MAFIA LOVE SCANDAL

“So, we’ll be heading home soon?” Anne asked as they were strolling through the city of Zurich.

In total, the two of them had spent three days in Interlaken. Therefore, yesterday, Kaivan decided to take Anne back to Zurich. And today, he had promised to take his wife to explore other interesting places before deciding to return to London later in the evening.

“Yes, darling. I apologize for not being able to take you out for too long. Tomorrow morning, Mr. Harold wants to meet to discuss the mall construction business. But don’t worry. Once all the work deadlines are met, I’ll take you out again. You’re free to choose wherever you want to go.”

Anne turned her head. She gave him a grateful smile, feeling pleased with all the sweet gestures Kaivan had shown. Somehow, he was really good at capturing her heart. Maybe, this was one of Kaivan’s tactics to win over women.

“No need to exaggerate. I’m fine if we have to head back today. Besides, I still have plenty of time to travel with you.”

The two continued to walk along the streets of Zurich. Their destination this morning was the Old Town. This area was said to be a melting pot of various cultures, social life, and history in Switzerland.

While walking, Anne and Kaivan were treated to many sights. From medieval houses, narrow alleys, to the town hall that had existed since the Renaissance period. Anyone exploring the Old Town could enjoy the beauty of Zurich’s past, a history that still lived on through the old buildings in the area.

“If you can see, that’s the twin towers of Grossmünster Church. According to the local legend, Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, built those towers right where the tombs of Zurich’s patron saints, Felix and Regula, were found,” Kaivan explained, pointing with his hand at the old building located a few meters from where he and Anne stood.

“So, you mean that the church could be considered one of the city’s landmarks?” Anne asked enthusiastically.

“Exactly.” Kaivan nodded.

He then invited Anne to continue their journey until they finally reached Lindenhof Park. A famous city park in Zurich. They both sat on one of the park benches, enjoying the surrounding view. They exchanged stories until time slipped away.

“Well, how about it? Is there still a place you’d like to visit?” Kaivan asked as they were on their way back to the hotel.

Anne shook her head. She held onto Kaivan’s hand and smiled.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

“I’m content with the sightseeing route we took today. Now, it’s time to pack up and get ready to go home. I’ve been missing the hotel’s cuisine.”

Kaivan smiled. During the pregnancy, the guy actually forbade his wife from fussing around in the kitchen. So, Anne had no choice but to go along and eat the healthy dishes prepared by the hotel’s chef, specially assigned by Kaivan to cook all the healthy menus she wanted.

Taking a short break at the hotel, Kaivan and Anne finally decided to head to the airport. After being in the air for over two hours, the plane they were on finally arrived at Heathrow International Airport at exactly eight in the evening. Hurriedly, they approached the driver who had been waiting for them and headed straight back to the Four Season Hotel.

“You feeling alright, huh?” Kaivan asked after seeing Anne finish changing into her pajamas.

“I’m all good, babe,” Anne replied and walked over to Kaivan, who was standing not far from the closet.

“Alright then. Now it’s time for you and our little one to rest. Meanwhile, I’ve got to head to my office for a bit. There’s some work I need to check.”

Anne nodded, gave Kaivan a quick hug, and watched him go to join Mike in his office.

“Finish your tasks quickly. Don’t stay up too late. I know you must be really tired tonight too.”

“Don’t worry,” Kaivan answered. “I promise I won’t take long.”

After unwrapping the embrace, Kaivan lifted Anne’s body. He carefully laid her down on the bed, helping to pull up the covers before planting a long kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Now, get some rest quickly.”

Kaivan thought Anne would be asleep by the time he returned to the room. But he was wrong. She seemed quite restless on the bed, tossing and turning as if trying to find the right position to close her eyes.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Kaivan asked. He immediately took a seat right next to Anne on the right side.

“I don’t know. It’s just weird, my eyes aren’t feeling sleepy. I’ve tried to sleep. But this drowsy feeling just won’t come.”

Kaivan grinned. He brought his hand to gently stroke Anne’s arm and massaged it gently.

“So, what do you want now? Hungry? Thirsty? Take a stroll around the hotel? Watch TV? Or…”

“Or what?” Anne squinted her eyes. “What are you trying to offer me? Why do you look so suspicious?” she teased, seeing a mischievous grin clearly plastered on her handsome husband’s face.

“Who knows, maybe you need some late-night exercise to be able to sleep soundly.”

“Oh my goodness…” Anne immediately exclaimed upon hearing her husband’s words. “But it seems like we can give it a try.”

