“You could stay here?—”
“No. This can’t be my home forever, Sophia. I can’t always intrude on your married life.”
I know she’s right, but the thought of being alone in this fortress makes my chest tighten with anxiety.
Mikhail has turned our home into an impenetrable compound since the doctor ordered bed rest.
Guards patrol every hallway.
Cameras monitor every room except the bathrooms and our bedroom.
I can’t even walk to the kitchen without an escort shadowing my every step.
“I’m going to miss you so much.” My voice cracks despite my attempt to stay strong.
Melinda crosses the room and pulls me into a gentle hug, careful not to press against my belly. “I’m going to miss you too. But you have Mikhail. And a whole army of people making sure you’re safe.”
“It’s not the same.” I pull back and wipe at my eyes. “You’re the only person who treats me like a normal human being instead of a fragile piece of glass that might shatter at any moment.”
She laughs softly. “That’s because I know you’re tougher than you look. You’ve survived things that would break most people.” Her expression grows serious. “But Sophia, you need to talk to Mikhail. Really talk to him. He’s driving himself crazy trying to protect you, and you’re going stir-crazy being protected. Something has to give.”
I nod, even though I’m not sure what there is to say. Mikhail and I have been dancing around each other for weeks, our conversations reduced to medical updates and security briefings.
The passionate connection we once shared feels buried under layers of fear and overprotection.
A knock at the door interrupts us. One of Mikhail’s men, a stocky guy named Viktor, pokes his head in. “The car is ready.”
“I’ll be right down,” Melinda tells him.
We walk together through the hallway, past the guards stationed at regular intervals.
I notice how they straighten when I pass, their eyes tracking my every movement.
It’s suffocating.
At the front entrance, Melinda turns to me one last time. “Promise me you’ll take care of yourself. And that baby.”
“I promise.” I hug her again, holding on perhaps a moment too long.
Then she’s gone, sliding into the back seat of the SUV.
I watch through the reinforced glass as the vehicle disappears down the long driveway, taking my last connection to the outside world with it.
The silence that follows is deafening.
I turn to find Elena hovering nearby, her blue eyes filled with sympathy. “Can I get you anything, Mrs. Artyomov? Some tea? A snack?”
“No, thank you.” I force a smile. “I think I’ll just rest for a while.”
Back in the bedroom, I sink onto the bed and stare at the ceiling. The afternoon stretches before me, empty and endless. Mikhail won’t be home until late. He’s been spending more and more time at his office, dealing with what he calls “business matters”but what I suspect is the ongoing power struggle within his organization.
I understand why he’s doing it.
He stepped back from day-to-day operations to focus on me and the baby, and his enemies saw it as weakness.
Now he’s fighting to maintain control while simultaneously trying to protect his family.
The stress is written in every line of his face, in the tension that never leaves his shoulders.
