Contract Marriage: Married to My Ex-Husband's Alpha Stepfather [BL]

Chapter 190: But This Much Desire, Together, We’re Winners

[SERGEI]

When Volkov brought him his lunch back, Sergei ate like he had been starving, and that food was the best thing he had ever tasted. It was crazy how moments earlier, he had dismissed it and claimed he wasn’t hungry anymore.

Now he had cleared everything that had been sent to him.

"You can throw these away," Sergei said after calling Volkov again.

The secretary gaped at the sight before him.

Sergei Moskowsky had actually eaten. Consumed everything, including the ketchup he usually threw away, even on a regular day. Everything was gone.

Volkov stared like a part of him knew that if the containers were edible, Sergei Moskowsky would have eaten them too.

"You’re staring," Sergei pointed out, his voice normal.

Not cold.

Not soft.

Just normal, like he was a normal person with controlled normal feelings.

"You said you were not hungry anymore. And now you almost ate the plates," Volkov accused teasingly.

Sergei glared at him.

"My stomach made me change my mind," Sergei defended.

"Riighhtt. I’ll... I’ll take these away before you turn into a plastic-eating man," Volkov snickered.

Sergei threw his pen at the secretary...

...intentionally missing his target as the pen fell to the floor.

Volkov just shook his head and walked out, a familiar smile now on his face, like this was a good change of habit. But perhaps it wasn’t as bad, right?

"I kept our pact, and ate lunch," Sergei typed into the sticky note on his desktop, adding a smiley face emoji.

Then he turned to the note that he had been reading before, not knowing that the message he had typed into his sticky note wasn’t exactly in a sticky note.

The alpha had typed into the company forum.

Maybe it wouldn’t make any difference, right?

Outside, Volkov snickered at the absurdity of the life they were living.

Moskowsky’s employees’ private chats exploded in seconds, and soon enough, Anya was calling Sergei.

"Finally... Is it done?" Sergei said not even waiting for what Anya had to say. It had been a long ten hours since his Solnyshka left, and frankly, he couldn’t take the torture anymore.

"Sergei..." Anya breathed tiredly.

"What? You called me, remember? I was being good and minding my business when you called," Sergei defended.

"I assume you were eating lunch?" Anya asked like she was not ready for this at this point in the day.

"I knew Volkov was a snitch," Sergei grumbled before pulling the phone from his ear and shouting profanities at his secretary.

"What a colorful man you are, you stupid brat!" Anya scolded.

And Sergei could hear her sighing once too many times.

"Anya..." Sergei spoke, his voice suddenly filled with concern for the only person he considers family other than his secretary and Yaro.

"Are you okay? Where are you? Should I come for you? Send me a pin. I’ll be there in minutes," Sergei said worriedly, already getting up.

He could sense that something was wrong with Anya, but he wouldn’t wait.

He couldn’t lose another beloved person just because of time.

He would fight back this time.

"Sergei..." Anya trailed off, and before she could ever say another word, Sergei spoke.

"Are you alone? Is Rahim with you? Solnyshka? Give any of them the phone. Let them explain if you’re too tired. Just... Don’t leave me too, please," Sergei said.

Anya’s breath stilled on the other side of the phone.

"Volkov! Call Rahim and Romanov. Whoever picks up first, hand me the pho—" Sergei said as he set the box Katya had sent him aside.

Anya needed him.

He would go.

Even if he had to figure it out along the way.

"I’m fine, Sergei," Anya said, trying to reason.

On the other side of his office, Volkov had reached Rahim first.

And he walked into Sergei’s office and handed the phone to Sergei.

"Find Miss Kavinsky and video call me. You have one minute," Sergei said to Rahim, not bothering with the pleasantries.

Volkov, on the other hand, just stepped out quietly.

Whatever was happening had to be serious if it got Sergei that worried. He knew about Sergei’s relationship with Anya, and he knew that was one woman Sergei couldn’t afford to lose ever.

