Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 97448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Good. Because I don’t intend to ever let you go.”
“Even if I hate you sometimes?”
“Especially then.”
“Even if I’m difficult?”
“I’m difficult, too.”
“Even if you get tired of me?”
“I’d get tired of the world, but never you, wife.”
“You better not.” I wrap my arms around his neck. “Because I will also never let you go, husband.”
I’m his.
He’s mine.
And neither of us has a say in it.
EPILOGUE 1 — SASHA
FIVE MONTHS LATER
Despite all the craziness, life has gone on.
It feels like forever since that day many bodies dropped and crucial decisions were made. Probably because a lot of things have happened since.
Yulia died about two weeks after she fell into a coma. While Konstantin looked sad and Karina had a conflicted expression, Kirill stood at her funeral like a cold statue.
For him, she was already dead, probably had been since he was young. I’m glad he at least got closure when she told him why she hated him with passion. That’s when he learned for sure that she’d never love him or even tolerate him.
Kirill represented everything she abhorred—Roman’s temperament and a constant reminder of the abuse she suffered. But what made it worse was that he also got her intelligence and knack for manipulation.
I still hate that woman with everything in me. She ruined all her children’s lives—Konstantin’s included. Not only did she figuratively choke him with her love, but she also had a hand in his biological father’s death.
If Kirill had a different mother, he wouldn’t have been emotionally or physically abused. At least I’m glad he had Anna in his teens since he considers her the only mother figure in his life.
Kirill also killed Yakov—his maternal uncle. Apparently, he’s the one who helped Yulia with the Makar angle. My husband eliminated him before he could plot revenge or pose a threat to our family.
On the other hand, Maksim took his sweet time recovering. Anton and I were there for him—mostly my brother, though. I stopped being as involved.
One, because Kirill found out that Maks had some sort of a crush on me when I was pretending to be a man and threatened to kill him.
And yes, it was Anton who told him that piece of information because he’s also still inexplicably jealous of it.
Two, turns out Maksim was enjoying being the center of Anton’s attention so much that he might have prolonged his recovery process on purpose.
After he got back into shape, he resigned from Kirill’s team, which my husband welcomed because he’s an asshole who doesn’t even like the idea of a harmless crush.
Now, my brother and my friend are in Russia with Mike. In the beginning, I kept Mike with me, and while he loved it here, he was confused with all the English. Besides, after we went to Russia and saw how carefree he is in my brother’s company, I reluctantly let him stay.
My cousin adores Maks to death—something Anton was annoyed with since everyone seems to love Maks since the first meeting.
I’m glad Mishka spent the first period with me because Anton faced difficulties as soon as he got back to Russia. He had to relinquish the family’s illegal arms to the government and strike a deal with the higher ups. It’s better now, but he’s still cleaning up the mess Uncle Albert made and trying to veer the family’s resources in a safer, more profitable direction.
I was heartbroken when we had to separate, but it wasn’t a goodbye. I FaceTime with them every day, mostly with Maks and Mishka because Anton is still allergic to showing emotions and only joins when he’s forced to.
Besides, I’m sure the three of them will be just fine. They’re starting to look and feel more like a family every time I see them.
Which is so wholesome, considering what every one of them went through. It’s beautiful when the most damaged souls can find solace in one another.
I guess that also applies to Kirill and me.
I stare at him from across the room as he talks with the other organizations’ leaders. The party that’s held to celebrate another win Kirill brought is in full bloom around me, but all I can concentrate on is my husband.
He has a hand in his pocket, and the other cradles a glass of champagne.
Authority looks sexy on him. He was always meant to be at the top, no matter what methods he used. It’s not only about the position with Kirill. He really has a knack for managing people and getting the best out of them.
Besides, he’s never fully satisfied with the lengths he reaches and keeps striking more alliances and ending wars—to Damien’s dismay.
I can’t help being sucked in by my husband’s presence, even from a distance. The tailored tuxedo stretches over his shoulders and puts his impressive agile physique on display.
The nonchalant, seemingly relaxed aura he exudes is only a façade. That man can turn into a lethal weapon in a fraction of a second.