Leo

2021

Amanda. That was my angel's name. I had been searching for her for five years, but without success. Her name was unknown to me, and the memory of that night was gradually fading and becoming distorted. The only thing I remembered was that she was my angel, and the only clear image left in my mind was a vague impression of her face. That night changed me, and although I lost a lot, in the end, everything turned out better than I could have imagined.

Aside from the internal changes, I was left with a limp. The break in my leg hadn't healed properly, and since then, I'd lost my former strength and stamina. The memory of that day was etched into my limp. Sometimes the pain was so unbearable that I had to take painkillers. I even had a cane in my apartment, but I stubbornly refused to use it, no matter how hard it was to walk.

Today, fate brought me face to face with Amanda again, right here in this hospital. After the accident, I really did try to find her. I dug through tons of information, and later, when I had money, I hired private detectives. But the search was unsuccessful, and I had to resign myself to the fact that she would remain only in my memories. I even forgot about her for a while... And then, just like that, she reappeared in my life.

Now I knew where she worked, I knew her name, and I had no intention of letting her out of my sight. I didn't yet know what I would do with this information, but I knew for sure: I wouldn't be able to let her go.

When I saw her at the presentation, my gaze locked onto her, no matter how hard I tried to distract myself. This was an important event, meaningful for both me and my friends, as was everything happening in this hospital. We spent a million dollars, bought equipment, and I should have been focused on that. But all my thoughts were only about her. Memories of that night played over and over in my mind.

She seemed so small and uncertain, which surprised me. In my memory, she had been like a wolf, guarding the wounded and fending off darkness. I thought that in real life, she would turn out to be feisty and cold-blooded, but I was wrong. Her words about wanting to relieve people of pain... That was when I realized I'd been wrong about her. She wasn't a wolf; she was a healer. Quiet, yet determined, full of knowledge and skill. And when I found out she had indeed become a doctor, as I had once told her she would... it meant something. The person I was five years ago had left a mark on her life too. Her choice of profession inflated my ego to an unprecedented level. I had made her this way.

I told Amanda that she turned out just as I'd imagined, but that was a lie. She was better. Better than in my wildest fantasies.

As I exited the hospital, my bodyguards were waiting for me at the entrance. I nodded to them and got into my SUV. My friends, Yegor and Daniil, were already settled in the back seat.

"Did you find your chick?" Yegor smirked.

"Never call her a chick again," I snapped. "Her name is Amanda."

Yegor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, man, sorry, I didn't think she'd gotten to you that much," he said, holding his hands up in an apologetic gesture.

"You remember I told you that when I got into an accident, a girl, whose father had hit me, bandaged my leg? Amanda is that girl."

Daniil whistled.

"Wow, you actually found her."

"Yes, I did. Finally."

My friends had known me since the accident. We met during those tough times when I was broke and struggling with depression. They knew my whole story and how I had been searching for her.

"Vova, take us to the penthouse," Yegor said to the driver.

The car moved, and we left the hospital parking lot, but my heart remained there, with Amanda. Maybe she was my heart. I looked back at the hospital windows, hoping to see her again, but she didn't appear.

We drove in silence. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at "Tetris Hall." The driver stopped at the entrance, and a security guard opened the doors for us. We took the elevator up to the twenty-third floor, where my penthouse was located. I didn't even ask if they'd head to their apartments, because we usually hung out at my place. We all lived in the same building, each in our own apartment. Our shared business connected us, and we spent most of our time together, working and unwinding.

The penthouse was enormous, far bigger than one person would ever need. After a life of poverty, I couldn't get enough of spending money. And I had plenty of it. More than I could spend in the coming years. Still, I knew I couldn't afford to stop working if I wanted to fulfill all my desires.

"We need to blow off some steam," I said to the guys and went to change into workout clothes.

