“I should go to my room,” she murmurs, her gaze skittering away from mine.
“No,” I say firmly, crossing my arms. “You’re staying with me.”
“Igor—”
I cut her off, my voice soft but resolute. “Let me take care of you.”
She bites the inside of her lip, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She looks away, and for a moment, the silence stretches between us.
“Would you like to see Sofiya?” I ask gently, breaking the tension.
Her gaze snaps back to mine, her expression softening. “I… yeah. Please.”
I nod, pulling out my phone to text Aleks. Once the message is sent, I turn back to Katya, watching as she pulls the blanket tighter around herself.
“You’re too skinny,” I mutter, crossing the room to grab another blanket. “You need to eat.”
She sighs, her lips curving into a weak smile. “Not everyone can be as massive as you, Igor.”
I chuckle softly, unfolding the blanket and draping it around her shoulders. “Come on, let’s lie down.”
She crawls under the covers, and her scent reaches me—earthy, warm and familiar, like home.
“Are you comfortable?” I ask, slipping my arm beneath her head.
“Mm-hm,” she mumbles, her voice already thick with exhaustion.
I settle beside her, our foreheads brushing as I close my eyes. For the first time in hours, there’s a sense of peace between us.The world outside is still chaotic, still dangerous, but here, in this moment, it’s just us.
A gentle knock interrupts the quiet, and I sit up to see Sofiya and Damien peeking into the room. Their faces light up when they see Katya, and they climb onto the bed. Sofiya signs something, and Katya’s tears spill over as she nods and pulls her daughter into a tight hug.
Damien moves toward me, and I wrap him in my arms, holding him close as I glance around the room. For all its imperfections, this is what family looks like. Messy, complicated, but worth everything.
I meet Aleks’s gaze in the doorway, his brows furrowed as he nods toward the hallway.
“I’ll be right there,” I mouth, gently kissing Sofiya and Damien before slipping out of the bed.
“Stay here,” I tell the kids softly. “Keep her company—but be careful.”
The children settle around Katya, Sofiya clinging to her side while Damien stretches across the other, his arm protectively draped over her. They fit together like puzzle pieces—quiet and trusting.
I leave them in the room, shutting the door softly behind me. When I turn, Aleks is waiting in the hallway, his arms crossed and his expression tight with worry.
“Let’s talk,” I growl, brushing past him and heading toward my father’s office. It’s a quiet space, empty now that my parents are out. I need the privacy. There’s too much happening to risk anyone overhearing.
“How’s Katya doing?” Aleks asks, his footsteps echoing mine as he follows me down the hall.
“Better now,” I reply curtly, pushing open the heavy door and striding inside. I take the seat behind the desk, gesturing for himto sit across from me. As soon as he does, I add, “She got quite a scare.”
Aleks exhales deeply, leaning forward in his chair. “We’ve reached out to our contacts in the police,” he says. “They’re working on pulling the CCTV footage from Midtown. They’ll send it as soon as they have it.”
“It was them,” I say, my voice low and cold, my hands gripping the edges of the desk.
Aleks frowns. “You already know who did it?”
“Not exactly.” I lean back, running a hand over my face, frustration simmering beneath my skin. “But it’s connected. Whoever left those bloody packages on my doorstep—they’re the ones behind this. Katya said something about it being a warning. Whoever it is, they’ve crossed the line.”
“Makes sense,” Aleks mutters, scratching the back of his neck. His expression darkens, his jaw tightening as he processes the implications.