AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A flash of darkness crosses her face. She bites her tongue, and then shakes her head. “No. It’s just…I remembered what I’ve lost when I see him. He brings out the worst in me.”
I understand. Perhaps she’s simply triggered. I decide to let it go and to stop prying. “Well, maybe this is what you need. You and Emiliana can have so much fun here.”
Caterina’s expression turns fierce as she speaks of her daughter Emiliana. “I will not let her spirit be crushed as mine was. She will have choices, education, a voice.”
Her green eyes flash with determination. “The cycle of violence and control ends with me. My father sees her only as an heir, a means to extend his power. But she is so much more—clever, spirited, full of life.”
Caterina grips my hand tightly. “Promise me, Mikhail. Promise you will help me give Emiliana the future she deserves.”
I meet her intense gaze unflinchingly. “You have my word. She will want for nothing—not love, not security, not options. I will move heaven and earth to make it so.”
Caterina’s eyes glisten with emotion. “Do you truly mean that?” Her voice wavers slightly.
“With all my heart,” I reply. “You and Emiliana are everything to me now. Whatever it takes, I will shield you both, provide for you, empower you to live freely. This I swear.”
Overcome, she embraces me fiercely, tears spilling down her cheeks. I hold her close, stroking her hair, letting her feel the strength of my commitment.
“Mikhail…” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “I never dreamed I could feel this way again. After losing my mother, losing you…I closed myself off to love. But being here with you now, it’s as if my heart has come back to life.” She places her hand over my heart, her eyes searching mine.
“I feel the same, Caterina,” I murmur. “You reawakened parts of me I thought were gone forever.”
Unable to resist any longer, I pull her into a fiery, passionate kiss. Her lips meet mine hungrily as she runs her hands through my hair. I crush her body against me, pouring all my suppressed longing into the searing kiss. Sparks fly as our connection ignites once more.
When we finally break for air, our breaths come fast. Caterina’s eyes are still moist, but there’s a new light in them now—a rekindled flame of hope, passion and possibility.
“I never stopped loving you,” she whispers. “I know the road ahead won’t be easy, but with you by my side…”
“We can weather any storm,” I finish.
Chapter 16 - Caterina
I stare at the empty side of the bed, the sheets cold without Mikhail’s warmth.My father wants me to spy on you, I whisper to his imagined figure.
I’m falling in love with him all over again. We still maintain separate rooms, but it feels futile when all I can think of is his hands around my waist, his chest against my back as we fall asleep after making love.
We should be happily married, living like a regular couple. But he abandoned me. My father had me shot at our wedding. I’m required to spy on him.
Most importantly—I’m keeping knowledge of his daughter away from him.
When did things get so complicated? Shouldn’t I be able to tell my husband everything? Share my most vulnerable truths with him?
But all that stopped when he left.
Did he truly leave to protect me, or was it abandonment? My heart aches, not knowing his reasons.
Yet he has returned, and now that I’m married and know what I know, I do believe he meant to protect me. I never knew how dark this underworld can get, but the fact that my own father had me shot at my wedding is showing me just how much I didn’t know.
I now believe, for the most part, that Mikhail wanted to protect me.
Yet, can I trust him with Emiliana’s secret? She has the shape of his eyes, his smile, his wit. The truth burns inside me, but revealing it could destroy everything we’ve built.
After all, if I tell him my father wants his family gone, he might make sure Emiliana stays with him forever. For her own safety. But what about me? Would he still want me, knowing the secrets I’ve kept from him?
Additionally, I don’t know what my father would do if he discovered Emiliana’s heritage. But keeping her from her real father feels cruel. Mikhail deserves to know his child, even if the knowledge puts us all at risk.
I sigh and roll over, clutching his pillow tight. His faint scent still lingers, conjuring memories of our time together. Mikhail, what did you do? If only you’d trusted me enough to share your burdens before disappearing into the night. I would have stood by your side, no matter the darkness closing in.
Perhaps now I should do what he didn’t—come clean, and trust Mikhail to stand by me. I’m contemplating the idea in all seriousness when the shrill ring of my cell phone jars me from my thoughts. I glance at the caller ID with dread—it’s my father. His timing couldn’t be worse. I hesitate only a moment before answering.
