Meanwhile, Anastasia's life continued to be a constant juggling act. On the surface, she was everything the world expected her to be—gracious, intelligent, and untouchable. She was the heir to the Vasiliev empire, a woman destined to rule. But inside, she was torn apart. The secrecy of her relationship with Vincent was suffocating. She hated the way she had to hide her feelings for him, the way she had to pretend that they were nothing more than distant acquaintances.
Her parents, especially her father, had made it clear that she could never be distracted by a relationship. Her destiny was to inherit the family business, to rise to the top of the world and maintain the Vasiliev legacy. There was no room for love, no room for weakness. But Anastasia couldn't help the way she felt about Vincent. He was the only person who truly understood her, who saw her for who she really was. And yet, she knew that they could never be together in the open. The Vasiliev family had built its empire on secrecy and control. To let the world see their relationship would be to expose their weaknesses—and that was a risk they couldn't afford to take.
Despite her outward calm, Anastasia was beginning to break. The loneliness of their secret weighed heavily on her. She longed to be with Vincent, to share her life with him openly, but that dream seemed impossible. Every time they met in secret, she felt a sense of urgency, as though their time together was slipping away. They couldn't keep hiding forever. But for now, they had no choice. They had to wait.
Anastasia's family was growing more concerned with every passing day. They could see the changes in her, the subtle shift in her demeanor. She wasn't the same girl they had raised. She was more distant, more withdrawn, and they didn't understand why. Her father, in particular, was worried. He had always been protective of her, and the thought of anyone or anything threatening her position as heir to the Vasiliev empire made him anxious. He kept a close eye on her, and his subtle interrogations about her private life became more frequent. But Anastasia couldn't bring herself to confide in him. She couldn't risk it. The truth would destroy everything.