowy skyline of Moscow.
My heart skipped a beat. "...Where am I?" I quickly looked around.
Then...
My breathing stopped. My black dress from last night was lying on the floor. Beside it...
A man's white dress shirt. My eyes slowly drifted toward the other side of the bed. A man was sleeping peacefully. Messy black hair. Strong jawline. Broad shoulders. The same man from the bar. Memories from last night came flooding back.
The drinks...
The conversation...
The drive...
Then...
Nothing. I couldn't remember anything after that.
My hands began to tremble. "No..."
I quietly lifted the blanket. My cheeks immediately burned. "...Oh, God." I covered my mouth.
Tears formed in my eyes. "Please..."
"Tell me nothing happened..." But deep inside... I already knew the answer.
---
The man stirred slightly. Panic immediately took over.
"I need to leave." I hurriedly picked up my clothes. Got dressed as quickly as I could. My fingers shook so much that I could barely button my coat.
Before leaving... I looked back one last time. He was still asleep. "I-I'm sorry..." I whispered. Not knowing why I was apologizing.
Maybe...
To him.
Or maybe...
To myself. Then I quietly walked out of the room. Without looking back.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
The sunlight slipping through the curtains woke me. I frowned. "...Morning already?" I rubbed my forehead.
Even I had drunk more than usual. Fragments of last night flashed through my mind. The bar. The crying woman. Her smile. Her perfume.
Then...
Everything after entering the penthouse became blurry. I sat up. The bed beside me was empty. Only a faint scent of vanilla remained. My eyes landed on the bedside table. There was nothing. No note. No name. No phone number.
Nothing...
She had disappeared.
---
A few minutes later...
Someone knocked. "Boss."
"Come in." Igor entered. He stopped the moment he noticed the empty room.
"...She left?"
"Looks like it." Igor scratched the back of his neck. "Should we find her?"
I stayed silent. For some reason... I couldn't stop thinking about her tearful smile. Then another thought crossed my mind. A thought that made my expression darken.
"...Igor."
"Yes, Boss?"
I looked at him. My voice was unusually serious. "...Do you remember if I asked you to buy anything last night?"
He frowned. "What do you mean, Boss?"
"...Protection."
The room fell silent. Igor thought for a moment. Then slowly shook his head. "No, Boss. I don't remember you asking."
Neither did I. I closed my eyes. "Damn."
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
I stepped out of the luxury building and immediately hailed a taxi.
"Miss?" The driver looked at me through the mirror.
"Where to?"
I hesitated. Then quietly gave him my home address. The entire ride... I stared out the window. Snow continued to fall. People walked by as if nothing had happened. Yet my world felt completely different.
---
When I arrived at the mansion...
Mama was already waiting. "Isa!" She walked toward me. "Where have you been?"
"I..." I couldn't tell her. How could I? "I stayed at a friend's place." A lie. The first lie I had ever told my parents.
Mama sighed in relief. "You should've called."
"I'm sorry."
She gently touched my cheek. "You look pale."
"I'm just tired."
"If you don't feel well, rest."
I nodded. "I will."
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
Three days. Three days had passed. Yet I still couldn't forget her. It wasn't guilt. It wasn't regret. It was... Curiosity. Who was she? Why did she look so heartbroken? Why did she leave without saying a single word?
"Boss." Igor entered my office.
"We checked the bar's guest list."
"And?"
"No information."
"CCTV?"
"The cameras outside were under maintenance."
I leaned back in my chair. "What about inside?"
"The owner said one of the storage drives was corrupted."
I let out a dry laugh. "So..."
"It's like she disappeared."
Igor nodded. "Yes."
For the first time in years... Something had slipped through my fingers. And I hated not knowing.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
Days turned into weeks. Little by little, life returned to its routine. Or at least...
I pretended it did. I buried myself in work at my father's company. Smiled when people talked to me. Acted as if everything was fine. But every night I remembered those gray eyes. And every morning I forced myself to forget them. Because we were strangers. Nothing more. Nothing less. Or so I believed.
---
One morning, I woke up feeling strangely nauseous. I rushed to the bathroom. "Ugh..." A wave of sickness hit me. After several minutes...
I slowly washed my face. Maybe it was just stress. That had to be it. Right?
Chapter 4
— Chapter 4 of 16