His Mistress is His Ex-Wife
Chapter 38: Affection

Chapter 38: Affection

It was already 8:00 pm when Athena, Lanny, and Vladimir arrived at Eastern Province Port. They still had a two-hour boat journey ahead of them to reach Fortuna Grande Island. Fortunately, they managed to catch the last ferry of the evening.

Vladimir’s subordinate was already waiting for their arrival. Luna would guide them to the location of Enzo’s residence.

As the ferry sailed through the gentle waves, Athena stood by the side deck of the boat, leaning against the sturdy railing. Her eyes were fixed on the vast ocean and the night sky.

’I miss you, brother. I hope you are doing fine and living a simple yet happy life on that island,’ Athena mused to herself.

"I can’t wait to see you." Athena’s gaze wandered among the stars as if she were making a wish.

She took a deep breath, catching a whiff of the soothing scent of the ocean. Then a gentle breeze tousled her hair and she found herself shivering from the cold winds.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms tightly around her body in an attempt to ward off the chill. At that certain moment, Vladimir approached her from behind.

With a gentle smile, he removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders, enveloping her in its warmth. "You might catch a cold if you stay here." Concern etched on Vladimir’s face. "I don’t want you to get sick."

Athena’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him, touched by his kind gesture. "Thank you, V. I just want to enjoy the night view. It’s beautiful."

Vladimir loved the way she was addressing him V. This was the main reason why he named one of his clubs– V Club.

Vladimir simply nodded, standing beside her. He contemplated for a moment before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his side. "I’ll keep you warm," he softly mumbled, a faint curve forming in the corners of his lips.

Athena’s heart swelled with gratitude. Vladimir changed a lot. He was different from the cold and arrogant Vladimir she had met before. They fought during their first encounter because of Lanny.

At that time, Lanny was still an outcast from her father’s organization, enduring frequent bullying from Branch Leaders such as Vladimir.

"Hey, V, can you still remember our first meeting?" Athena giggled as she gazed at him.

Vladimir smirked and replied, "How could I forget? You delivered a hard slap and a swift kick to my... well... Cough!" He cleared his throat before he continued in a low voice, "My balls." A sudden blush appeared on his face as he reminisced about the past.

"You’re the only woman who dared to do that to me—Hmm, not even Lanny."

Athena burst out laughing. "I’m so sorry. I acted without even thinking of the consequences. I really thought you were going to kill me... you could have put a bullet in my head."

’How could I? I was startled by your sudden appearance. A beautiful stranger came out of nowhere, slapping and kicking me. And after realizing you could die for what you did, you dropped to your knees, apologizing. You even touched and rubbed the spot where I was hurt as you continued to apologize.’

Vladimir’s already flushed face reddened further as he recalled that comical and embarrassing moment of his life. His men and the other branch leaders who witnessed the incident were on the verge of losing their wits, contemplating whether to laugh or just run away to protect themselves from Vladimir’s wrath.

"Do you really think I was going to kill you? Am I that wicked and ruthless in your eyes?" Vladimir looked away, concealing his negative emotions. He didn’t want Athena to hate him. "Are you scared of me, Athena?"

Athena turned to look at him. Her hand reached out to hold his face. She wanted to give him an answer while staring at his eyes.

"No. I’m not afraid of you... not anymore," Athena put on a reassuring smile. "Your presence makes me feel at ease. I feel safe."

Vladimir was taken aback when he heard that. A sudden surge of warmth enveloped his heart. This was what he longed to hear from her.

"I love your bad-ass attitude. You are so cool!" Athena added, giving him two enthusiastic thumbs up. Her captivating smile never left her face.

’Damn. I want to kiss her.’ Vladimir’s gaze reflexively fell on her red tempting lips. His heart pounded rapidly against his chest. He clenched his fists, trying to restrain the urge to kiss her.

’She’s so damn pretty when she smiles. And her eyes... I can’t help but admire her beautiful eyes.’

Vladimir felt the magnetic pull between them. He started to lower his head, his face inching closer and closer to her. His subconscious was telling him ’Kiss her now! Be a man and just Kiss her!’

Vladimir finally let it go. This time he wanted to follow his heart. He continued to lean over her, bringing his lips closer to hers.

However, a sudden intrusion halted his movement, thus stopping him from sealing her lips with a sweet kiss.

Pak!

A loud smacking sound echoed at his back and he felt a stinging sensation on his right shoulder. It turned out Lanny had suddenly appeared and hit him hard.

"Hey, I’ve been looking for both of you! I’m hungry. Let’s eat inside!" Lanny ignored the sharp piercing glare coming from her brother. She just grabbed Athena’s hand, stealing her away from Vladimir.

"Seriously, Lanny?! What a way to ruin the mood! I wanna toss her out to the sea and feed her to sharks!" Vladimir mumbled through his gritted teeth. "Damn. I should have left her in the port." He continued cursing his sister in his mind.

Vladimir gripped the railing tightly with his fingers and released a frustrated scream, "Aaaarghhh!" Afterward, he also kicked the railing, eliciting a wince, "Aww!"

Sensing the gaze of a few passengers on the side deck of the ferry, Vladimir swiftly covered the lower part of his face and quickly stepped inside, joining Athena and Lanny as if nothing happened.