Vengeance

CHAPTER 5

"Mikhail," his mother whispered, her voice trembling with astonishment. She never imagined she would meet her other son again, not in this lifetime, at least.

"So, you do remember my name. I am rather surprised, Mother, to get the honor of you remembering me. Should I worship your soul by kissing your feet? It is, after all, a privilege to hear my name from your mouth after all these years." He made a caustic remark.

"Unbelievable," Anastasia murmured, walking straight toward him, but Mikhail flinched, taking a step back. He could no longer bear her touch. He felt filthy.

"Don’t you dare touch me. Not after you cleverly managed to cut me out of your picture-perfect life for good." He gritted his teeth.

"Mikhail, you don’t understand." Anastasia tried to console her elder son, but he was angry.

She always knew that her older son possessed a certain rage. He had always been a temperamental child. Even as a kid, he always got what he wanted, and if someone denied him, he would throw a tantrum to the extent that he would not even remember it. It seemed like it only got worse with time.

"Then please, make me understand why I didn’t fit into your perfect life. What was it about me that you despised so much that you threw me away? Into an orphanage, no less. Even after having a living parent, I was treated like a worthless person. I had a mother. A living mother. Why me?"

"I loved you equally, Mikhail. But that step was necessary. Please forgive me for what happened in the past. We could still be a family. The family you deserved. Just tell me where my little boy is, and we will be the perfect family." Her words sounded foreign to Mikhail, like they came from someone he didn’t recognize.

The only word that echoed relentlessly in his mind was ‘loved.’

"Loved. You loved me?” Mikhail's voice crackled with disbelief, his rage barely contained. “No child should have to beg love from their own f*****g parents. But I did, every single moment when I was in the orphanage. And now you talk about being a perfect family, and yet you mentioned you loved me. Loved me? In the past tense.” His eyes burned into hers, demanding answers. “So what made you unlove me so much that you tossed me away? I was merely a kid, so what mistake did I make that made all your love vanish? I am pretty certain that a slap could have been a deserving punishment. It might have been anything other than leaving me in that orphanage."

Time and again, Mikhail raked through the fragments of his past, searching for any incident that might explain why his own mother had hated him so much. But there was nothing. No answers, no moments that justified her abandonment.

"Mikhail, I love you. Please understand," Anastasia's voice trembled, her desperation rising. "Just tell me where Anatoly is."

He stilled. Then slowly, a bitter smile spread across his face.

"Good gracious. Even now, instead of asking about how I have been all these years, you only want Anatoly. Do you think so little of me that you’d believe I would hurt him? Well, guess what? He is far away from you, where you will never be able to find him. It is only fair. After all, you made me stay away from you for twenty-one long years, and it’s about time I returned the favor." Mikhail smirked, crossing his arms.

It was a sight to see fear across his mother's face. This was not his initial plan. He was not this cruel, but sometimes, a rash decision was necessary, even if just for the time being.

"That is not fair," Anastasia whispered.

“All is fair in love and war,” Mikhail replied coldly. “And here it is, only war. A battle you started when you tossed me in that orphanage. A battle you took continued when not once did you come to meet me. A battle that didn’t have an interval when you cut me out of life, and that battle that you won’t be able to end because you mentioned that you loved me. I am going to end this battle where you are going to sleep on the bed you made.”

“What happened to you, Mikhail? You are not the son I know.” Anastasia said, hoping he would listen to his own words and realize his mistake.

"Because I am not the son you raised.” He shot back, tone sharp. “Maybe I would have a softer heart if you had actually taken the time to raise me instead of treating me like I didn’t exist or rather declaring me dead. Honestly, it would have been better if you had pretended my non-existence instead of throwing me away."

"Please don’t do this. This is wrong. Don’t you dare keep me away from my other son. I am a powerful woman and—”

Mikhail interrupted her, his voice threatening. "That’s where you are mistaken, Mother. You might be a rich woman, but not a powerful one. I, on the other hand, am a dangerously powerful man. So, don’t you dare try to cross me, because while you are busy trying to save your only son, I hope he doesn’t end up dead. After all, you only consider one son to be alive."