Ten minutes later, we were in my gym, equipped with everything needed. A treadmill, dumbbells, an elliptical, barbells, and other equipment — everything to stay in shape. After the break in my leg, I became obsessed with fitness, trying to compensate for the injury with upper body strength and endurance. The rehab was long, and I despised my imperfect body. But now I was tougher, stronger, and more muscular than ever. The limp remained, but I no longer felt like a failure, lifting weights and training daily.

We warmed up, and I started on the treadmill while Daniil did bench presses and Yegor spotted him.

"What are you planning to do about Amanda?" Daniil asked, struggling with the barbell.

"I'm still considering my options," I smirked, increasing the speed and incline on the treadmill. "I was focused on finding her but never thought she wouldn't recognize me."

"Does she often get into situations where she wouldn't recognize you?" Yegor jabbed sarcastically. He never supported my obsession with this girl.

"I don't know. But I hope not. She never saw my face, I was wearing a helmet. Naturally, she wouldn't recognize me. So, spare me the snark, Yegor."

"And the limp didn't tip her off?" he continued to needle me.

"I don't know!" I punched the treadmill's handrail. "But I'd forgive Amanda for anything, even not recognizing me or connecting me to the guy whose leg she bandaged five years ago."

"If she hadn't helped you back then, who knows if you'd still have that leg," Daniil noted. "Or maybe you'd have bled out before the ambulance arrived."

"She became a doctor because I told her to," I said thoughtfully.

"What a compliant girl," Yegor snickered, but he fell silent when I shot him a cold glare.

"Amanda is mine. And that's a fact. I need to proceed carefully, especially now that I have the chance to reach out to her father and finally settle things. I'm not sure if revenge goes hand in hand with courting, but I figure... revenge first, and then she'll come to terms with it and accept me."

"Why do you need revenge? You've already won. Look at your home and check your bank accounts. Her father will never compare to you, and he'll probably be happy to give his daughter to you."

"I don't need him to give her willingly. I want to make him pay. To turn his life into hell. I want to break both his legs and watch him crawl before me," I hissed. "And then... make him watch as I take his daughter, to crush him completely."

"Revenge never brings any good," Daniil said gently. "You could lose her if you mess with her father. Are you willing to sacrifice that for your revenge?"

"I'm not sacrificing anything. I said Amanda is mine. It seems you didn't get it. She has no choice; she'll love me, no matter what I do. And I'll never hurt her or put her in danger."

"Never say never," Yegor remarked philosophically, grinning. I immediately threw a towel at him.

Laughing, he caught it and wiped his armpits with it — with my face towel.

"Gross," I muttered, pretending to gag.

"Finally, this towel has touched something beautiful instead of your mug," Yegor laughed.

We trained for about an hour and a half. Finally, I wiped off with a different towel (the first one would have to be burned after Yegor's armpits) and went to take a shower. The only thing my apartment lacked was a sauna. If I wanted a steam, I had to go to the shared gym on the building's first floor, which also had a pool where I swam often.

Later, we secluded ourselves in my office, discussing upcoming deals. Our business was vast: from small retail outlets to large commercial properties and factories. Sometimes, it was hard for me to believe that all of this was the result of five years of work. Of course, not without the help of my friends. Daniil was the wealthiest among us. His father was a politician, and their family had no shortage of money. He invested in my first project at a high interest rate, but the project succeeded, I repaid my debts, and expanded the business. Yegor joined us later, contributing his ideas, and now the three of us ran an empire.

Work occupied all my time, but along with success, I found a real family. We often spent time with Daniil's and Yegor's parents, organizing picnics and weekend trips together. Unfortunately, I couldn't introduce them to my own parents, as they lived in Russia. There were also certain matters I handled privately, even without telling my friends.

During a break in our business discussions, I called my detective.

"Hello, Ganin," I said as soon as I heard his sigh on the other end of the line. "What are you up to?"

"Don't pretend you're just calling to check on me," Artem Ganin replied wearily. He charged an obscene amount for his services but always seemed annoyed by my requests.

