Page 54 of Inked in Devotion

“Is that how you kept Gage out of the limelight?”

“Yeah, I’m just glad he was too young when the divorce happened.” He sighed. “Listen, I’m going to catch some sleep before I end up burning this whole thing down.”

I laughed, thinking that was what Kolya would suggest.

“The PR crisis department is handling the whole money-laundering accusations that have been going around…”

“I didn’t realize it’s that bad.”

“Maksim and I are talking later. Zahkarov Holdings PR is used to handling this. But my question is, do you want PR to contact you directly, or are you going to go with what Maksim and I decide?”

“I’ll go with what you guys decide. I have enough to deal with, with a baby and the NGO. Kolya said something about simply lying low until this crisis is over because the press has been relentless.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll check on you later.”

“Thanks, Theo.”

“For what?” he asked.

“For calling. I know you’re swamped and being pulled in all directions.”

“I’m used to it.”

The call eased the remaining anxiety at the back of my mind. Marena texted me this morning asking me how I was, and I told her it appeared all I needed was sleep. She advised me not to turn on the television. I wasn’t going to anyway, and if I were, I was going to stream shows. My epiphany this morning? The situation was beyond my control. What was done was done. I thanked her again for checking up on me and told her the tea and drops were working to calm me down.

I checked on Sebastian. He was still sleeping. Should I wake him to feed him lunch? Maybe the poor boy was exhausted from last night. Maybe Kolya used my tiredness from last night as an opportunity to bond with Sebastian. Not that it was bad. He probably repeatedly told him to call him Dada. You know, like those brainwashing techniques. Maybe he was brainwashing my baby, a voice said. It wasn’t a voice I could hear. It was in my head. Babies bonded differently with their fathers. But I’d already bonded with Sebastian, right? Right? Kolya would not turn our baby against me. Not possible.

“Chloe?”

I blinked and gasped. The teakettle was about to shriek. I turned it off.

What was I doing? How did I get here?

“Are you okay?”

I glanced to my right. Kolya was looking at me with a disturbed expression on his face. “You were staring blankly. I had to call your name twice.”

“I was…making tea, but I think I was running through what to feed Sebastian in my head.”

He stopped in front of me, and I bristled at his scrutiny, the way he was studying my face.

“I’m fine. Probably too much sleep and I zoned out,” I said.

“Where’s Sebastian?” His voice sharpened as he pivoted away from me and headed for the bedroom, craning his neck to check the playpen in the living room. I was at his heels, outraged at the accusation I heard in his voice.

I saw his shoulders relax when he saw our sleeping boy.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the kitchen. I could barely contain my anger, so much so that words refused to form. Kolya’s face was unreadable, but a muscle pulsed in his jaw.

“I don’t appreciate you implying that I’m a neglectful mother.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Well, that’s how it sound like. You took on the role of his father overnight, and I’ve been his mother for longer. You’re acting judgmental over it.”

He winced, then scrubbed a hand down his face. “I’m sorry.”

What did I say to that?