"He is your brother, Mikhail."

"Brother whom you kept separated. It is ridiculous to even expect to have some kind of brotherly feelings for him. To me, he is just an overly pampered man-child, reared by a woman who is a poor excuse for a mother." He glared at her.

"Who are you?" She asked in a whisper. She hates to admit it, but the man standing in front of her does scare the s**t out of her.

"Son of Dmitry Russo." He c****d his head with a grin.

"Dimtry Russo. He was once in the liquor business. How did he…"

Mikhail, on the other hand, spoke for her. "He adopted me after you discarded me. Unfortunately for you, he saved my life at a time when you didn't want me to live. So, if you want the well-being of Anatoly, be careful about what you do. I am twice as rich as you are and more dangerous than you ever will be. Now, leave."

"Mikhai..."

"I am not going to fall for your crocodile tears." He locked his gaze with hers, his voice unwavering.

"Please. I won’t do anything to hurt you, but let me meet my son." She begged, tears falling down her face.

"Get out of my face. You make me feel disgusted."

Mikhail's words were cold and cutting. But Anastasia stood firm, her tears falling as she cried for her younger son. Seeing her like that only fuelled his anger. He knew, deep down, that he would never get the love he deserved from her. Maybe he didn't even deserve it. Regardless, he couldn't stand looking at her any longer.

With a swift motion, he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the house. She struggled, trying to free herself, but his grip remained unyielding. As he swung the door open, he was caught off guard. A beautiful young woman stood before him, holding a tray of food. The sight stunned him for a moment, breaking the tension that had filled the room.

It would be an understatement to say that his heart skipped a beat the moment his gaze rested on her. In an instant, he was entirely captivated. Her silky black hair cascaded just below her breasts. Her skin had a honey-colored tint to it, as did her eyes, which were deep blue. He found himself aching to pull her into his arms, to lose himself completely in the warmth of her presence as she stared at him with such tenderness.

"Is everything all right? Anastasia requested that I bring you food. She informed me about your amnesia. I am so sorry, Anatoly. I am sure you will soon get all your memories back." She said gently.

Mikhail should have been irritated by hearing her concern for his twin brother, but instead, he couldn't be angry at her. Her voice, soft and melodious, captivated him completely. It was the only sound that seemed to matter at that moment. It wasn’t her fault, after all, that he’d tangled himself in such a complicated situation.

"That is very kind of you. My mother was just leaving. She had already exhausted herself enough with the worry. I don't wish to harass her any further.” He paused, looking at her with a mixture of admiration and curiosity. "However, I would love for you to accompany me. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name."

"It's..." Tabitha began, but before she could continue, Mikhail subtly signaled for his mother to leave. His glare was enough to make the frightened woman retreat, her fear of her younger son’s wrath outweighing any hesitation.

Once she had gone, Mikhail turned back to Tabitha, his tone softening. "Sorry, you were saying?”

"It's Tabitha Belsky," she replied with a gentle, sympathetic smile. "I’m really sorry that you can’t remember anything."

Now, Mikhail genuinely didn’t mind taking his brother's place. There was something about the woman standing in front of him that intrigued him. But he needed to understand what Tabitha meant to Anatoly. "Please, don’t be sorry on my account. I’m curious, what was our relationship?"

Her smile faltered for a moment before she responded, "Well, we were in a relationship."

Mikhail’s eyes widened, his mind racing. "A relationship? That means you are my..."

"Girlfriend, or used to be, before you lost your memories," Tabitha explained quietly. "But please, don’t stress about it. I don’t want to burden you unnecessarily. For now, just consider me a friend."

Tabitha knew the peculiar position they both were in. She did not feel right to impose her position in his life when he did not have any recollection of her in the first place.

