Leo’s expression flickers, the smallest crack in his usually unshakable composure. He leans back against the desk, crossing his arms.
“I’ve always had some loose ends to tie up,” he says quietly. “Things I kept putting off because the family and the business came first. But I can’t keep pushing them aside.”
His tone makes my stomach twist. “What kind of loose ends?”
He looks down for a moment, his jaw tightening. “Matters from the past. Mistakes I made. People I wronged.”
“Leo…” I study him, trying to read the shadows in his face. “You’ve made mistakes before. We all have. What’s different about this one?”
His gaze lifts, meeting mine with that same authority that always used to silence me as a child. “This one has followed me for years. It’s time to face it.”
I hesitate. “Is this about a woman?”
For a long time, he doesn’t answer. Then he nods once. “It is.”
The admission surprises me more than anything else could have. I can’t remember the last time Leo even mentioned a woman in his life. He’s always been the example of control and discipline, the kind of man who sacrificed everything personal for the sake of duty.
“I see,” I say quietly.
He gives a small, humorless smile. “Don’t look at me like that. Even a pakhan can have regrets.”
I shift in my chair, thinking about Callista, about her soft laugh, her growing belly, the way she looks at me like I’m her whole world. I finally understand what Leo means. There are some people who get under your skin and never leave.
“You deserve to find peace,” I tell him. “You’ve done more than enough for all of us. For years, you’ve carried everything on your shoulders. Maybe it’s time we carried something for you.”
Leo studies me for a moment, eyes glinting with something that looks suspiciously like pride. “You’ve grown up.”
“Callista changed me,” I admit. “She made me want more out of life. Maybe it’s time you had that too.”
He chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Don’t romanticize it. This isn’t about finding love, Dmitry. This is about closure. At the end of it all, I might come back alone.”
“Maybe,” I say, standing up. “But you’ll never know if you don’t try.”
He looks at me, and for the first time in a long time, I see something human in his eyes. Something raw.
“Thank you,” he says simply.
I nod, slipping my hand into my pocket where the ring rests. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“Come back.”
Leo’s lips tilt into a faint smile. “If fate allows it.”
The clock ticks quietly in the background as I walk toward the door.
I know what’s waiting for me now. A new role. A new title. A new life.
And waiting at the end of it—Callista.
My future. My family. My everything.
Three months later…
The spring air is warm,soft sunlight spilling through the campus courtyard as I guide Callista down the cobblestone path. Her hand fits perfectly in mine. The gentle curve of her belly presses against her dress, visible now to anyone who looks closely. Every time I see it, my chest tightens with pride and something deeper, something wordless.
I shift her books to one arm and run my free hand along her belly, tracing slow circles over the fabric. She looks up at me, smiling softly. “You didn’t have to carry all my stuff, you know.”
