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 6
MIKHAIL'S POV :
Three months. Three long months had passed. Business never stopped. Neither did the bloodshed. I spent my days handling negotiations. Territory disputes. Illegal shipments. Meetings with allies. Eliminating enemies.
Yet despite everything..
There was one face I couldn't erase from my memory.A woman with sad brown eyes. A stranger who cried in front of me. A stranger who disappeared before sunrise. I didn't even know why I still remembered her.
---
"Boss." Igor entered my office. "The charity gala starts in two hours."
I adjusted my cufflinks. "Who's hosting it?"
"The Volkov Corporation." I nodded absentmindedly.
One of Russia's largest business empires. Powerful. Influential. Exactly the kind of people politicians loved. People like me only attended to keep appearances.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
"Isa." Mama smiled as she fixed the necklace around my neck. "You look beautiful."
I forced a small smile. "Thanks."
She looked down at my stomach. Although I was already four months pregnant the baby bump was still easy to hide beneath my loose evening gown. Only our family and my doctor knew the truth. No one else.
Papa walked into my room. "The car's waiting."
I nodded. "Coming." As I stood in front of the mirror I unconsciously placed my hand on my stomach. "Behave, okay?" I whispered.
"I promise..."
"I'll protect both of you."
---
THIRD PERSON
The Volkov Charity Gala was filled with Russia's wealthiest families. CEOs. Politicians. Foreign investors. Famous celebrities. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the grand ballroom. An orchestra played softly in the background.
Everything looked elegant. Perfect. Yet beneath the expensive smiles... everyone was wearing a masks.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
I hated events like this. Too many fake conversations. Too many fake people. I accepted another glass of whiskey from a waiter. Then something caught my attention.
A woman entered the ballroom. Dark emerald dress. Long chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders. Graceful. Elegant. Familiar. Very familiar. I couldn't explain why...
But my heart suddenly beat a little faster. She turned around. And our eyes met.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
The moment I saw him... The world seemed to stop. Gray eyes. Sharp jawline. Black suit. The man from that night. The father of my babies.
My breathing hitched. "No..." I whispered. "It can't be..."
He stared at me just as intensely. As if he were trying to remember something. Panic rushed through me. I immediately looked away. Not here. Not now. I turned around and quickly walked toward the balcony.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
"...Boss?" Igor noticed my expression. "What's wrong?"
I didn't answer. Instead I followed the woman. She disappeared onto the balcony. The cold night air greeted me as I stepped outside. She was standing near the railing. Looking at the city lights.
"...We've met before."
She froze. Slowly she turned around. "I'm sorry."
"I think you've mistaken me for someone else." Her voice. The same voice. I took another step.
"No."
"I don't forget faces."
She smiled politely. "Then your memory must be wrong." Before she could leave something caught my eye. Her wrist. As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear the sleeve of her dress slid back slightly. A tiny butterfly tattoo.
My heart pounded. A detail I had remembered from that unforgettable night. I slowly looked back at her.
"...It's you."
Her face turned pale. "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to walk past me.
But I gently held her wrist. Not tightly. Just enough to stop her. The moment our skin touched fragments of that night flashed through my mind.
Her tears. Her smile. Her saying... "You have pretty eyes."
I immediately let go. "...You were the woman from the bar."
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
My chest tightened. He remembered. Of all the clues... Why did it have to be the tattoo? I forced myself to stay calm. "I think you're confusing me with someone else."
His gray eyes never left mine. "I remember your voice."
"..."
"I remember your perfume."
"..."
"And I remember this tattoo." He pointed gently at my wrist.
"...Because I saw it."
I couldn't breathe. Just then mama's voice echoed from inside the ballroom.
"Isabella!"
I quickly stepped back. "I have to go."bI hurried away before he could stop me. The only thing I wanted was to get as far away from him as possible.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
I watched her disappear into the crowd. "Igor." He immediately appeared beside me.
"Boss?"
"I want everything." He frowned.
"About who?"
I looked toward the ballroom where she had vanished. "The woman in the emerald dress."
"Find out who she is."
Igor nodded. "Right away." For the first time in months...
I finally had a lead. And I wasn't going to let it disappear again.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
The ride home was unusually quiet. I stared out the car window. My hands instinctively rested on my stomach. He remembered me. Not completely. But enough. Would he eventually discover...
That the twins I was carrying... Were his? I closed my eyes. "No..." I whispered. "Not yet." Because I wasn't ready. Not for the truth. Not for him. And certainly not for the storm that was about to enter my children's lives.
