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“To demonstrate my commitment to fair elections, I officially forfeit my family’s current and future interest in the presidency. I vow there will never be another Kurochkin sitting in the president’s chair ever again.
“This small country of ours is my home, and I want us to prosper. We can, and we will if given the chance to elect the right leaders. Andarusia deserves democracy, and I will work toward that goal alongside the people—not from a pedestal.
“Thank you. May we all sleep safe and sound tonight.”
The feed fades to black. No questions were taken from reporters.
The three of us sit in a weighted silence. We all know how significant this speech is to the nation, and while I may not recognize Andarusia as my home, I’m filled with hope for its future. I can’t begin to imagine what this means to Galina or Ivan.
History was just made, and Alek did that with his words.
He’s a walking contradiction. I’ve seen him as a bully and feared him. But I’ve also seen his fierce love, and his willingness to sacrifice himself not only for me but for his country.
Konstantin was right. He pretends not to care about Andarusia, but at the end of the day, Alek will heed the call to serve his people.
My dad’s phone starts ringing, and he picks it up off the coffee table. Rising to his feet, he answers the call and starts pacing the room.
“Any updates?”
He goes quiet, nodding his head every so often with a “uh-huh.” Galina and I watch him pace the floor while the Russian news carries on in the background.
“Okay, I appreciate it. Keep me updated.”
He hangs up the phone.
“Well?” I ask. “What’s going on?”
He glances up at me, exhaustion written all over his face. “It turns out the press conference wasn’t live. It was recorded earlier and sent to the news networks.”
My stomach lurches. “So, we don’t know what’s happened to Alek between the recording and now?”
Which means he could have been killed. Used by the resistance fighters and disposed of once he served his purpose.
I try to swallow down the lump in my throat, but it won’t go away.
Dad sighs, running his hand along his jawline. “Okay, this is classified, but I’m going to tell you anyway. But this can’t leave the room, understand?”
I nod, and he looks to Galina, who nods, too.
“Intelligence knows where Alek is. He was just dropped off at the hospital here in the city.”
“The hospital?” I cry. “Is he going to be okay?”
“I don’t have any more details than that.”
“I have to go see him.” I make my way toward the stairs to retrieve my shoes from my room.
“Ivan advises we stay here,” he calls after me.
My feet stomp on the hardwood as I ascend the staircase. “I’m going to see him. You can either come with me or not.”
I dart into my room and slip on a pair of sneakers. At the vanity, I give myself a quick once-over, and the whole thing takes all of ten seconds before I’m racing downstairs again.
Dad is standing by the front door, a gentle smile on his face. “I’ll go with you to make sure you’re safe.”
I leap into his arms to give him a tight squeeze. “Thank you, thank you!”
He chuckles. “Come on. Let’s go.”
