LOGINI straightened up. My heart was pounding. I looked around the room and for a single, disorienting moment, I had no idea where I was. The black stone walls, the red sky beyond the window, the dead air of this place—none of it felt right. None of it felt like mine. I felt like a man who had woken up m
Andrei’s POVThe collar of my shirt was pissing me off.I had fastened it twice already and it still insisted on sitting crooked, pulling too tight on the left side. I undid it a third time and redid it, slower, watching my hands in the mirror rather than my own face. My reflection had been botherin
Natalia’s POVHe didn’t hesitate.The moment I swung the rod toward him, his hand shot out and closed around my wrist like a vise. My arm wrenched sideways, and I felt the bones grind together under his grip, and the rod fell. It clattered somewhere on the stone floor, rolling away into the darkness
Andrei’s POVThe room was warm. The bed was soft and plush, the pillows made of feathers and velvet. Everything smelled familiar, the kind of scent that you recognize from a past life but can never put a finger on its source.Home.The woman was laying next to me, just as she always did. Amber hair
But I would do it, because the alternative was my children going through whatever came next, and that was not something I was willing to consider.I wasn’t certain yet. That was the only reason I was still trying so hard now. Because there was still a small part of me that thought that there must be
Natalia’s POVThey came for me after what felt like a full day. I say felt like because it really could have been any amount of time, or none at all. But someone did bring me some slop to eat at some point, so that had to have meant that at least a full cycle had passed.I was on my feet before the
The alcohol made the decision easier. I took Mila’s hand and let her pull me toward the dance floor.The beat of the music was infectious. Mila immediately started moving, and after a moment of awkward hesitation, I followed her lead. It felt strange at first—I’d never been much of a dancer, too con
NataliaI carefully straddled Andrei, mindful of his injury but unable to resist the pull between us any longer. His hands immediately found my hips, fingers pressing gently into the soft flesh there, anchoring me to him like he was afraid I might disappear again.Heat swept through me just at that
What if someone recognized Andrei despite the mask? What if the twins said something they shouldn’t? What if I tripped and made a fool of myself and ruined the entire charity event?“Hey.”Andrei’s quiet voice made me look up. He’d stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his familiar scent e
NataliaThe venue for the charity fashion show was busier than I’d expected. Staff members were rushing around adjusting lighting, caterers were setting up tables and chairs, and models were practicing their walks on the runway that had been set up in the center of the ballroom. The whole place was