Laughter erupted from Kaivan’s lips, thinking Anne would be angry or protest. But in reality, the beautiful woman had no hesitation and even initiated it herself.

Of course, Kaivan wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by. If Anne really wanted it, he’d gladly give her what she wanted.

****

“I definitely want to join!” Anna Maria whined. She was pouting upon finding out that her husband, on his day off, had plans to go out and meet his friends. Naturally, this instantly ticked Anne off.

“I’ll only be gone for a bit, babe,” Kaivan replied while still trying to explain. “Seems like there’s something important that Kenzi, Edward, and Richard want to discuss.”

“Yeah, I definitely want to go with you! You can’t just leave me alone here,” the woman argued. She was determined not to be left behind in the room this time.

“But I’m going to the shooting range. Isn’t it risky for our baby if you come along? I’m afraid our future child inside your belly might get startled after hearing a lot of gunshots.”

What Kaivan had just said obviously got Anne thinking. If what her husband said was true, it could be dangerous. But being left alone in the room wasn’t a pleasant option either.

“Or…” Kaivan continued. “Do you want me to take you to Mom’s house or to Kenzi’s house? So you can meet Alma and won’t be lonely.”

Anne nodded in agreement. Without much more thought, she immediately changed clothes, getting ready to go wherever her husband was taking her.

After dropping Anne off at Kenzi’s house, Kaivan and his younger brother headed straight to the shooting range they frequented. However, upon arriving, their other two friends were nowhere to be seen. Maybe about thirty minutes passed before the Maximilian siblings, Edward and Richard, finally arrived.

“Why took you guys so long? We’ve been waiting for an hour,” Kaivan complained.

“I even drank two cups of coffee because I was tired of waiting for you guys,” Kenzi, standing beside Kaivan, chimed in.

Hearing the complaints from their friends, Richard immediately defended himself. He pointed his index finger directly at Edward.

“It’s his fault. Just so you know, that guy hadn’t even taken a shower when I knocked on his apartment door.”

As usual, Edward could only grin and laugh. Among the four of them, he was known for being the one who liked being late the most.

“Sorry about that. In return, I’ll cover the field rental and treat you guys to lunch at Chiltern Firehouse, how about that?”

Kenzi nodded in agreement.

“Alright, your mistake is forgiven this time. Quickly choose your weapon.”

Edward and Richard headed straight to the weapon storage room. They chose their firearms one by one for this practice session.

All four of them had enjoyed shooting as a sport since their college days, especially Kenzi and Kaivan. The two of them were the most skilled with various types of firearms, from short barrels to long ones.

For this practice session, Kenzi, Edward, and Richard all settled on the Glock Meyer 22 pistol from Austria. Kaivan chose the H&K MP5 long-barreled firearm from Germany.

They spent over two hours having fun. Kaivan and Edward were the most enthusiastic in competing against each other.

“I give up…” Edward shouted while raising both hands.

Kaivan turned and smiled satisfactorily. While Edward joined Kenzi and Richard, who were already sitting in the waiting area, Kaivan chose to rinse off the sweat.

“You two are insane!” Kenzi shook her head, observing Edward and Kaivan’s antics, so engrossed that they lost track of time.

“This is fun, Ken. I feel like I’m fighting against the mafia,” Edward grinned.

“You should be Kaivan’s little brother, so you could face the mafia head-on. Your behavior is the same,” Richard, sitting right next to Kenzi, chimed in. But what he said was true. Edward would indeed fit well as Kaivan’s younger brother. They shared the same personality, hobbies, and traits.

“No way!” Kaivan, who had just returned from the restroom, immediately interrupted Richard. “It would be crazy if I had a chatty brother like him,” Kaivan pointed at Edward, who was leisurely sipping his cola.

“Kai, can’t you put a shirt on first?” Instead of responding to their conversation, Edward protested against Kaivan’s shirtless appearance. He casually walked from the restroom toward all of them who were sitting.

“Oh, come on. I’m sweating. When my body dries up, I’ll definitely put on my shirt,” Kaivan defended himself.

“Oh my goodness, is that a body or a street wall? Why are there so many scribbles there?” Edward shook his head, looking at the row of tattoos on Kaivan’s body. He really liked getting tattoos.

“If I were Aunt Luna, I might have scratched your name off the family card, Kai. Your appearance is totally like that of a thug.” Once again, Edward sneered. Kaivan was right; he’d go crazy if he had a chatty brother like Edward.

