Annika Remo, a beautiful and innocent young woman, hides a painful past while living with her unsympathetic uncle and aunt, relying on her fantasy novels to escape. Unbeknownst to her, her uncle has put her on a dangerous blacklist. Matteo King, the...
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Annika Remo
My gaze is drawn to the dress that lies on my bed.
As I stare at the girl in the mirror, the silk black cloth touches my skin, and my heart beats faster. "A true mate is a mirror; the person who shows you everything that is holding you back is the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life," my father used to say.
Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you are to your comfort zone.
Before staring at myself again, I brush my natural curls off my shoulders. My makeup is a touch heavier than normal, but not excessively. People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realising you are the beholder.
"Okay, I got this."
Love is weakest when there is more doubt than trust, but love is strongest when we learn to trust in spite of the doubts. I trust Matteo with my whole heart.
I exit our room and proceed to Matteo's office. Before stepping in, I softly knock. My smile seemed to soothe his strained muscles. His hand tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear as I take a seat on his lap. I'm overwhelmed by his gentle touch as we gaze into each other's eyes.
I managed to catch his words, and my cheeks blushed even more.
"Thank you," I breathe softly as my hand slips into his shirt. My heart swelled at the touch of his chiselled chest. He seemed tense, but with everything going on, I wouldn't blame him.
He gave me a comforting smile and whispered, "Everything is going to be alright." His words brought me a sense of reassurance and hope, and our bodies entwined in an embrace. Matteo becomes a little more relaxed as my thumb caresses his warm skin.
I've never met someone like him. I've never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, how someone might end up here. His heart beat against mine in a way I had never felt before, and the connection between us was tangible.
I refused to look into his eyes, worried he might see through me and my weakness. But with a gentle tilt of his thumb beneath my chin, my breath was robbed. I finally allowed myself to look into his eyes, and there I saw a love so fierce, yet so soft, that it made my heart ache.
"What's on your mind, —?" You. You, Matteo. That's what's on my mind. I can't stop thinking about you, Matteo
" Is Diego going to be at the meeting?" "What if they won't help?" Questions like these swirl around my head and fill me with uncertainty.
"Annika. I won't let anything happen. They will. They've all suffered losses." I nodded, my eyes filled with resolve.
"I'm just worried about you." At my words, a faint chuckle escapes his lips as they make contact with my neck, leaving butterfly kisses. His arms encircled me, providing comfort and a sense of security as I nestled my head against his chest.
