Page 110 of Queen’s Gambit

“Do you want me to tell Christov,” mother asked.

I really didn’t want him in here, but I nodded. She stepped out the door, and I prepared myself to face him.

“I’m so happy for you,” Frida said, smiling from ear to ear even as she cried. “What are you going to name her?”

“Lilya,” I said, kissing the top of her head.

Mom was back a minute later and Christov wasn’t with her.

“What happened?”

Mom shrugged. “He is a male without morals,” she said flatly, the disdain thick on her tongue. I just stared at her, and she sighed. “He said, ‘Figures that it would be a girl,’ and then he left.”

The nurses in the room tried to hide their disgust but failed miserably as they looked at one another.

“It’s fine, Mom.”

“It’s really not. He probably ran off to be with that slut he moved into your house. I cannot with him anymore,” she growled and paced from one side of the room to the other, swearing under her breath. “I’m speaking to your father.”

“Mom, we both know it won’t do any good. Come over here,” I said and held out my hand. Then I looked at the snoopy nurses. “Can we have some privacy, please? Just five minutes, and then you can do whatever you need.”

They scurried out the door, and I turned my attention to my mother, who was still visibly fuming.

“Look at your granddaughter,” I said softly, and as soon as her eyes fell on Lilya’s face, she smiled. “Her name is Lilya Ren Genovese.” I gave my mom’s hand a squeeze. “It’s just as well that he’s not here. I need you to get a hold of her birth certificate and make sure that Christov gets one with his last name, but her real one has Eddie’s last name. Then please keep it safe until I can give it to him. She can never legally bear that monster’s name, not ever.”

My mom leaned over and kissed my forehead.

“Consider it done. I’ll be back in a while, and in the meantime, I’m going to have you two moved to my retreat.”

“You have a retreat?”

“Please…how do you think I’ve managed to stand being married to your father for so long?”

I laughed as she left the room.

“Is there anything I can do,” Frida asked.

“Yes. I need you to keep a close eye on the nurses or anyone new who comes around.”

Frida’s eyes went wide. “Do you think they’ll hurt a baby?”

“I don’t trust anyone outside of my small inner circle, Frida, and you’re on that list. Please, I’m too exhausted to look out for Lilya right now. When they take her, don’t let her out of your sight. Take Mylo with you.”

“You have my word. We’ll keep her safe,” Frida said, just before the nurses came back in to take Lilya.

I wanted to call Eddie so badly. Let him know that we were alright and send him photos of our little girl. He’d been right about Lilya. Now, we just needed to hope that everything else went according to plan.

Edmundo

“Are you sure this is the right spot,” Marcus asked as he pulled onto the very off-the-beaten-path driveway.

The trees were thick, and the house sat half a mile off the road and right on the water. I had to admit that it was beautiful, but unlike my home, it didn’t have the same welcoming feel.

“We followed the directions, so it has to be,” I answered, looking at the small boat tied to a dock on the water.

“Feels like a setup to me.”

My two guards in the back seat sat up straighter with that comment.