I slowly opened the envelope.
Inside was a handmade card. The handwriting was childish but careful—every stroke deliberate and cautious.
I started reading.
Every word was a knife, stabbing straight into my heart.
She said she liked me. Had liked me from the first time she saw me at the nursing home.
She said she knew she wasn't good enough for me, but she'd fallen for me anyway.
She said she'd do anything to make me happy—even if it was just standing beside me, watching me, she'd be content.
She said she hoped one day I might love her back. Even just a little.
The last paragraph was written in shaky letters.
"Kirill, I love you. This is probably the bravest thing I'll ever do. Whether you feel the same or not, I want you to know—there's a girl in this world named Harper Evans who loves you."
Then, at the bottom of the card, a new line had been added. The pen had pressed so hard it nearly tore through the paper.
"Kirill Orlov isa bastard."
I stood there, card in hand, suddenly not knowing what to do.
My throat felt blocked. Breathing became difficult.
She loved me.
She'd always loved me.
And I...
What the fuck had I done to her?
"You're back."
Olga's voice came from the doorway, cold and detached.
I turned to see her standing there, face expressionless.
"She's gone," Olga said calmly. "I let her go."
"What gives you the right?" My voice came out ragged. "What gives you the right to decide that?"
"Because I was wrong." Olga met my eyes without flinching. "I was the one who forced you to marry her. I was stubborn, thought I could control everything. Now I'm correcting my mistake."
"What gives you the right to decide?" I roared, voice so hoarse I didn't recognize it. "Did you ever think about what I feel!"
"You forced me to marry her! You held your own life over my head, made me marry a stranger! Now I'm in love with her! And you're taking her away from me?"
My voice broke. Words I'd never said to anyone came pouring out like a flood.
"Do you know how long it took me to admit I loved her? How much time I spent before I dared touch feelings I thought were dead? I finally... I finally—"
"It's too late, Kirill." Olga's voice finally trembled. "The moment you believed Genevie over Harper, you killed your wife with your own hands. Kirill, do you know Aiden's dead?"
My brain exploded. The card nearly slipped from my fingers.
