Chapter 4

The conversation with Lukas left me more rattled than I expected. As I walked out of his office, I couldn’t shake the feeling of his gaze lingering on me, as if he was trying to decipher what had just happened. My heart was pounding, and I felt a mix of relief and anxiety. Relief that I’d finally told him the truth, and anxiety over what would come next.

I took the elevator down to the lobby, my mind spinning with thoughts of the twins, Lukas, and what this all meant for my future. The weight of the situation felt heavier with each step I took. I could hardly believe that just a few months ago, my life had been so simple, and now I was walking out of my boss’s office after telling him I was pregnant with his children. It all felt surreal.

The crisp evening air hit me as I stepped out of the building, and I wrapped my coat tighter around me. The streets were bustling with people heading home from work, and the city was alive with its usual energy. But tonight, I felt detached from it all, lost in my own world of worries and what-ifs. I needed to clear my head, so I decided to walk home instead of taking the bus. The fresh air and the rhythmic sound of my footsteps on the pavement helped me focus, even if just a little.

As I turned onto a quieter street, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. It started as a subtle sensation, like the prickling of hairs on the back of my neck. I glanced over my shoulder, and my heart skipped a beat when I noticed a black car trailing a little too closely behind me. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a black car on the street, but this one seemed to be keeping pace with me, slowing down when I slowed down, and speeding up when I did.

I quickened my pace, trying to shake off the growing unease. But then I noticed another black car, and then another. They seemed to be everywhere—on every corner, at every intersection. Panic began to well up inside me. Was I just being paranoid, or was I really being followed?

I took a sharp turn down a narrow side street, hoping to lose them in the maze of alleys that crisscrossed this part of the city. The street was quieter here, with fewer people around, and the buildings cast long shadows that made it easy to slip into the darkness. My heart was racing now, the sound of my own breathing loud in my ears as I hurried down the alley.

But as I rounded another corner, I came to a dead end. My stomach dropped as I realized I had nowhere left to go. The walls around me were high, and there was no way I could climb them. I was trapped.

I turned around, pressing myself against the wall, hoping that somehow, they wouldn’t find me here. But the sound of footsteps and the low hum of car engines growing louder told me it was too late. I was cornered.

My breath hitched as a shadowy figure stepped into the alley. I couldn’t see his face at first, but as he moved closer, the dim light from a nearby streetlamp revealed his features. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized him.

“Aaron?” I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion.

He stepped forward, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. “Irina, what the hell are you doing here? You know better than to walk home alone.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You… you’re with them? The cars?”

Aaron sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m with them. But listen, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to warn you.”

“Warn me?” My voice was shaky as I tried to process what he was saying. “Warn me about what?”

Aaron’s expression softened, and he reached out to take my hand, his grip firm but gentle. “It’s him, Irina. The old man. He sent us to find you. He’s not happy about what you’ve been doing—running off, avoiding the marriage. He’s pissed, and he’s not going to let this slide.”

My heart sank at the mention of my supposed fiancé, the wealthy and powerful man my family had arranged for me to marry. The thought of him made my skin crawl. He was older, much older, and the idea of being tied to him for the rest of my life filled me with dread. But I hadn’t expected him to go this far, to have me followed.

“I couldn’t stay, Aaron,” I said, my voice breaking. “I couldn’t marry him. I couldn’t live like that.”

Aaron pulled me into a tight hug, his arms wrapped protectively around me. “I know, Irina. I know. But you have to understand—our family… they’re not going to just let you walk away. You’re tied to them, whether you like it or not. And he… he’s not someone you want to cross.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I buried my face in Aaron’s shoulder. I felt trapped, cornered not just physically, but in my life, my choices. The weight of my situation pressed down on me, threatening to crush me under its pressure. I had thought that running away, starting fresh, would be enough, but now it seemed like there was no escape.

“What am I supposed to do?” I whispered, my voice trembling with fear and hopelessness.

Aaron pulled back slightly, looking me in the eyes. “You have to be careful, Irina. You can’t just go on like nothing’s happened. He’s already had you followed, and who knows what else he might do. You have to protect yourself.”

“But how?” I asked, my voice cracking. “How am I supposed to protect myself when he has all the power, all the resources? What can I do?”

Aaron’s expression hardened, and I could see the determination in his eyes. “You’re stronger than you think, Irina. You always have been. But you can’t do this alone. You need help, someone who can stand up to him, someone who can keep you safe.”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “I don’t know who to trust, Aaron. Everyone I thought I could rely on has let me down. I’m so scared.”

Aaron pulled me into another hug, his grip even tighter this time. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Irina. You’re my little sister, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you. But you have to be smart. Lay low for a while, stay off the radar. Don’t give him any reason to come after you again.”

I nodded, trying to take comfort in Aaron’s words, but the fear still gnawed at me. I had always known my family was powerful, that they had connections that reached far and wide. But this was the first time I had truly felt the weight of that power, the way it could be used to control and manipulate.

As we stood there in the dark alley, the sound of the cars idling nearby, I realized just how alone I was in this. Aaron was trying to help, but even he couldn’t stand up to the full force of our family. I had to find a way out of this, but I didn’t know where to start.

“I’ll keep you safe, Irina,” Aaron whispered, his voice filled with resolve. “But you have to promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t do anything reckless. Don’t make any more enemies.”

I nodded again, though I wasn’t sure how much of a promise I could make. My life had already spiraled out of control, and the future seemed more uncertain than ever. But I had to try. For the sake of my children, for the sake of my own sanity, I had to find a way to survive this.

Aaron finally released me from his embrace, his eyes filled with a mix of worry and determination. “Go home, Irina. Stay out of sight for a while. I’ll try to keep them off your trail, but you need to be careful. Don’t trust anyone, not even me, if it comes to that. Do you understand?”

The weight of his words settled over me like a heavy blanket, suffocating and inescapable. “I understand,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

With one last, lingering look, Aaron turned and walked back toward the black cars, his figure disappearing into the shadows. I watched him go, my heart heavy with fear and uncertainty.

As soon as he was out of sight, I turned and ran, my footsteps echoing through the empty streets. I didn’t know where I was going, only that I had to get away from here, from the memories and the threats that seemed to close in around me from every direction.

I ran until I couldn’t run anymore, my legs burning with exhaustion and my chest heaving with every breath. When I finally stopped, I found myself in a quiet park, the sound of the city fading into the background. I collapsed onto a bench, burying my face in my hands as the tears came in earnest.

How had my life come to this? How had everything spiraled so far out of control? I had once dreamed of a simple, happy life, but now that dream felt impossibly distant, a fantasy that would never come true.

But even as the despair threatened to overwhelm me, a small spark of determination flickered to life deep within me. I couldn’t give up—not now, not ever. I had to keep fighting, keep pushing forward, no matter how hard it got.

For my children, for myself, for the life I had always wanted but had never been able to reach—I had to keep fighting.