Mikhail, however, was shocked to learn that Tabitha was his brother’s girlfriend. The question is how the hell Anatoly managed to get such a beautiful girl, but he threw it out the moment as soon as he thought about it.

"Please come in," he said, motioning for her to enter. Although she was his brother’s girlfriend, Mikhail felt it wasn't his place to be rude to her. Against his better judgment, he found himself wanting to know more about her. Technically, he should, since it would give him a better perspective of his twin's life, but this was far from what he wanted out of it.

Tabitha walked by him with a gentle smile. The man before her appeared different the moment she saw him. She was unable to pinpoint it, but his aura felt different.

"I got noodles and ice cream for you. I figured Anastasia would be pampering you with all her cooking, so I thought you might like a change in flavor."

Mikhail groaned internally. Her offer, so simple yet thoughtful, made him wonder what it would be like to have her in his arms, to taste her lips, to indulge in something far more satisfying than ice cream or noodles. He quickly pushed the thought aside, trying to focus on the conversation at hand.

"Thank you, Tabitha. It's extremely thoughtful of you. So, why don't you join me? We could eat together." He said while taking the bag from her and leading her to the couch. After placing the ice cream in the fridge, he served both of them food.

Tabitha was taken aback by him. Anatoly had never served her food before. He always served himself, but he had never done so for her.

"What’s wrong?" Mikhail asked, noticing the concern etched on her face as she stared at him.

"Nothing." She replied quickly, trying to smile, but it came out forced. Mikhail was quick to notice it.

"There is definitely something. You can always be straight with me, Tabitha."

She hesitated for a moment, but something about him made it easier to speak openly. "It's just that... you never served me food," she admitted, her voice quiet. "You've always served yourself, but never me."

Mikhail wanted to give his brother a severe thrashing. Women like her deserved to be treated as a queen.

"Well, things change. Maybe this accident is a blessing in disguise. From now on, you would never even have to lift a finger in my presence."

He flashed her his most charming smile, making her internally gasp. He sat beside her, his gaze lingering on her as he reached out to gently caress her cheek. But as soon as he realized what he was doing, he quickly retracted his hand, his pulse racing.

What was happening to him?

He had never felt such an instant connection with any woman before, and yet here he was, unable to tear himself away from her presence.

Tabitha was feeling shy, though, and he knew that. He'd always been adept at reading people, but she was going to be the one he'd enjoyed reading the most.

"So you say you are my girlfriend. What was our relationship like?" He queried her with curiosity, his eyes studying her.

He truly wanted to know if his brother had treated her right. However, as much as he hates to admit it, he does accept that he wishes she weren’t happy with him. He would love to steal her and keep her for himself. Forever

"It was nice. You care about me. We mostly hung out at home, but at times we did go out. We have a great understanding..."

But Mikhail wouldn’t let her finish with his actions. He steadily took a strand of her hair in his finger and began to play with it.

"Care? How did I care for you?" He asked, his gray eyes fixed on her.

Tabitha was lost in his grey eyes as jitters flowed through her veins. She had hardly felt nervous with Anatoly, but today it was different. Something about him was different. It was like he was a completely different person.

She cleared her throat. "You usually ask me about my day. We talked. Whenever I feel down, you comforted me."

Mikhail scooted closer to her. "Comforted you? How? By hugging you or kissing you..."

"I… uh… Ice cream? I want to have ice cream now. I will get it for you." Tabitha dashed to the kitchen to get away from her boyfriend and to get her heart settled. It was racing like never before.

What had truly happened to him? This was not the Anatoly she had known.

Mikhail let out a slight chuckle. It was bizarre that Tabitha was feeling this nervous. She shouldn’t, if Anatoly was truly her boyfriend.

Soon she came back with a scoop of ice cream in two bowls. She handed one over to him and was about to sit beside him, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. He set his bowl aside, his eyes never leaving hers. He didn’t stop there, though. He pulled her closer, wrapping one arm around her waist.

