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“I love you too, Sergey. I loved you from the day we met.” Her voice is soft and quivering as if this were a dream and if she speaks too loudly, she will wake up.
I sigh with relief and murmur, “I’ll be there soon.”
“You should take a shower first. If you did what I assume you did, then going to a hospital wearing a crime scene is a bad idea.”
***
As I make my way back to the hospital, I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
I feel happy and content. My wife and little girl are fine, Ryan is dead, it’s been a good day.
Anna has brought light into my murky world, which I have been waiting for all my life. Nothing in the world is more beautiful than hearing her laugh and being happy. I will never allow fear to consume her again.
This little angel has certainly captivated me like no other woman, day after day, link after link she has loosened the chain around my heart. And I can’t wait to start our life as a family, at least when I’m home.
I’m on my way, little angel, and when I get there, I’ll never let you out of my sight again.
She is mine in every sense of the word. Mine to love. Mine forever. Mine!
Epilogue - Anna
Two Years Later
Hazel squeals as she walks through the door, racing over to me while Nik trails behind her, taking his time saying hello to those around him.
I spin with the champagne flute in one hand, opening my arms wide. She collides with me, sending us stumbling backward in a fit of laughter.
I hug her tightly and am grateful to see my friend again after such a long separation. “I didn’t think you'd be in time for the party.”
“Miss my best friend’s housewarming party? No way in hell. I can’t believe you live here, this house, wow!”
I nod and sip the champagne, taking in the massive ballroom in the center of our new house. “I didn’t think we’d find anything like this so close to Manhattan, but we did. It’s straight out of an old movie.”
The marbled foyer and the curved staircase at the side of the room are paneled with beautiful oak panels that have withstood the test of time.
Women in flapper dresses walk around the party with trays of food and drinks. Everyone else is dressed to the nines, in suits, and dresses that look like they’ve come straight out of the nineteen twenties to celebrate the age of the house.
Hazel plucks her own drink off a passing tray and brings it to her red-painted lips. “This is the kind of house that dreams are made of. Does Sasha love it?”
“Of course.” I smile at the mention of my daughter. “Leon keeps trying to convince her that sliding down the banister is a good idea. He has the maid wax them every day just so he can slide down and make Sasha laugh.”
Hazel shakes her head, seeking out Leon’s formidable figure in the crowd. “The men in this family are too good-looking. It’s a problem.”
I search for my husband in the crowd and see him standing at the French doors that lead out to the pool. “Who would have thought that we would both marry into the Orlov family?”
Hazel shakes her head and sips the champagne. “It’s a strange coincidence but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Me neither.” I smile and raise my glass as Sergey winks at me from across the room. He pulls the cigar from his lips and raises it in a silent salute before returning his attention to the men around him.
“So, is there going to be another little one on the way anytime soon?” Hazel wiggles her eyebrows and loops her arm through mine, steering me to a quiet corner for us to catch up.
“Not until Sasha is done with diapers. There is no way that I can manage two kids in diapers, even with Rosita being an amazing nanny.”
Hazel’s eyes shine with understanding. “That sounds like a nightmare.”
“It is. Soon though, we’ve been starting to potty train her.”
“And how is Sergey doing with his little girl growing up?”
