LOGINI just rolled my eyes mentally. “What will people think of us?!” was mom’s favorite phrase, probably her life motto. Apparently, it was unacceptable for anyone to think poorly of us, so you had to go out of your way to please everyone.At the engagement, our family hadn’t even been there—Dad was on a business trip abroad, and without him, we didn’t attend events, staying home like obedient chickens.“Oh, and what a fiancé they found for Camilla!” Mom rolled her eyes in delight. “Rich, young, handsome! Camilla is lucky! What a beautiful couple they’ll make. She’s been single for far too long. At twenty-three, I was already taking care of you,” she sighed, looking at me.Yes, taking care. In her eyes, shoving me onto nannies and housekeepers counted as “taking care” of a child. I would never treat my own kids like that. Nannies aren’t bad, but mom and dad should be actively involved and give their children plenty of attention.In front of us, I could already see uncle Arnold’s magnifice
Five years before:“Elizabeth, are you going to be long? We’re already running late!” my mother moaned again, bustling around the house and gathering her things.It was always like this. Mom took forever to get ready, yet somehow, it was my fault in the end. Well, who else could it be? After all, I was the only child. Even though I was already sitting in the living room, fully dressed, lazily scrolling through my phone.“Alright, looks like we’re ready. Elizabeth, did you bring everything you need?” Mother asked strictly, scanning me with her eyes. I had to look proper in front of relatives and my parents’ friends.I had styled my long red hair in a soft updo, leaving my neck visible—so everyone could see that I was unattached. I wore a fitted light blue dress that highlighted my eyes, embroidered delicately with white patterns. It fell below the knee, had a modest neckline, and sleeves that reached mid-arm. On my feet were low-heeled shoes. My makeup was minimal—just mascara and lip
The next morning came so quickly. It felt like I had just closed my eyes, and the sun was already shining. The change in time zones and long flights left my body completely exhausted.Turning over in bed, I found my husband wasn’t there. I ran my hand over the pillow — it was already cold, but it still carried his scent.Where could he have run off to so early in the morning? Although, looking out the window, it didn’t seem like morning at all anymore.I took in our room. It had changed a lot, but hadn’t lost its unique charm. The size was the same. I noticed the new floor and the wall with the large window. I saw there was also a glass door leading to an attached terrace, from which part of the river and dense forest were visible. The walls seemed to be made of the same material as before.The bed was new — much bigger and sturdier than the old one, which we had already tested last night. To my surprise, the wardrobe and dresser were the same as before, restored beautifully and looki
Brushing himself off as if shaking off a mountain of dust, Kos takes my hand, and we head for the exit. But then we hear:"Stop!" Then, more softly, "please."We turn around, confused. Makar sits down at his desk and takes out a handkerchief, pressing it to his bleeding nose."You hit hard," he smirks, "I know I deserved it. I had to push you to see your real emotions."We still exchanged puzzled looks."I already figured out at the wedding that there were real feelings between you two, but I wanted to be absolutely sure," he chuckled. "And that broken nose of mine is proof enough," he added cheerfully, pointing to the blood still dripping from his nose. "I’m not going to bother you with visits anymore, so I needed to know everything for certain. I wanted to put all the dots over the “i” and never come back to this topic again."What a strange man — truly one of a kind. He actually let himself get punched just to confirm his suspicions. And they say women have cockroaches in their hea
The next day, we had a meeting scheduled with Makar. We arrived at his office, though I still didn’t fully understand what exactly he did. Kos had mentioned something about a security agency.The office wasn’t very large — designed in dark tones, with a massive wooden desk and several chairs. Along the walls stood shelves filled with countless folders, and there was even a small bar in one of the corners.As we walked across the room toward the desk, my husband held my hand tightly — a silent gesture of support. My heart was pounding like I was about to take an exam. We sat down on the chairs across from the man who owned this space. He watched us intently — his gaze was so sharp it sent chills down my spine.We greeted him, and the men exchanged a firm handshake.“You wanted to see us?” Konstantin began, meeting the man’s eyes.“Yes,” Makar replied. “And you can drop the formalities — call me you. I wanted to talk about the will.”I felt Kos tense immediately.“Konstantin, do you kno
I can tell Kos is hesitant — he clearly doesn’t like the idea — but he hides it well. I meet his eyes, and for a moment, it’s as if we’re speaking without words. My husband sighs heavily, reluctant, but finally lets go of my hand.“All right. But just one dance,” he says seriously to Arthur.“I love you,” I mouth silently to my husband, smiling at him as Arthur leads me to the dance floor.“Wow, your man’s really jealous,” Arthur chuckles as we start to dance. “But honestly, I can’t blame him.”“Is that why you seem so off today? Or did something happen?” I ask softly.“As sad as it is that the world’s lost one more bachelorette, I’m truly happy for you,” Arthur says with a small smile, looking straight into my eyes. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. But I accepted long ago that someday, I’d have to let you go.”His words pierce right through me. He’s an incredible man with such a big heart.“Actually,” he continues, visibly nervous and on edge, “I found out something yeste







