Chapter 115: Watching, I Keep Waiting, Still Anticipating Love

[KATYA]

The field trip to the El Nueva farm was not something that Katya was looking forward to. Not with the way things had gotten.

Not with the way he wasn’t even sure where he stood with Sergei anymore.

He had been granted six months of freedom, yet it now felt like those had been the perfect set of lies that the Moskowskys had crafted.

It hurt to even think of the possibility that this was still what he was being controlled by.

Perhaps that was why, the entire trip, Katya did not say much.

And when they got there, he only spoke when he really had to.

The El Nueva industries were known for their investments in agriculture. They were the largest producers of farming products in the city.

Katya knew that not just for the notes he had read but because Svet worked at El Nueva HQ back in Frolo.

His friend had told him all that there was to the company, and right now, as Katya walked across the farm, lost in his own world.

He couldn’t help but stay focused on the happenings of the previous night.

He could have suspected that it was Sergei and left it at that.

But everything had been deliberately done.

It was like Katya was in a game, and the alpha was paying him like he was the one piece being pushed and pulled across the board.

It was something that hurt because he had signed contracts. Lifeline contracts that he would never really be able to get out of.

On one hand, there was the question of where Sergei stood with everything, and on the other was the question of when Katya would pay the price for everything.

He had lost lots of contact with Sergei, and he couldn’t even bargain again because now Sergei was dating someone else.

Maybe he wasn’t.

Katya could even bargain himself.

His body.

Anything about him. His entire life, and he wouldn’t have complained about anything that would have followed.

Katya had been so ready to face it all, but then there was Irina.

From the videos Katya had seen of the couple, they were happy. Way too happy together, and the city had been relaxed for months.

It was a reality that Katya knew he had to accept either way. Even when he was trapped in prison again.

Katya couldn’t ruin that, not that he even believed that he had the power anyway. After all, he had never signed any divorce papers with Yaroslav, so all of this was not worth shit.

And even if he dared to out Sergei, he could as easily claim that the contract was signed to make sure Katya didn’t make a run for the hills once his family was dead.

Gods, it was frustrating.

"Chairman Katya, we need your input on the other side of the farm. Please come with me," Anya said, not leaving room for arguments.

Maybe because she had seen the way Katya was down, or maybe because they were here for their jobs and it was Katya’s turn to do his, no?

"Yeah, sure," Katya said.

Anya walked him toward a field of different flowers. At first sight, it was the prettiest collection of flowers that Katya had ever seen. There were roses, lavenders, peonies; so many flowers.

Including white lilies.

Katya paused before the lilies, bending down to look at the flowers, and honestly, it was interesting to an extent.

’Of course, fate is toying with me,’ Katya thought bitterly to himself when he saw that the lilies were right beside the red roses.

It was ironic in a painful way.

Because on one hand were the red roses the senator had been sending him every workday.

On the other hand, there were the white lilies that came without a card. It was a tad suspicious that he had gotten them today, too. Of all the days.

But maybe it was just a coincidence.

Maybe it was a good luck charm for him.

Only that Katya didn’t feel as lucky standing there before long rows of white lilies.

"They’re pretty, aren’t they?" Anya said as she stared at the field.

"Yeah, very pretty," Katya sighed softly, the reminder of the flowers he had received twice and without a card, something that shunted him.

Especially now that they were side by side.

This was fucked up, but why the hell, right? None of that meant anything. Besides, there was no way to know why Katya was suspecting, right?

"Still can’t believe he chose lilies. Those flowers haunt me even in my dreams because of that stubborn idiot," Anya sighed exaggeratedly like she was too tired of someone.

Katya paused, staring in silence like that was not something he was sure he needed to react to. Yet he did, so the woman didn’t sound as crazy.

"Huh?" Katya wondered passively, his mind working endless theories with other things he considered far more important than whatever Anya was complaining about at the moment.

Yet Anya, on the other hand, froze for a moment too long.

Then she clicked her tongue, the exhausted disbelief obvious.

"That coward," Anya grumbled lowly as she turned away, waving her hand like she was dismissing the entire topic.

"You know what? Forget it. Let’s get back to work before I burn every last one of those lilies myself. They’re waiting for us," Anya said tiredly.

Katya followed her, the pretty flowers something that stayed etched in his mind. It was a beautiful sight, and Katya felt like this was his chance to be normal.

Besides, what were the odds that they were on a field trip at an El Nueva farm and happened to focus on the side that had the prettiest of flowers?

Then again, he was just glad to be away from the madness of the entire city. This was much needed break, and he would fuck it up.

Not for himself; that much was certain.

"And now, this is where..." the farm guide said hours later in the evening as he finalized their tour.

Katya had tried to pay attention, but he was still focused on the lilies.

If anyone asked him what he was thinking of, he could even explain, because honestly, it was bad enough that he had woken up and gotten doused in what felt like Sergei’s hand.

Yet now, he just wanted to go home and sleep.

Perhaps that was why when they left the farm later, Katya buckled himself to sleep, hoping that they would get to Frolo fast so he could go home.

And that was a really good plan.

Private jet out of a farm on the outskirts of the most dangerous city.

Team members who had certainly learned more than Katya had.

Anya, who had been focused on logistics and making the trip work.

The haunting sight of a whole farm of red roses, like he wasn’t haunted enough by Senator Aleksandr’s roses.

It was all peaceful.

And Katya slept the entire flight back home.

Only that when he got to the city, reality struck HARD.

In the eleven hours Katya was away, something had shifted in a way he couldn’t immediately name.

And the TVs at the airport provided irrefutable proof of it all.