“He’s the symbol of our love,” I said without taking my eyes off the adorable little thing. “The future of our family.”
“Alexei,” Nik said.
I raised my head and met his gaze. “Alexei,” I repeated, letting the name register in my head. “I like it.”
In that moment, nothing else mattered but the three of us. I’d always known that I would do anything to protect my child. But looking at him now, I realized just how far I was willing to go to make that a reality.
I closed my eyes, envisioning the life we would build together, finally free from the shadows that once haunted me.
Epilogue – Nik
~Two Years Later
I stood at a distance watching my boy run through the grass in the manicured garden, his tiny laughs filling the air. The maid, Katerina, was playfully running around, and he was chasing her with a stick in his hand.
Alexei had his mother’s soft curls and her stormy green-gray eyes. But facially, he was my spitting image—same grin, same nose, and the same jawline. No DNA needed; at first glance, even an idiot would know he was my son.
My boy’s laugh was like a balm to every scar life had carved into me. He was my pride, my legacy, and the future of my empire. Sometimes, I wondered what exactly I’d done right to deserve such a happy and fulfilled life.
I had the best woman in the world as my wife, and together we were raising the world’s most handsome kid. Everything was falling into place despite all the craziness we’d had to endure in the past.
A mansion that once had no life, no traces of love at all, had now transformed into a happy home. A place worth raising our boy. With my hands in my pockets, I watched him play with the maid while his mother sat on the bench, wearing a bright smile on her face.
She was working on her laptop, shifting her attention between our boy and her assignment. I couldn’t be prouder of her and the woman she’d become in such a short period of time. Blair had quit her job at the Bureau two years ago, but last year, she found her own path.
Since solving mysteries was her hobby, she started a small institute for other investigators who shared her passion.She guided their minds in the right direction and hired professionals to train them on the job.
I admired the woman she’d become, the balance she’d carved in her life. Blair Tarasov had managed to turn her once-dangerous drive into something nurturing yet purposeful.
She spotted me across the garden and waved, her warm smile still melting my heart even after all this time. I mirrored her gesture, wondering how I ended up with such an amazing woman.
These past few years, I climbed higher in the Bratva ranks, closing deals and building my reputation. To the outside world, I remained that ruthless brute feared by many, respected by all. But at home with my family, I was a completely different person.
Soft. Gentle. Happy.
“Dada!” Alexei screamed when he set eyes on me. He left the maid and ran toward me with his tiny legs and his bright smile.
“Hey, buddy!” I leaned down and picked him up in a single sweep.
He cackled in my arms, stretching out his small hands to touch my hair.
“How was your day, Alexei?” I asked him, my eyes boring into his.
“Fine!” he called out and kept rambling on and on.
Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about, but I indulged him anyway, smiling and nodding my head. His mother was laughing at me from across the field, and even Katerina was doing the same.
Later that night, it was my turn to tuck our little boy into bed, and I happily did it. I laid him down in his crib, never taking my eyes off his face as I brushed the back of my hand over his soft skin.
“Good night, buddy,” I mumbled, watching him fall asleep.
Quietly, I straightened, hovered over him for a minute, and then walked out of his nursery. I turned the lights off and closed the door behind me. My fingers combed through my hair as I strolled across the hallway to our master bedroom.
I slowed when I heard music coming from behind the closed door. My brows knitted together, accentuating the suspicion on my face. Unsure of what was happening or what my wife was up to, I grabbed the door handle and slowly pushed it open.
The soft classical music drifted lazily across the room as she stood beside a table, cradling a glass of red wine in her hand.
“Hello, handsome,” she said, her voice sweet and seductive.
