Chapter 231

Anton hesitated just long enough for it to feel deliberate. “Your parents,” he said. “Mr. and Mrs. Vale. Along with Mr. Volkov and his family.”Sera’s confusion deepened instantly. “What?” she asked, turning fully now. “Why...”“And,” Anton continued, as if that alone wasn’t enough, “some of your hospital staff. A few close associates. Media representatives from the city.”That stopped her completely.“…media?” she repeated slowly, her voice carrying disbelief now as she looked from Anton to Damian, then to Nikolai. “Why are there media representatives on a private island?”The boats were closer now, visible enough that the figures on them could be made out, movement, voices faintly carried by the wind, people stepping off, gathering.Too many people.This wasn’t a coincidence.This wasn’t casual.Sera turned back sharply.“What is going on?” she asked, her tone no longer light, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked between Damian and Nikolai.Nikolai coughed, a very deliberate, v

Chapter 232

Adrik exhaled faintly, clearly expecting this reaction. “It’s not as dramatic as you’re making it,”“It is exactly as dramatic as I’m making it,” Sera shot back, stepping closer to Claudia now with excitement she didn’t bother hiding. “Do you know how long she’s liked you?”Claudia’s face flushed instantly. “Sera...”“No, no, don’t even try to deny it,” Sera continued, laughing now, genuinely happy in a way that felt light and effortless. “Everyone in Russia knew.”Adrik rubbed the back of his neck slightly. “I did not know,” he muttered.“That’s because you were blind,” Sera replied immediately.Claudia let out a small, embarrassed laugh, her gaze dropping briefly before lifting again, a little more confident this time as she stood beside Adrik.“It just happened,” she said quietly.Sera raised a brow. “‘Just happened’?” she echoed, clearly not buying it. “With you two?”Adrik glanced briefly toward Damian, that was all the confirmation she needed.Sera followed his gaze then turned

Chapter 233

Back outside, Damian stood where she had left him, for a moment, he didn’t move. His brows pulled together faintly, confusion flickering across his expression as he straightened slowly.He looked in the direction she had gone then back at the ground, then again toward the villa.“…what was that?” he muttered under his breath.He turned and made his way toward the shoreline, where preparations for the evening were already underway.Lights were being set.Tables arranged.Grills positioned.The soft outline of what would become the night’s gathering taking shape under the fading sun.Damian moved, adjusting details, giving short instructions, making sure everything aligned exactly the way it should.No mistakes.No interruptions.No room for anything to go wrong because tonight, everything had to be perfect.Back in Italy, the house felt too large. Damian’s father stood near the long windows of the study, his hands clasped behind his back, his posture still carrying the authority of a m

Chapter 234

Damian shifted and Sera froze. Slowly, he pushed himself up, kneeling right in front of her.Everything stopped.The world.The noise.The fear.All of it.“…what?” she whispered, her voice hollow with confusion.Damian looked at her, not dying, alive and then, "Will you marry me again?”Silence fell like something sacred.Sera stared at him completely stunned. Her mind tried to catch up, to piece it together, to understand what she was seeing, the blood, the stillness, the way no one had moved, the way no one had panicked.And then it clicked.Her gaze dropped.The “blood.”Too dark.Too thick.Wine.Her head snapped back up. “You...” she started, her voice breaking between disbelief and shock.Damian didn’t look away. “I had to do it this way because this is my world and I want you in it.”“I’ll protect you,” he continued. “I’ll protect Nikolai. And any other children we have. I can’t promise there won’t be danger,” he admitted. “There will be moments like this, moments that aren’t

Chapter 235

Morning arrived gently, like the island itself was careful not to disturb what the night had left behind.Sunlight stretched across the ocean in soft gold, the waves calmer now, the breeze lighter, carrying a quiet anticipation that hadn’t been there before. The entire island felt different, less like a retreat, more like a stage waiting for something important to begin.At the main hall, everything was ready.The ultramodern space Nikolai had spent months refining now held a different kind of energy. Screens glowed softly, equipment stood polished and precise, and rows of seats were filled with people who mattered, engineers, analysts, media representatives, investors, all gathered for one purpose.To see what a seven year old had built.Everyone was there.Everyone except three people.Nikolai.Damian.And Sera.In a quieter part of the facility, away from the noise and attention, Damian stood beside Nikolai near a wide glass panel that overlooked the ocean.For a moment, neither of

Chapter 236

Nikolai didn’t flinch, he just looked at him, a faint smirk tugging at his lips like he had expected nothing less.And then footsteps from the entrance.Heads turned instinctively and before anyone could fully process it a voice followed. “I suppose I shouldn’t be left out.”Damian stilled as his gaze shifted towards the entrance.His mother stood composed and unapologetic. His father just behind her.“I’ll be investing as well,” she continued, stepping forward with quiet confidence. “One billion.”A ripple moved through the room.Her eyes found Nikolai and softened. “My grandson deserves nothing less.”Nikolai blinked then straightened just slightly. “…thank you,”Sera’s parents exchanged a look. Her father cleared his throat, stepping forward with a quieter confidence.“We may not match that,” he said honestly, “but we’ll invest as well.”A pause.“One million.”It wasn’t billions.But it was everything they could say without words.We’re here.We’re trying.Adrik’s parents followed