This whole time, Adrik sat in his charcoal suit across the aisle. Calm and composed.
I replied to the prosecutor without missing a beat, “Those companies you speak of are fully audited and legally registered. Every transaction cited was reported and taxed.”
“How does that negate intent? The pattern suggests laundering.”
“My point exactly,” I shot back. “It suggests laundering—it doesn’tprovelaundering.” My heels clicked against the floor as I turned to face the judge. “Your Honor, the prosecution wants to criminalize complexity. They want you to assume that my client, Mr. Tarasov, is guilty of illegal activities simply because his past is…‘unsavory.’”
A ripple moved through the jury.
When I glanced at my client-slash-husband, his lips curled into an imperceptible grin.
In that courtroom, I defended him flawlessly, dismantling every accusation piece by piece.
“You heard their expert testify that the moneycould—emphasis on ‘could’—have originated from illicit sources.” I paused, then continued, “And as we all know, in financial law, ‘could’ is meaningless.”
The courtroom held its breath.
The prosecutor didn’t relent; he fired back, but I was prepared. After hours of debating, the judge finally ruled in our favor.
“The court finds insufficient evidence against Mr. Tarasov.” She raised the gravel. “Case dismissed.”
The sound echoed through the room, a symbol of our victory.
He was guilty.
Yet he got away with it.
Maybe I was just as evil as my husband. But it didn’t matter because he and I were one. His battle wasmybattle, and mine was his.
***
Later that evening, on the flat rooftop of a private restaurant, we sat across from each other. Under the cold and distant stars, we had dinner alone, just the two of us.
He was resplendent in a white tuxedo and black pants, charming as usual. His hair was neatly combed, his eyes shining with something I couldn’t name.
Dressed in his favorite red gown, I sat in my chair, cradling a glass of red wine. I couldn’t stop staring at him—at the man who’d stolen my heart and proved to me that people could change.
Adrik made me the happiest woman on Earth. He was light, my protector, and the source of my joy. He made me laugh so hard without even trying; that’s how I knew I was with the right person.
“Mom wants to know if you’ll be present at her wedding,” I said, sipping from my glass.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he answered, his lips curling into a faint grin.
“I still can’t believe she found love at the end,” I said, gently swirling the wine in my glass. “I’m so happy for her.”
“I read somewhere that the best kind of love are those you find when you’re not looking,” he stated.
“Kinda like ours?”
He nodded.
I heaved a sigh. “I’m just glad everything worked out for all of us.”
Adrik was silent for a moment before leaning in to clear his throat. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Promise me you’re not gonna get mad.”
