Chapter 64: The Shared Future

The morning light was soft, filtering through the sheer curtains of the breakfast nook. I was wrapped in a silk robe that cost more than my father’s old car, staring into a cup of black coffee. The house felt different today. It didn't feel like a place I was visiting or even a place I was being held. It felt like a headquarters.

Ivan and Dmitri were already at the table, but they weren't looking at stock tickers or news reports. Spread out between the fruit plates and the silver cutlery were architectural blueprints and glossy brochures for massive estates in the countryside.

"Sit, Leo," Ivan said, not looking up but sensing me there. He pulled out the chair next to him. "We were waiting for you to wake up before we looked at the photos of the north wing."

I sat down slowly, my heart thumping against my ribs. "What is all this? Are we moving?"

Dmitri took a sip of his tea and slid a folder toward me. "We’re expanding. This house is fine for now, but it’s a city house. It’s tight. We need something with land. High walls, a proper studio for you, and enough space so we don't feel the neighbors breathing on us."

I flipped through the pages. The properties were breathtaking—ancient stone manors, modern glass fortresses perched on cliffs, and sprawling villas. They weren't just houses; they were kingdoms.

"You’re talking about buying a new home," I said, my voice steadying. "Like... for all of us?"

"Of course for all of us," Ivan said, finally looking at me. His eyes were warm, almost excited. "We’ve already narrowed it down to three locations. One is near the coast—lots of natural light for your painting. The other two are further inland, more secluded. We want you to choose the one that feels right."

I stared at a photo of a terrace overlooking a private lake. I want you to choose. The words sounded so normal, so domestic. That was the scariest part.

They aren't planning for a month from now, I thought, a cold realization settling in my stomach. They’re planning for ten years from now. They’re planning for forever.

"You're serious," I whispered. "You’re really doing this. You’re building a life around... this."

"Why wouldn't we?" Dmitri asked, leaning back. "We’ve settled the debts. We’ve handled the family. The foundations are laid, Leo. Now we build the structure. We’ve even started looking into a trust fund in your name. A joint venture. We’ll buy the gallery space you always talked about, but under a holding company. You’ll run the creative side, we’ll handle the security and the logistics."

I let out a shaky laugh, shaking my head. "A gallery? A trust fund? Do you hear yourselves? You’re talking about me like I’m a partner in a firm."

"You are more than a partner," Ivan said, reaching over to cover my hand with his. "You are the reason we’re doing it. What’s the point of having all this power if we don't have the person we want to share it with? We want to see you flourish, Leo. But we want to see it happen within the world we’ve built for you."

I pulled my hand away, stood up, and walked to the window. I looked out at the city skyline. "I used to dream about having a gallery," I said, my voice cracking. "I used to stay up late in my shitty apartment, eating cold noodles and drawing floor plans on napkins. I wanted to earn it. I wanted to stand in the middle of a room and know that I got there because I was good enough."

I turned back to them, my eyes stinging. "Now, you’re offering it to me on a silver platter, but the door is locked. How am I supposed to feel about that? Am I supposed to be grateful? Am I supposed to be happy that my cage is getting a lake view and a trust fund?"

Dmitri stood up and walked toward me, his presence filling the space. He didn't look angry; he looked almost sympathetic. "The world is a cruel place for people like you, Leo. You’re soft. You’re an artist. If we let you go out there and try to 'earn it' on your own, the world would chew you up and spit you out. It would take your talent and give you nothing in return."

"You don't know that!" I shouted.

"We do," Ivan said from the table, his voice calm and certain. "We’ve seen it. We’ve done it to people. We are protecting you from people exactly like us. Don't you see? In our world, you are a king. Outside, you’re just another struggling painter that no one cares about."

I looked from Ivan to Dmitri. They looked so human in the morning light—no suits, just expensive casual clothes, drinking coffee and talking about real estate. They looked like two men in love, planning a future. But underneath that was the steel. The absolute, unshakable reality that I wasn't allowed to say no.

"It’s an addiction," I muttered, repeating my thought from last night. "You’re making me addicted to a life I didn't ask for. You’re making it so I’ll be too pampered, too protected to ever function in the real world again."

Dmitri stepped closer, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Exactly. We want you to need us as much as we need you. We want the very idea of leaving to feel like a death sentence because you wouldn't know how to breathe without our protection."

He leaned down, his forehead resting against mine. "Choose the house, Leo. Pick the place where we’re going to grow old. Tell us where you want your studio. Tell us what color you want the bedroom. It’s your future. We’re just the ones making sure no one takes it away from you."

I looked at the blueprints on the table. They looked like a map of my life—laid out, decided, and bought. I felt a surge of anger, then a wave of exhaustion, and finally, that familiar, creeping sense of relief.

"The one with the lake," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "The light... it would be good for the oils."

Ivan smiled, a genuine, bright expression that reached his eyes. "The lake house it is. I'll call the lawyers this afternoon."

I sank back into my chair, watching them talk about renovations and security protocols. I was part of the 'we' now. I was a line item in their budget, a permanent fixture in their empire. And as I watched them plan our life together, I realized with a sickening jolt that I was already looking fo

rward to seeing that lake.