CHAPTER 456. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. A sad woman**TWO MONTHS LATER**“Anja!” The restaurant captain's shout blasted through her head like a horn. Abbot had the shrillest, most unpleasant voice on planet Earth, and worst of all, he loved using it, especially with her.Anja wiped her tear-streaked eyes and stepped out of the kitchen’s refrigerator. That man enjoyed scolding her in front of everyone—employees, customers—it didn’t matter. He would call her useless, shouting that she didn’t like to work.In part, he was right. She wasn’t useless, but she didn’t want to work. All she wanted was to curl up in her bed and waste away quietly from hunger and sorrow, like any grieving person. But unfortunately, a small survival instinct remained within her, and to survive, she had to eat. To eat, she had to work.You might ask: Why didn’t she just find another job? Well, after three years in prison, hardly anyone was willing to hire her. People avoided her like the plague, and those who didn’t felt
CHAPTER 457. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Are You Going to Pounce on Me?“So, a rare steak...” Anja was scribbling in her notepad. “Juicy... very juicy... okay, I get it, barely cooked... yes, sir... yes...” She walked to the kitchen to place the order, and Sonia intercepted her on the way back. “That guy says he wants you to wait on him,” Sonia grumbled, and Anja glanced in his direction. “That guy,” Anja thought. He must’ve done something to Sonia because he was no longer “the hunk” but “that guy.” “Good evening. I heard you requested a server change. What would you like to order?” The man looked at her, but her eyes were fixed on her notepad. “Can you recommend something?” he asked gently, and she met his gaze. “Try a better restaurant. I’m mad at the captain, and I think I drooled on all the steaks,” Anja replied, and he laughed—a clear, bright smile that made her shiver. “So, how about dessert? Did you drool on those too?” “No, not on those,” she muttered. “Great. Would you mind br
CHAPTER 458. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. A Sinister Care BearAnja felt a sharp pain in her chest. She didn’t love her job at the restaurant, but she knew she depended on it."You’re fired. Get out of here!""Fine, then pay me what you owe me and I’ll leave!" she replied, holding back the lump in her throat."Pay you? Do you know how much each of those cuts of meat costs? You ruined four!" Abbot hissed with contempt."I ruined one! The rest was the cook’s fault and that idiot who refused to eat any of them!" Anja exclaimed as her eyes began to tear up. She earned minimum wage at the restaurant, and tips weren’t generous in a place like that. If she didn’t at least get paid the basics, she wouldn’t have enough to cover the rent for the lousy room she was staying in. "You owe me for the last two weeks and severance for six months! I’m not an idiot, I know my rights!""You have no rights!" Abbot shouted. "You’re only here because I allowed it. And unless you want to go back to jail, you better lea
CHAPTER 459. TO BELIEVE AGAIN: I Don’t Believe YouAnja thought it over a hundred times before stepping out of her door. Did she have doubts about what that man might want? Plenty. But the situation was simple: after much struggle, she had managed to get a job at the restaurant, the Austrian prison "reintegration into society" program was garbage, and no one wanted to hire her. Before going to prison, she had been an administrator at an elementary school, but with her record, she couldn't even dream of that anymore.Her survival instinct had always been stronger, so eventually, she left her room and went down the stairs, spotting a nearly luxury black van parked in front of her building. Milo was leaning against it, and Anja immediately turned back around."Hey, wait! Where are you going?" he shouted after her."Anywhere far from your ice-filled bathtub. I’m not an organ donor, neither voluntarily nor involuntarily," she grumbled, and Milo let out a laugh that made her stop. "What?"H
CHAPTER 460. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. His name... is...Milo felt something stir inside him as he watched her cry, the desperation and sincerity in those tears all too evident."Listen, I don’t have all the answers right now, but everyone says DNA doesn’t lie, right?" he murmured, lifting her chin to meet her eyes. "You won’t know what’s really going on until we’re there and you redo the tests. So... do you want to come to Switzerland with me? Are you willing to do this, Anja?"The young woman looked up at the sky, where the clouds were breaking through the sun with a slight breeze. Despite the fear she felt, she nodded."Yes," she finally said. "I have to know... Can we leave now?"Milo nodded softly. "Of course. I have a private flight waiting for us."Anja stood up, and they walked back to the parking lot together. They were about to arrive when a car sped past them, kicking up a cloud of dust. Milo cursed, and Anja stepped back.She covered her mouth and started coughing violently while
CHAPTER 461. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Kidnapping, Milo?He settled her in the car, buckled her in, and called Jhon."Ready. We can go.""With or without the girl?""With the girl," Milo replied. Within minutes, Jhon had everything set and headed to the airport.He, too, was curious to meet the woman, but at least he expected her to arrive walking on her own two feet."Kidnapping, Milo? This is an interesting twist in your career," Jhon quipped. "Did she refuse to come, and you decided to take matters into your own hands... or arms? Are you smelling her?""I’m just breathing, Jhon. Don’t be an idiot. And besides, she smells good," Milo grumbled as he carried her onto the plane. "Of course she wanted to come. She just fainted when I mentioned Niko’s name. I don’t know why, I guess it means something to her. Now do something useful and grab her bag, will you?"Ten minutes later, they were seated in the private jet. Milo made sure she was comfortable in one of the seats, and they took off immedi
CHAPTER 462. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. I just can'tCalming her down was harder than Milo had expected. After all, there were many years of accumulated pain in that girl's heart. But when Anja began to lose her breath again, she had no choice but to pull herself together and calm down.They landed at Zurich airport and immediately got into the cars waiting for them. Jhon headed to Lucerne, where Chiara and her daughters were waiting, while Milo took the girl to a lovely hotel in the city center.Anja looked around nervously as they entered, and Milo noticed her instinctively wiping her hands on her pants, as if she was afraid of dirtying something. The suite was huge, with a bedroom, a living room, a small bar, and a terrace."I hope you like it. You'll stay here for a few days until we can decide what to do," Milo explained, leaving her bag on the couch. "For now, rest, take a bath, try to calm down. I'll come by this afternoon so we can go to the clinic for the DNA test. Okay?""Um... okay.
CHAPTER 463. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Not Something to Give BackMilo was convinced that Anja was Niko's mother, but he couldn't just hand the child over. He needed time to get to know her in an environment where he could control any situation.He watched her come out a few minutes later, and after thanking the doctor, they headed back to the hotel."The test results will take a couple of weeks," Milo murmured, and she walked to the terrace window, hugging herself."And when... when will I be able to see him?" Anja asked, and the concern in Milo’s eyes told her it wouldn’t be soon. "You don’t want me to see him.""I’d prefer to wait for the results first and have some time..." He bit his lower lip, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I need time to spend with you, to get to know you. I’m sorry, but Niko is with me. I’m his guardian, and I have to make sure you're good for him," he confessed honestly. "Since he came to me, I haven’t stopped searching for you, not a single day, because I unde