If I just try hard enough to be a good wife, if I can make him see how much I care, maybe one day he'll actually fall in love with me.
I nodded vigorously, unable to hide the joy bubbling up in my voice. "Then I'll head to the hospital and tell Aiden the good news. He's going to be over the moon."
Kirill gave a small nod, picked up his suit jacket, and strode out of the room. The door closed softly behind him, leaving the space quiet except for the faint lingering scent of his cedarwood cologne.
I flopped on the bed, card to my chest, then fell back into the pillows.
His warmth clung to the sheets.
I grinned like an idiot, kicking air.
Harper Evans, chill—you're twenty-four, not fourteen.
I exhaled long, energy surging. All the aches vanished.
Things were turning.
Right, tell Aiden about the specialist appointment.
I dashed to the bathroom.
The mirror showed a mess—red eyes, wild hair, neck hickeys from last night.
I eyed the marks, blushed, but smiled.
I started washing up, moving as quickly as I could.
What should I wear to the hospital?
I opened the closet. Inside hung rows of new clothes Olga had sent over—expensive silks, lace, high-end outfits.
My fingertips brushed over the delicate fabrics, but they finally stopped in the corner—where my own old clothes were piled. A baggy gray hoodie, jeans faded almost white from too many washes, familiar down to the last thread.
I hesitated for a second.
Kirill had said these loose clothes didn't suit me. But I was used to dressing this way. Putting on one of those tight dresses from the closet would only make me feel awkward and exposed.
"Forget it."
I muttered to myself and reached for the familiar gray hoodie.
It was old, the cuffs a little frayed, but it gave me a sense of safety. It hid the softness around my waist, let me tuck away the insecurities.
I changed into the clothes and carefully slipped the black card into the very bottom of my wallet.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
Still the same ordinary Harper with freckles across my nose, but there was light in my eyes now.
I had a husband. I had money to save my brother.
Things were finally getting better.
Chapter Eight
Harper
If there was one thing Orlov Manor had in endless supply, besides top-shelf caviar and pricey champagne, it was loneliness.
