Later, the truth emerged. His father was drowning in gambling debts and keeping a mistress on the side.
His mother, who should have left, stayed. She lowered her head again and again, enduring everything.
That became Anton's lesson.
From eighteen to twenty, his worldview twisted entirely. Watching his mother's submission, he concluded that this was how relationships worked.
He needed someone who would endure him the same way. Every other woman was nothing more than a temporary distraction.
So he began making bets, manipulating people, and ruining lives for profit and pleasure alike.
Even Adriana had unknowingly become part of that scheme.
But Adriana resembled his mother in subtle ways, and somewhere deep inside, Anton had begun to desire something more permanent with her.
He wanted to marry her, to keep her by his side, and to continue living exactly the way he always had.
Unfortunately for him, the past he thought he had buried had finally come knocking.
