Page 53 of Velvet Chains
I don’t know how long I sleep, but I’m jolted awake by a sudden movement. Blinking groggily, I realize with horror that there’s a damp patch on Victor’s shoulder.
Oh God. Did I just drool on him?
Victor looks down at me, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “Good nap?” He reaches out, wiping a stray bit of saliva from my chin with his thumb.
I feel my face flush hot with embarrassment, but before I can stammer out an apology, Victor chuckles. “Don’t worry about it, kiska. I’ve had worse things on this suit.”
From the pilot’s seat, Misha lets out a snort. “That’s for damn sure.”
Victor shoots him a look, but there’s no heat behind it. If anything, he looks… amused?
Shaking his head, he turns his attention to the view outside the window. “There it is,” he says, pointing to a sprawling estate below. “Golden Harvest. My mother’s pride and joy.”
I follow his gaze, my breath catching in my throat. Rows upon rows of grapevines stretch out like green corduroy, broken up by swaths of brilliant wildflowers. At the center of it all sits a grand stone chateau, its pale walls gleaming in the afternoon sun.
“It’s incredible,” I breathe out, and I mean it.
Victor’s fingers tighten on my shoulder, just for a moment. “Yeah. It is.”
As we descend toward the vineyard, I spot a small group of people waiting by the landing pad. A distinguished-looking man in his sixties, flanked by two women in crisp white uniforms.
Misha sets the chopper down with practiced ease, the skids barely making a sound as they kiss the ground. Victor hops out first, then turns and extends a hand to help me down.
I cling to him perhaps a bit longer than I should, my legs unsteady after the long flight. If Victor notices, he doesn’t comment.
The older man steps forward, a warm smile crinkling his weathered face. “Privet, Vitya,” he says, clasping Victor’s hand. “Welcome home.”
“Privet, Sergei,” Victor replies, then gestures to me. “This is my wife, Laura.”
Sergei turns to me, his smile widening. “Ah, the beautiful nevesta! We’ve heard so much about you.” He takes my hand, pressing a gallant kiss to my knuckles.
I glance at Victor, wondering exactly what he’s been saying about me. But his expression gives nothing away.
As Sergei leads us toward the chateau, chattering away in Russian, I let my gaze wander over the sprawling grounds. Lush rose bushes line the path, their heady scent mingling with the crisp tang of the vines. In the distance, I spot a grove of fruit trees—apple, pear, cherry, their branches heavy with ripe fruit.
It’s like something out of a fairytale. A hidden paradise tucked away from the rest of the world.
But then, as we round the corner of the chateau, I see something that makes my heart stop.
There, standing in the shade of a towering oak is a painfully familiar figure. A petite woman, with vibrant short purple hair, cradling a laughing toddler in her arms. Beside her, a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard, his arm wrapped around her waist.
“That… that can’t be…” I look up at Victor, my eyes wide with disbelief. “What…?”
The woman turns as if sensing my gaze. For a moment, she seems to freeze, her expression a mirror of my own shock and disbelief. Then, with a choked sob, she starts toward us, the toddler clutched tightly to her chest.
“Lu Lu?”
“Ser!!” I breathe, hardly daring to believe it. “Is that really you?”
Chapter 23
Laura
“LU LU?” Her voice cracks on my nickname, tears already streaming down her face. “Oh my God, Lu Lu!”
I’m moving before I even realize it, my feet carrying me toward her as if pulled by an invisible string. We collide in a tangle of arms and tears, the baby squished between us.
“Ser,” I gasp, holding her as tightly as I dare. “I can’t believe it. I thought… I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.”