"This brat," Anya sighed over the phone, right as Rahim found her and got on a call with her.

"Sir... Here she is. Please excuse me," Rahim said, stepping out of the frame just enough.

Behind Anya, Katya was waiting for something.

Yet this time, Sergei’s focus wasn’t on the omega he was so obsessed with. But on the woman who screamed life into him one too many times.

"I’m fine, Sergei. See..." Anya explained, making sure to show him her untouched inhaler and her emergency kit that she always carried along when we went on long trips like this one.

"Where are you?" Sergei asked.

"Me, or Romanov?" Anya asked worriedly, like she knew this wasn’t about her. Maybe this time, but then Sergei always somehow took care of people he cared about.

Even if most of the time, he was a menace.

"You. You’re my priority, Anya. I’ll come for you," Sergei said in earnest, not mincing his words.

Anya realized instantly how serious this was getting.

Sergei was genuinely about to lose his shit over her.

"I’m fine, young master. I wouldn’t lie to you. You know that, right?" Anya tried hoping that the title would snap Sergei out of whatever trance he was trapped in.

"But you sounded..." Sergei said, the defeat obvious in his voice and the desperation pretty clear too.

He sounded like he was already praying for something.

Anything.

"You posted your lunch pact update on the company forum, you idiot," Anya scolded like she couldn’t believe she had to translate simple humane dynamics for the alpha.

And Sergei froze for a moment.

"What?"

"Oh, this man-child."

"Huh?"

"Do me a favor and sit back on your desk and actually open that stupid computer in your desk. Then check where you typed your lunch pact with who I assume is Romanov," Anya said, and Sergei stared at him for a moment longer.

"You’re not in pain, right?" Sergei insisted like everything else could wait. And maybe they could, because Anya was that precious to him.

"I’m fine. You tagged me with this stupid heart monitor of a watch, remember? Does it look like I’m breathing heavily on your end?" Anya asked tiredly.

Sergei looked at the watch that never once left his wrist. Not even when he was in the showers.

"You’re really alright... thank goodness," Sergei breathed in earnest relief.

"I’m giving Rahim back the phone. Don’t you dare video call me. Go sit down and do what I told you," Anya said, and Sergei pouted at her but went to sit down regardless.

Anya was fine.

Anya was alright.

He wasn’t losing Anya.

Anya was doing okay.

That was all Sergei was thinking of, even as he followed her instructions.

And she was right.

He had posted his lunch update on the company forum.

"Oh, goodness," Sergei breathed.

"He already saw it," Anya laughed, and Sergei felt like he was about to die.

"Anya..."

"Nope. I’m not adopting kids today. You’re on your own, kid."

"But th—"

"As much as I would want to bury you alive, my schedule is full for another hundred years."

"You said yo—"

"I have to go now, kid. Be safe, alright? Don’t walk into traffic just because you embarrassed yourself in front of the whole company because of your crush, alright?"

"You said I could call you if I was dying!"

"You sound pretty healthy to me. And I just saw you on a video call. So, you’re healthy, not dying. Maybe of shame, but you will survive."

"I have to m—"

"You can’t disappear from the city, either."

"Why not?"

"Romanov’s birthday is in three days. You be safe, alright? I have to go. Some of us have real jobs," Anya laughed and hung up before Sergei could say another word.

"Volkov!!" The alpha shouted again, and his secretary rushed in, a worried look on his face. He looks like he knew Sergei was going to spiral again, which wouldn’t end well for anyone.

"Sir?"

"You have a bunker in your house, right?" Sergei said as he began packing.

"What?"

"I’ll rent it for a million per day. Just get me out of here," Sergei said, putting the unfinished note in his pocket before he carried the package Katya had sent him.

"You—"

"Whatever your price is, I’ll meet it," Sergei said, hurrying out of the office like Volkov was to meet him at the helipad.

Well, the plan was good.

Until Sergei stepped out of his office.

Right into the returning employees.

And three feet away?

Stood Katya Romanov.