Not wanting to waste much time, Richard stopped the argument between Edward and Kaivan. They then hurried to the car to have lunch at Chiltern Firehouse, a famous restaurant that was a favorite among Londoners.

“So, what do we need to discuss here?” Kaivan asked when they were at the restaurant, waiting for their food to be served.

“First off, I want to apologize to Richard. Looks like I’ve got some karma coming my way,” Edward’s statement immediately raised the others’ eyebrows in confusion.

“What’s going on?” Feeling his name being mentioned, Richard immediately inquired.

“In about a month, AlphaBeta has to announce its new CEO. You know, my dad is the first child of the Cullen family, and unfortunately, I’m also the first heir. So, whether I like it or not, I’m the one who’s going to take on the CEO position.”

“What’s the problem?” Kaivan interrupted Edward’s explanation.

“Listen to me first!”

“Alright, I apologize,” Kaivan replied.

“The main requirement to become the CEO of AlphaBeta is for the person to be married. How can I become the CEO if I don’t even have a potential wife? You guys know I’m not one to believe in commitment. Unfortunately, my dad has given me a one-month deadline. If not, I’ll end up like Kenzi, being matched with the second choice of my parents,” Edward explained at length.

“Why not just put out an online or TV ad? Announce that Edward Cullen is looking for a potential wife. Problem solved,” Kaivan quipped without a care. He seemed indifferent to Edward’s current problem.

Edward looked at Kaivan with frustration. If he weren’t the big brother of his friend, he might have kicked him out of the restaurant.

“Yeah, and after placing the ad, I embarrass my entire family?” Edward spoke sarcastically. “Don’t be crazy, Kaivan Maximilian. It’s better for you to drop dead than to give useless advice like earlier.”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend at all?” now Kenzi was the one asking. Her previously relaxed expression had turned serious.

Edward shook his head.

“None. You know it yourself. I don’t like being in long relationships with women. They’re just trouble. They only drain my money.”

“Not even a potential target?” Kenzi pressed on with the questions.

Edward remained still. He thought back if there was a woman he had his eyes on, and after a short pause, he nodded.

“Yes. I’m looking for a woman who can outsmart me.”

“What!” Edward’s three friends all exclaimed in surprise.

“Don’t be insane, Ed. Don’t let the stress of finding a wife turn you crazy like you are now,” Richard protested.

Edward laughed upon hearing Richard’s accusation. “Oh my goodness, I’m being completely honest. Some time ago, I attended Marvin’s bachelor party in Liverpool. There, by accident, I met a beautiful woman named Naomi. It’s a long story. Bottom line, she forced me to sleep with her. I tried to refuse, but she kept tempting me. And you guys should know something…” Edward paused, making his friends even more curious.

“Something? Don’t hold back when you’re telling the story!” Kaivan, looking the least patient, urged.

“The woman who slept with me turned out to still be a virgin. Actually, I’m confused. I should call this luck or a misfortune.”

“Of course, it’s luck, Ed!” Kaivan quickly retorted. “Didn’t you say she was beautiful? And she’s the one who compelled you to enjoy her virginity. So where’s the misfortune in that?”

Instead of being happy, Edward let out a frustrated sigh. “The problem is, after sleeping with me, she just left. I feel humiliated. How can it be, after using my body to her satisfaction, the next day she just tossed me aside.”

“Ha… ha… ha…” his three friends burst into laughter in unison. Especially Kaivan, his eyes were even teary from laughing at Edward’s predicament.

“You’re talking as if you’re the victim here. You should consider yourself lucky that the woman didn’t demand anything from you.” While laughing, Kaivan responded to Edward’s story. “Look at my situation. I’ve never slept with a woman. But back then, I was forced to take responsibility for someone’s pregnancy.”

Of course, everyone remembered this incident. How Kaivan, who had never slept with a woman in his life, had the misfortune of being responsible for Anne’s pregnancy.

Not to mention, Kaivan had to protect her from the attacks of the mafia who wanted to kidnap her. The situation he faced back then was truly complex. But it was from this misfortune that they eventually came together and became a married couple.

“So, have you investigated who this woman you’re talking about is?” Kenzi asked again.

“I’ve asked Hans for help to investigate who Naomi really is. I need to settle the score with her,” Edward replied passionately.

“You’ve chosen the right person to ask for help. I hope your problem gets resolved quickly, and you can find a potential wife soon.” Kenzi spoke sincerely. Meanwhile, Richard and Kaivan also echoed the sentiment of the narrow-eyed man.