“Yes.”
I watch something shift in her posture then.
“The Pakhan ruled this morning,” I continue, keeping my voice steady. “Boris is exiled. His accounts frozen. His status stripped. Everything stolen from the Bratva was recovered from his vault.”
Her jaw tightens. “And me?”
“You were cleared,” I say. “Formally. Publicly. The Pakhan declared you acted under coercion. That Boris forced you to steal against your will.”
Her throat works. “That’s… convenient.”
“It’s accurate,” I reply. “Mostly. And it protects you. In the eyes of every Bratva family, you’re clean.”
For a long moment, she says nothing. Then she lets out a breath that sounds like it’s been trapped in her chest for years.
“It finally feels real. I’m free,” she says.
“Yes,” I agree. “You’re free, in every sense.”
I move deeper into the vault, past secured assets and sealed compartments, until I reach the final safe set into the far wall. This one isn’t connected to any system. No code. No biometric lock. Just a simple mechanical dial.
I open it.
Inside is a small black box.
I take it out, turn back to her, and lower myself deliberately, one knee touching the cold stone floor.
Her breath stutters sharply.
“Victoria,” I say, my voice steady despite the weight of the moment. “I won’t cage you. I won’t own you. I won’t ask you to become smaller so I can feel larger.”
I open the box.
Inside is a ring. Not ostentatious. Not a trophy. Elegant and deliberate, chosen to last.
“I want you as my wife,” I continue. “Because you choose your own path. Because you see the world clearly and refuse to be quiet about it. Because there are things in this world that need fixing, and you were raised by a man who forgot what the Bratva was meant to be.”
Her eyes shine, but she doesn’t look away.
“There’s work coming,” I add softly. “The kind your father believed in. Taking from men who bleed others dry. Returning balance from where it’s been taken. I don’t want a pawn. I want a partner.”
I hold the ring up between us. “Marry me.”
The silence stretches.
Then she laughs, soft and incredulous, emotional in a way that makes my chest tighten.
“Yes,” she says. “Yes, Leonid.”
I rise, slide the ring onto her finger, and pull her into my arms.
“Now, can I take you upstairs and fuck you while you wear nothing but that ring?” I ask.
“Absolutely,” she grins.
Epilogue
Victoria