Three months. Three long months had passed. Business never stopped. Neither did the bloodshed. I spent my days handling negotiations. Territory disputes. Illegal shipments. Meetings with allies. Eliminating enemies.
Yet despite everything..
There was one face I couldn't erase from my memory.A woman with sad brown eyes. A stranger who cried in front of me. A stranger who disappeared before sunrise. I didn't even know why I still remembered her.
---
"Boss." Igor entered my office. "The charity gala starts in two hours."
I adjusted my cufflinks. "Who's hosting it?"
"The Volkov Corporation." I nodded absentmindedly.
One of Russia's largest business empires. Powerful. Influential. Exactly the kind of people politicians loved. People like me only attended to keep appearances.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
"Isa." Mama smiled as she fixed the necklace around my neck. "You look beautiful."
I forced a small smile. "Thanks."
She looked down at my stomach. Although I was already four months pregnant the baby bump was still easy to hide beneath my loose evening gown. Only our family and my doctor knew the truth. No one else.
Papa walked into my room. "The car's waiting."
I nodded. "Coming." As I stood in front of the mirror I unconsciously placed my hand on my stomach. "Behave, okay?" I whispered.
"I promise..."
"I'll protect both of you."
---
THIRD PERSON
The Volkov Charity Gala was filled with Russia's wealthiest families. CEOs. Politicians. Foreign investors. Famous celebrities. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the grand ballroom. An orchestra played softly in the background.
Everything looked elegant. Perfect. Yet beneath the expensive smiles... everyone was wearing a masks.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
I hated events like this. Too many fake conversations. Too many fake people. I accepted another glass of whiskey from a waiter. Then something caught my attention.
A woman entered the ballroom. Dark emerald dress. Long chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders. Graceful. Elegant. Familiar. Very familiar. I couldn't explain why...
But my heart suddenly beat a little faster. She turned around. And our eyes met.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
The moment I saw him... The world seemed to stop. Gray eyes. Sharp jawline. Black suit. The man from that night. The father of my babies.
My breathing hitched. "No..." I whispered. "It can't be..."
He stared at me just as intensely. As if he were trying to remember something. Panic rushed through me. I immediately looked away. Not here. Not now. I turned around and quickly walked toward the balcony.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
"...Boss?" Igor noticed my expression. "What's wrong?"
I didn't answer. Instead I followed the woman. She disappeared onto the balcony. The cold night air greeted me as I stepped outside. She was standing near the railing. Looking at the city lights.
"...We've met before."
She froze. Slowly she turned around. "I'm sorry."
"I think you've mistaken me for someone else." Her voice. The same voice. I took another step.
"No."
"I don't forget faces."
She smiled politely. "Then your memory must be wrong." Before she could leave something caught my eye. Her wrist. As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear the sleeve of her dress slid back slightly. A tiny butterfly tattoo.
My heart pounded. A detail I had remembered from that unforgettable night. I slowly looked back at her.
"...It's you."
Her face turned pale. "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to walk past me.
But I gently held her wrist. Not tightly. Just enough to stop her. The moment our skin touched fragments of that night flashed through my mind.
Her tears. Her smile. Her saying... "You have pretty eyes."
I immediately let go. "...You were the woman from the bar."
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
My chest tightened. He remembered. Of all the clues... Why did it have to be the tattoo? I forced myself to stay calm. "I think you're confusing me with someone else."
His gray eyes never left mine. "I remember your voice."
"..."
"I remember your perfume."
"..."
"And I remember this tattoo." He pointed gently at my wrist.
"...Because I saw it."
I couldn't breathe. Just then mama's voice echoed from inside the ballroom.
"Isabella!"
I quickly stepped back. "I have to go."bI hurried away before he could stop me. The only thing I wanted was to get as far away from him as possible.
---
MIKHAIL'S POV :
I watched her disappear into the crowd. "Igor." He immediately appeared beside me.
"Boss?"
"I want everything." He frowned.
"About who?"
I looked toward the ballroom where she had vanished. "The woman in the emerald dress."
"Find out who she is."
Igor nodded. "Right away." For the first time in months...
I finally had a lead. And I wasn't going to let it disappear again.
---
ISABELLA'S POV :
The ride home was unusually quiet. I stared out the car window. My hands instinctively rested on my stomach. He remembered me. Not completely. But enough. Would he eventually discover...
That the twins I was carrying... Were his? I closed my eyes. "No..." I whispered. "Not yet." Because I wasn't ready. Not for the truth. Not for him. And certainly not for the storm that was about to enter my children's lives.
Chapter 6
— Chapter 6 of 16