Page 90 of Forced By the Bratva

That was enough for now.

Epilogue – Ilya

One year after Nexum fell, the estate felt quieter than I ever expected.

The walls were still guarded.

The systems still ran the way they always had. Outside these doors, the Bratva still needed what it needed from me—meetings, decisions, the kind of work that left blood on someone else’s floor.

That part of my life hadn’t changed. But inside the house, nothing felt the same.

Iris moved through the rooms like she had always belonged in them. No hesitation in her steps. No checking over her shoulder.

The staff stopped watching her the way they used to, the careful distance gone. Even Ivan had stopped questioning her place. She was just there—steady, familiar, unavoidable in the best way.

I still worked the same hours. Same late nights. Same control in every room I walked into outside this house.

But when I came back, it dropped a little.

I noticed it more now. The way I looked for her without thinking. The way the silence in the house felt wrong when she wasn’t in it. The way my mind didn’t stay locked in survival mode the second the door closed behind me.

I never said it out loud. I didn’t need to. She had become the only part of my life that didn’t feel temporary.

Iris had become a more confident, powerful woman who knew her worth. Her bravery and intelligence earned the respect of other Bratva elites.

In the history of the Tarasov family, tales of her wisdom and strength would be told to generations to come. Personally, I’d never been prouder of anyone before in my whole life.

Iris was the light in my dark. She was my better half, the woman who taught me how to see the world through another lens. She taught me that compassion wasn’t a sign of weakness, and that love was worth trying.

My whole life revolved around this woman. I’d kill for her, go to hell and back for her. And if push ever came to shove, I would gladly lay down my life for her.

I couldn’t even imagine what my life would’ve looked like if we hadn’t crossed paths. This woman had transformed not just me, but also the mansion.

Before her arrival, it was just a beautiful structure with antiques and expensive furniture. But now, that same structure felt more like a home than a house.

She brought joy, peace, and fulfillment into my life, and I’d never felt more alive. She completed me in ways I didn’t know were possible.

I loved that woman to death. And although we started out on the wrong foot, we ended up in the place. Together. Forever.

That night, in the library, I was going through a stack of reports at the desk when she walked in, barefoot, sweater sleeves pushed up to her elbows, and sat on the edge of the desk like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“You’re going to ruin your eyes reading that late,” she said, legs dangling.

Even after a year, I still found her so sexy and gorgeous. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

“I’ve been ruining my eyes for years,” I replied to her previous statement, a smile perched on my lips.

She leaned over, glanced at the page, and made a face. “This is the boring kind of ruining. At least when I ruin my eyes, it’s because of something interesting.” She wiggled her brows.

I set the report down. “You calling my work boring?”

“I’m calling this particular stack boring.” She tapped the folder with one finger. “You’ve already read it twice. I watched you.”

“Really?” I leaned back in my chair, my gaze unwavering. “Are you spying on me now?”

“Occupational hazard of living with you.” She shifted closer, one hip against the desk. “Also, you mouth the words when you’re tired. It’s cute.”

I gave her a look. “I do not.”