"You're right, that's not why I'm calling," I laughed. "I've got a job for you."

"Let's hear it."

"I need everything on a girl named Amelia Markevich. I want to know everything: from her parents to the kind of underwear she buys. Her exes, preferences, everything."

"You're something else," Artem muttered. "Wouldn't it be easier just to ask her yourself?"

"You get paid not to ask questions, but to give answers," I cut him off.

"Alright, alright, don't start acting like the boss," he smirked. This guy had as much respect for me as Jerry with his bald mouse tail had for Tom.

"How much time do you need?" I asked, ignoring his jab.

"I think a couple of days."

"I expect the information by tomorrow evening. Start right now," I said, ending the call before he could respond.

I tossed the phone onto the table and folded my hands in front of me. Artem was a jerk, but he did his job well, and that was what mattered.

"Do you think you've gone mad over her?" Daniil asked seriously.

"I lost my head over Amelia a long time ago," I replied.

I remembered how she looked in the conference room. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, a few strands framing her heart-shaped face. Her gray eyes, free from makeup, were wide and clear. Her outfit was modest — a knee-length skirt and black tights. But her simplicity was more appealing to me than any tiny bikinis on the women who usually surrounded me. She was genuine. And that was a rarity in our world.

The next day, I received an email from Artem. Attached was a file on Amelia, filled with every detail of her life that interested me.

The first thing I saw was the photos. Here she was entering the hospital, her hair blowing in the wind, a coffee cup in her hand. Here she was at home in blue pajamas, surrounded by books, holding a huge piece of chocolate. Another girl was sitting next to her, probably her friend. Another photo showed her standing in front of the university, talking on the phone, her expression serious. And then there was the last photo, where she was entering a café with some guy. That last one made me clench my jaw. I'd have to get rid of every man who came near her.

I wanted to print out the photos (except for the last one) and hang them on the ceiling above my bed so I could admire her every time I opened my eyes after sleep.

I read Artem's report carefully. Amelia graduated with a master's in anesthesiology and was doing her residency at State Hospital No. 19. Her best friend was Danya, she had no boyfriend, and she lived in the Holosiiv district, with her own car. Her parents were Alexander and Sofia Markevich. Her father owned a chain of restaurants, with a few fines and lawsuits related to traffic violations (I chuckled — clearly, he wasn't a great driver), along with some charges of money laundering. Her mother was a homemaker and the founder of a book club. Amelia had grown up in a luxurious house in Koncha-Zaspa, attended a local school, and received an apartment and a car from her father upon entering university.

Suddenly, anger boiled up in me. Why did she, who had fiercely defended me five years ago, do nothing about her own father? She hadn't gone to the police, continued to communicate with him, accepted his gifts, and by all appearances, maintained a great relationship with him. How could this be? Maybe she wasn't as innocent as I imagined her to be. Did her conscience ever bother her?

I needed to stop and think things through carefully. Her lips were sweet, her appearance angelic. She truly saved me back then, but her life hadn't changed after that. Mine, however, had fallen apart. Could I forgive her cowardice? I was already planning an unsavory fate for her father, but what about her? Should I make her lie at my feet and beg forgiveness for her years of privilege while I fought for my future? Or would she repent, and I'd forgive her as easily as I fell in love with her? In the end, I was merciful and could forgive her for anything.

But another question troubled me just as much. Who was the guy she entered the café with? The dossier indicated that she didn't have a boyfriend, but I couldn't believe that a girl like her wasn't surrounded by men vying for her attention. I'd have to make it clear to each of them that they couldn't date her or even look at her. Only I had the right to admire her beauty.

But the main question remained: what to do with her father. Take his business? Send him to prison? Strip him of everything he ever loved? Cripple him or kill him? I hadn't decided yet, but I knew one thing — I wanted to turn his life into hell. And even if their family lost everything they had, Amelia wouldn't have to worry. I would provide for her completely. As for her relatives... well, they had no right to exist.