Three days? Is that why the women were here to take care of me? And if they were, where was Avit?
My brow furrowed. “But…why would you worry about me? After what I did?”
Katya waved her hand dismissively. “Please. All you did was block us. We knew there had to be a reason. So we barged into headquarters and demanded answers from Avit.”
“And when we found out you left,” Vera said, “we understood why.”
Kira leaned in and said firmly but softly, “But don’t think you could’ve gotten away from us that easily. You’re one of us now. You’re here to stay. We love you, and we know you love us.”
“And more than us,” Mariya added, “we know you love Avit.”
My stomach flipped. “H-how do you know that?”
Mariya gave me a look that cut straight through every defense I had. “You left with what you came with. You kept his baby and were prepared to raise it alone. You didn’t try to blackmail him. You didn’t demand money or protection or anything in exchange. You walked away quietly…probably hoping that would give him the chance to find someone else. Someone who'd make him happy. You put his needs above your own. That’s love, Sienna.”
“But now that you’re back,” Ninel asked carefully, “how do you feel about working things out with Avit?”
I shrugged. “He seemed eager for me to leave the second I cracked the encryption. I don’t plan on staying here. But now that he knows I’m pregnant, I can’t keep him away from the baby.”
“Sienna,” Mariya said gently, “Safin men are bound by honor. You were the one who told Avit to let you go when it was over. He did exactly what you asked. You can’t be angry at him for honoring the agreement.”
My eyes stung. As much as I hated hearing it…she was right. I created the deal. If I wanted something different, I should’ve said so.
“You’re right,” I whispered. “I was wrong. That part was on me.”
Mariya squeezed my hand. “I’m not saying that so you blame yourself. I’m saying it so you understand why he let you walk away, when he probably wanted nothing more than to ask you to stay.”
“So are you going to work things out with him?” Katya asked. “Now that you understand his side?”
“I don’t know.” I let out a long breath. “I understand why he let me go, but he still could’ve told me how he felt. He could’ve given me a choice. Instead, the only option I had was to leave.” I folded my arms. “Avit pulled me out of my life and dropped me into his. I shouldn’t have to beg for a place in it if he truly feels something for me. If he wants me here…he needs to make the first move.”
Ninel grinned, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Well, Avit's first move was to bring you to the master bedroom and…” her voice trailed off. She scrambled off the bed, disappearing into the closet. When she returned, she carried a stack of boxes, her excitement practically changing the atmosphere of the room. “And he got you these.”
I lifted a brow, my curiosity piqued. “What are these?”
“Gifts!” Ninel practically bounced on the bed. “Now open them. Let’s see what Avit got you…to help him grovel.”
I picked up the first box and gently lifted the lid. Inside were papers. I pulled them out, my heart skipping a beat as I scanned the contents.
“What is it?” Kira asked, leaning closer.
I swallowed, breath catching. “A deed…” I whispered, wondering if I was reading the words on the document correctly. “To my favorite pizza place. It’s…it’s mine now.”
“Way to go, brother-in-law!” Katya cheered, and I felt a small smile tug at my lips despite the lump in my throat.
I moved to the other boxes. One held cozy hoodies and sneakers. Another contained elegant dresses and sparkling jewelry. Another with a document with five percent shares in one of the leading tech companies in Philadelphia.
Then I reached the last box, I gasped when I lifted the lid. Inside lay a framed picture of us. A selfie from the day we went canoeing—sunlight dancing across the water, our faces flushed with laughter and joy, our smiles impossibly wide and free. A memory of our first date.
I felt the tears before I could stop them. One slid down my cheek, then another, and another, as I clutched the picture to my chest. My body shook as I tried to hold back the sobs, but I couldn't.
Mariya’s arms wrapped around me. “Shh,” she murmured into my hair. “It’s okay. Let it out. You've been through so much. But we're here for you, now and always.”
I cried until I couldn’t anymore, until the tears had soaked through her shirt, until my chest ached in a way that felt both heavy and light all at once. I held that picture like it was the only solid thing in the world, letting the love, the heartbreak, and the hope all collide inside me. And then, slowly, I drifted off to sleep. The last thought before I was finally pulled under was of whether Avit would ever tell me how he truly felt—or if he’d just keep buying gifts, hoping I’d somehow piece it together on my own.
Over the next few days, I took my classes from home, and every afternoon, one of the women came by to help, right when my morning sickness hit hardest. Avit kept sending gifts: flowers, chocolates, perfumes…but he never showed up. He even sent a prenatal basket filled with supplements and fruit. Mandy stopped by, too, which lifted my spirits. His brothers visited with the women, and at one point, Pyotr pulled me aside to apologize if he’d ever made me uncomfortable. He said Avit had been through a lot before everything went down with Jasper, and he didn't want to see him get hurt. And that Avit cared for me deeply, that I was the best thing to happen to him.
If that was true, then where the hell was he? Why disappear if he cared so damn much? Did he just want me here for the baby?
