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I can’t stop the tears—once they start, they flow like the river Nile. Alyona is quick to join in.
My sisters-in-law, Georgia and Bianca, are the next to embrace me. As if crying is contagious, they start tearing up too.
“How do you feel? Are you okay?” Georgia asks, her dark eyebrows drawn together.
“I am,” I announce. “Although, I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for Maxim.”
Andrei approaches next, his embrace firm, but irritation flickers over his features when his eyes land on Maxim. "He might've saved you, but he's the reason you were in danger in the first place.”
Daniil drops a kiss on my head while Leo grabs hold of my hand. I don’t miss the way my brothers' glances flit towards Maxim, accusation hanging in the air. It’s clear that despite everything, they blame him for not seeing what Nadya was earlier.
Maxim watches quietly as my family envelops me in their love and concern. It's subtle, but I see the shadow of self-reproach that darkens his gaze.
“Enough of the blame game,” I blurt out. “Nadya was a master manipulator. She hid who she really was, but?—”
Maxim shakes his head before I can finish. "You don't need to defend me. They’re right. I should have seen through Nadya a long time ago. It was my responsibility to keep you safe, and I failed.” His admission silences the room, and all eyes turn tohim. "I've always prided myself on my judgment, on being able to read people. But with Nadya ... I was blind. That nearly cost me the most important thing in my life." His eyes fill with pain. “Kira, the thought of losing you is unbearable. I vow to you, now and always, I’ll never make that same mistake again. I’ll guard you with every breath in my body."
“I know,” I rasp, reaching for his hand and intertwining our fingers.
He leans forward, gently pressing a kiss on my lips, igniting the spark of electricity that dances between us.
The room is still, the tension palpable.
Alyona speaks, breaking the quiet. "We all make mistakes. What matters is that Kira is still here.”
Maxim acknowledges Aly with a slight nod, but I can see how much the words mean coming from his daughter. Taking a deep breath, his gaze sweeps the room. "Kira's not only my wife—she's my partner, my equal. In her, I've found my reason to be better, to do better, and I promise you that her safety and happiness will be my priority.”
Andrei meets my husband’s gaze, an inkling of acknowledgement passing between them. "We'll hold you to that, Maxim.”
There might be a long road ahead to build trust between our families, but maybe they’re starting to see the qualities in Maxim that I fell in love with. His strength, his loyalty, his fierce love and devotion.
My eyes begin to close. Exhausted but happy, I drift off, faintly aware of everyone filing out of the room.
Except for one person.
There’s a gentle kiss on my forehead, a warm hand in mine. “Sleep well, lastochka.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
MAXIM
"Why?"The question rumbles from my throat, the sound echoing off the basement walls.
Nadya keeps her silence, a statue of defiance.
In a swift move, I grab the back of the chair she's tied to, jerking it closer. "Look at me and explain. Now.” I lean forward, the intensity of my gaze drilling into her.
Despite her bandaged neck and the wound that we expertly patched up so she wouldn’t bleed out, there’s no chance of Nadya redeeming herself. But I need her to confess the sins she’s committed before I send her to her death.
For a moment, Nadya looks as if she might maintain her steely resolve, but then her façade begins to crack. A single tear escapes, tracing a path down her cheek. "You’re not the only one who's experienced heartache. I’ve loved and lost, and my loss is directly because of Masha and Kira. The man I loved died in the attack they launched on Oleg. They took everything from me,” she spits. “Kira was going to take you too. I couldn't let that happen.”
Her words send a jolt through me, upending everything I thought I knew about Nadya. “Kira didn't take me from you—I was never yours. You had no fucking right to play God with my life.” I slam my palm against the stone wall behind her, a sharp crack echoing through the basement.
Kira was right. Nadya's loyalty was nothing but a twisted, unhealthy obsession with me.
I'm an idiot for not heeding Kira's warning, and it nearly cost me everything
Nadya’s voice drips with venom, her gaze piercing me with a look of scorn. “You’re too good for her, Maxim, like you were too good for Irina! With Irina, you didn’t know, but with Kira … it’s obvious what she is. A traitor to her family.”
