Chapter 161
Elena’s POV:
“Aw… does he really have to go?” Fiona cooed. She waved at the small, clear bassinet on the cart, looking like she wanted to scoop the tiny bundle into her arms and refuse to let him go. The sight of her, so utterly smitten, brought a faint smile to my lips.
“He’s premature, Fiona. He needs to stay in the NICU. You can visit him, though… but since it’s night, you will have to wait until morning.” I said, my voice soft, a hint of weariness in it. The grogginess was starting to set in again, and was beginning to feel a little fuzzy at the edges.
I watched the nurse gently cover the baby, tucking the small blanket around him as if he were a delicate porcelain doll.
My eyes then trained on Sergei, who was standing a few feet away. My mother was glaring daggers at him. She didn’t say a word, her lips a thin, unforgiving line, but I could hear her silent accusations as clearly as if she were shouting them from the rooftops.
I sighed, a little helpless. I knew she was worried and only wanted the best for me. But I also knew the truth was far more complicated than that. He had helped us.
However, I was surprised she hadn’t even acknowledged Nikolai yet, as if he were invisible.
Sergei, oblivious or simply indifferent to her silent fury, turned to me. He gave a brief, curt nod. “I’ll be leaving. I have told my men to bring you a new phone, and you can contact me on that for any issue. I will be back in the morning.” He said.
1 paused, a little frown settling on my face. “Alright… be careful.”
The last part came out unexpectedly. I didn’t take it back though. He smiled… well, in his own weird way. It was a slight upturn of the corner of his lips. Once again, I thought, someone needed to teach him how to smile. “I will be waiting for you to recover so we can go to the lunch date you promised me.”
I pursed my lips, a flush of annoyance welling up in me. He really couldn’t have said that in private? In front of my mother and Nikolai, who were now watching us with an equal mix of confusion and obvious anger.
But maybe he had said it to break the icy atmosphere. It was a ludicrous statement, so out of place that it served as a distraction. He nodded towards my mother, a formal, respectful gesture. “If you’ll excuse me.” My mother just looked away, refusing to acknowledge him. He turned and left, his footsteps silent, disappearing down the hall as if he were a ghost.
Aunt Rose broke the silence. She had been standing on the side, a quiet observer. She came into the room, a warm smile on her face. “Have you decided on a name? I had a really good one… how about Jamal?” she said, her voice a soft, hopeful whisper.
I winced. The name reminded me of that wrestler she was so obsessed with. Wasn’t his name Jamal too?
I forced a smile. “I was thinking more like Haider.”
“Haider Kovalyova.” Nikolai spoke beside me. He had been so quiet. His grip on my hand, which had never wavered, tightened as he spoke, and I looked
up at him, a sudden awareness of his emotions. Ah… he was tense. I knew why. He was waiting for my mother’s reaction.
I squeezed his hand back giving him a smile, a gentle, reassuring one. “Yeah. What do you think?” I said, the question directed at mom.
Fiona was the first to jump. “I think it’s super cool!” She said, her eyes alight with joy.
Mom stayed quiet for a long moment, her gaze lingering on my face, then on Nikolai, and then on our clasped hands. Her expression was unreadable, a complicated mixture of emotions I couldn’t decipher. Finally, she broke the silence. “It’s nice.”
I could tell she was holding something back, her words though seeming joyful, seemed a little flat. But she didn’t object. She didn’t fight. She had come here to make sure I was okay, and in her own way, this was her concession. She was choosing her daughter’s happiness over her own pride.
She turned back to me then, the maternal warmth I had missed so dearly flooding her eyes. “How are you feeling?”
I forced a smile, the weariness I had been fighting for so long finally catching up with me. “I’m kind of starting to feel sleepy.” It was true. Now that she
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Chapter 181
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was here, now that my mother was in the room and Nikolai was by my side and my son was safe, I didn’t feat like I was on pins and nézdies anymore.
I could finally relax, and the exhaustion, which had been lurking just below the surface, began to set in.
She nodded, a knowing smile on her face. “Alright. You should sleep then. I will stay the night here… May I speak with you in private, Militar stehenta asked the question, her gaze flicking to him, a silent request that I knew he would not deny.
I was sure she wanted to know what had happened. It made sense. As much of a temper as she had, as much as she wanted answers, in the conditioni was in, she would never try to force me to answer her questions. So obviously, she’d target Nikolai.
I looked at him worriedly but he just smiled, a soft, reassuring gesture. “Of course.” He squeezed my hand, a silent promise that he would be back, and
that he would take care of her.
He got up and walked towards her, his movements fluid and easy despite his injury. “I’ll be back soon.” He said, and I watched him walk out of the room. My mom paused, giving me a second glance when I said, “Mom. He’s hurt too… go easy on him.”
She didn’t respond, but I saw her expression soften just a little, Aunt Rose also left, mumbling something about the canteen and being famished, and looked towards Fiona, the last remaining person in the room.
Fiona walked over, and sat on the edge of my bed. “Girl… do you really wanna sleep? ‘Cause I’m craving some tea.” she said, her smile a little excited, a
little nervous.
I scoffed, a genuine laugh bubbling up in my throat, but it turned into a hiss as I felt the C–section scar sting. I winced, my hand flying to my abdomen.
“What? Does it hurt?” she gasped, her face going pale with concern.
I shook my head, my jaw clenched. “It’s alright.” The pain was normal, that’s what the nurse said since I had just gotten stitches.
“Um, Fiona?” I questioned, my voice a whisper.
She hummed, her eyes fixed on my face, her attention completely on me. “Yeah?”
I took a deep breath, the words a difficult, but necessary confession. “I forgave him.”
She looked at me for a long moment, a slow, understanding smile spreading across her face. “Well… yeah, I kinda figured with all the hand–holding and googly eyes. I am glad… you seemed to be getting worse and worse these past months. It finally looks like you got your spark back. Even though you look very exhausted…” She smiled, and I let out a breathy laugh, the sound a mix of relief and profound exhaustion.
She was right. The anger had been a poison, a slow–acting venom that had seeped into every part of my life, a dark, heavy cloud that had followed me everywhere. And now… it was gone. Replaced by hope.
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“I just hope nothing happens to my son, and he grows well.” I said with a soft sigh, my gaze drifting to the empty space where his cart had been. My heart ached for him, a constant, low–grade throb that was a new kind of pain, a pain of love and worry.
“He will, don’t worry… he has so many people around him who love him and are looking forward to him!” She said with a giddy laugh. She was right. He had me, he had Nikolai, he had my family, he had an amazing grandma. He was surrounded by people who would do anything for him, and the thought made the tightening in my chest ease a little.
“Fiona… has there been any news?” I asked, my voice dropping, the light–hearted moment fading away. The question was a quiet, nervous tre
air.
She went rigid, pursing her lips as she nodded. My heart began to pound. “What happened?”
“Dmitri seems to have escaped… and he’s now a fugitive.” She said, her voice low. I pursed my lips, a nod of understanding. That was expected. Of course by now everyone should have found out. But what she said next was not at all.
My blood ran cold as she added, “And there has been another serial killing.” My eyes widened. Another one?
she added. “And they
