Her breath catches, and even that breaks something in me. The guilt spreads even further.
I pause, my chest tightening. “That was… until I saved you that night. Until I held your shaking body in my arms. It was that moment I vowed to protect you with my life.”
Her brows draw together, confusion flickering across her face.
“After that… it wasn’t just check-ins or updates for your dad anymore,” I continue. “I became almost obsessed with your safety.”
She sucks in a sharp breath. “What did it become, Drago?”
I huff out a bitter breath. I don’t even know what to call it. “I watched you. I hacked your phone. Your emails. I opened doors for you without you ever knowing. I ensured you would never find out who I was. But I couldn’t leave you alone. I couldn’t risk that happening to you again. I broke more privacy laws than I can count, Lily.”
It’s not even a relief to say it out loud. It’s fucking killing me. I can’t read her expression. But, she doesn’t look away. Doesn’t flinch. Just listens.
The silence stretches, crushing me second by second.
“H-how much of my life did you fuck with, Drago?” she asks, her voice breaking.
Fuck.
“I tricked your father into giving you the money for the art gallery. I threatened the last owner to sell it to you. Someone else came in with a much higher offer, but he accepted yours. I’ve stopped you from having second dates with men I thought weren’t good enough for you. I’ve sat in my car and watched you fall apart in your own and fought every instinct I have not to break my vow to never reveal myself to you.”
I’m almost out of breath by the time I let it all out. And there’s more. Because I couldn’t stop myself.
“I’ve been doing this, every day, for almost five years, Lily. And I’m sorry. I’m really fucking sorry that I invaded your privacy. That I went behind your back. That I still didn’t tell you anything, even when I fell for you even harder. And when you let me go after Monaco, I really believed it was for the best. That I don’t deserve you. That you are better off without me.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting back the tears that are threatening to explode. Because that is one truth I believe. I am not good enough for Lily.
She shakes her head, glancing down at the floor. “But, I fell for you, for real, right? This isn’t some wildly constructed game? You didn’t plan this whole thing? Me moving in with you. My dad coming back. Marco wanting me to go to Monaco? My life is real, right? Not some Drago-coded simulation?”
There’s a current of anger in her voice, but not hatred. She’s asking questions instead of walking away. I have to take that as something. I have to hold on to the fact that she will forgive me.
“No, baby. None of that was fake. Everything I did was for your safety. If anything, it was to push you further away from me, never bring you closer. I promise you. I swear on my life. This is real. What I feel for you is everything.”
Her hand trembles as she brings it up to my chest, placing it over my heart. I can feel how hard it’s thumping, and I know she can too.
She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, and the faintest flicker of a smile twitches on her perfect lips. “I know what I feel for you is real, Drago. I fell for the man you showed me. The one who protects me. That makes me feel safe enough to finally breathe again. So long as that man is truly you, then I forgive you.”
I blow out a breath like I’m finally coming back from the dead. The relief is washing over me. My eyes lock on hers, and I lean in, showing her who I truly am.
“The man I am with you is the man I want to be, forever,” I tell her.
Her hands slide up my chest and lace around my neck, pulling me closer to her. “Then you have my heart, Drago.”
I can’t help the tear that slips down my cheek. She spots it and carefully wipes it away before resting her palm on my cheek.
“I’ll make sure I spend the rest of my life deserving your heart, lastochka.”
She nods, just once, as her thumb strokes my cheek. “Will you kiss me now, baby?” I whisper.
She grins against my lips. “I think you’ve grovelled sufficiently to deserve one.”
And before I can respond, her lips are on mine. I pull her flush against me, so tight, like I’ll never let her go. And by the time she pulls away, I’m breathless. But, I’m happy. I’ve never been happier in my goddamn life.
“So…” she says carefully, “You were basically my stalker? But… not a creepy one? One that was trying to keep me alive?”
I blink, caught off guard.
“I guess,” I admit quietly. “I’d never hurt you. Never. I thought if I stayed invisible, I could keep you safe withoutinterfering. But you were already under my skin. From the moment I touched you, I knew I’d never be able to stop. That’s why I kept my distance.”