“Are you feeling alright?” Tabitha asked, her voice tinged with confusion. This was the most affection her boyfriend had ever shown her.

How could someone suffering from amnesia change so much?

"I feel a lot better now," he said, moving his face closer to hers.

"I..." She fumbled, unsure of how to react.

"Are you uncomfortable? I know I lost my memory, but it feels right to me. Like you belong here." Mikhail said.

Except for the memory loss and pretending to be his brother, everything did feel right. He hated that he wasn’t being upfront with her, but something held him back. If she found out he wasn’t Anatoly, that he was his brother, she would surely flee. He cannot let that happen.

"I am fine." She blushed.

"Good." He took a spoonful of ice cream from the bowl and fed it to her. She closed her eyes, but her senses remained awake, aware of the completely different side of him she was seeing.

"So what do you do, Tabitha?" He asked her with genuine interest.

"I work as a teacher," she replied with a bright smile. "Currently, I’m teaching kindergarten, but I’m hoping to progress to teaching higher grades soon."

"That's incredible. Those students are extremely fortunate to have you as their teacher." He fed her another spoonful, his gaze never leaving her.

"You aren’t eating your ice cream. Do you not like it?" She asked, her concern evident.

"I love it more when you’re eating it," he said, their lips only an inch apart.

"Anatoly..." The name escaped her lips, and Mikhail’s eyes widened. He couldn’t stand hearing that name from her, especially not in her affectionate, sweet voice.

"Mikhail." He corrected her softly.

“Mikhail?” She asked, her adorable eyes filled with confusion.

He recognized that it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know who he was, and it saddened him that Anatoly hadn’t confided in her about his twin brother.

Did his twin really care about him? If not with their mother, at least with his girlfriend, he could have shared the truth.

"My middle name. Call me by that. I don’t really like the name, Anatoly," he said, half lying. He didn’t want her to address him as his twin brother. He didn’t want to be Anatoly when it came to her.

"Mikhail. I like it. It suits you.” She replied, her arms now locked around his neck. “You’ve never told me your middle name.”

"And Tabitha suits you beautifully." He kissed the corner of her mouth, and he heard her gasp softly.

"I should probably go. You must be tired," she said quietly.

"Don’t leave," he responded quickly. "This is the most normal I’ve felt since the accident. Your presence relaxes me, and I wish to have you beside me while I sleep. Will you stay?"

He looked at her, hoping she would say yes. She had a calming effect on him, and the thought of not having her close was unbearable.

“Are you sure? You never liked me staying with you in the same bed.”

Mikhail was confused by her statement. What kind of relationship did she really have with his brother? Because if it were up to him, she would never leave his side.

"Well, I was a knucklehead back then, and it's past time for things to change." Mikhail scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

He gently laid her down, stroking her hair as he gazed into her eyes. "Would it be too soon if I kissed you?" he asked, his voice soft with hesitation.

“No,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Rather, it couldn’t be any sooner.”

“Good.”

He kissed her softly on the lips. Her eyes instantly fluttered closed as he deepened the kiss, savoring her sweetness, the same flavor as the ice cream.

“Mikhail…” She whispered his name as he slid his lips down her jawline.

“Yes, Tabitha.” He continued to kiss her jaw, his voice a low murmur.

“I have waited so long for you to kiss me.”

“What do you mean?” He asked, pausing to look at her.

“In our four-year relationship, this is the first time you’ve kissed me.”

Mikhail was dumbfounded. "I was a bigger fool then." He kissed her again, but with greater passion.

He realized his brother had never been intimate with Tabitha, but that would soon change, and for the right reasons.

He never thought love at first sight was possible, but he was experiencing it right at the moment. Their gentle kiss gradually transformed into something more passionate, but he knew he had to stop. He could not rush her just because he wanted to devour her.

He kissed her one last time before pulling away, cradling her in his arms. As he settled in beside her, sleep quickly took him in.

For the first time in years, a smile tugged at his lips as he drifted into a peaceful slumber.