Page 80 of The Puppetmaster

I have no reason to object. If anyone had told me half a year ago that my last hunt would end like this, I would have laughed in their face. I knew that Alena was going to be special and she was always meant to be my last puppet, the one whose dance would come with a kind of redemption that she never saw coming—but I never planned on actually staying on her, on living with her.

On falling in love with her.

She casts me a soft smile as she reaches for my hand and gives it a tender squeeze.

“I love you, Raad,” she whisper solemnly, her soft voice heavy with meaning.

My response comes with a kiss on the back of her hand. “I love you, too, Alena.”

My eyes fall on the silver bracelet around her wrist, a proud smile playing on my face at the sight of it. It may appear to be nothing but regular jewelry in the eyes of others, but we know that there’s a reason she’s wearing one on both of her wrists. Alena may be more than just a puppet to me by now, but she still dances from my strings nonetheless.

She wanted to believe me when I shared the truth with her. I could tell that she was desperate for my words to be true, but she didn’t want to give in to the soothing relief that came with them too quickly. She needed to be sure.

She needed there to be proof. Proof that only time could give her, because finalizing my plan took more than just a few days. I needed to convene a shareholder meeting and a referendum, backed with the studies that my firm had conducted. I needed to revoke that damn patent from them and make it my own, if only to stop the drug from ever reaching the market.

It would have been a strenuous time either way, but it gained a whole new challenge by the fact that I was not only fighting to prove my good intentions to the world, but to her as well. Alena wasn’t supposed to be in the light of all of this while it was happening, but once she was, I had to take my brother’s advice to heart and truly make her an ally. That meant no secrets, no lies, no hiding in mysterious shadows as I did for years.

I didn’t want her to leave the day she found out about me, but back then I thought it was because I still needed time to wrap things up properly. I thought all I needed was a little more time to get things in order, to overcome the backlash against me and my company that would inevitably follow after it was known that I stopped the acquisition of the patent by a rival company just to secure it under my own name. It stood to reason that I would be accused of doing it purely for profit, and I anticipated the attacks that followed. But I thought I would have to face all of it on my own.

And I didn’t.

Alena plucked up the courage to believe in me, even when she had so little to go by. She stood by my side in a way I never asked of her.

And she’s still here. She still wants to be here.

And I still want her to be with me.

Until I die.

Epilog II

Alena

“I can’t wait for these cold days to be over,” Dorota says, shuddering as she takes a sip from her steaming-hot tea. Her eyes wander over to the French doors that lead outside to the terrace. It’s still pretty cold out, but the sun is shining today, providing a perfect napping spot for Salwa right in front of the glazed doors. She’s been lying there, curled up into a white ball of fluff for the entire afternoon, soaking in the warmth while always staying close to either me or Dorota.

“It’s so nice out in the yard during summer,” she says, smiling at me now. “Just wait until the rhododendron is in full bloom—it’s quite the spectacle.”

I reciprocate her smile, sitting at the kitchen island with my own cup of tea, while Dorota has been pacing up and down in the kitchen. There’s no need for her to cook dinner tonight, so I’m not sure what exactly is keeping her so busy right now, but that’s just how she is—she always finds something to do.

When Raad told me about Dorota, I was more nervous to meet her than I was about meeting his father for the first time. She’s the closest thing Raad has to a mother, and it seems that her role in his life has been much more essential, too. I’ve only met Raad’s father a couple of times, despite the fact that he’s living in Manhattan with his new wife as well. It’s just like Raad said: neither him nor his brother have a very close or even friendly relationship with their father.

Dorota puts her mug down, checking the time on her wristwatch before she says: “Shouldn’t you get ready, dear?”

I nod. “No worries, Dan is waiting for me outside.”

Dorota nods toward the letter that’s resting on the counter before me.

“Will you tell him tonight?” she wants to know.

“Of course I will,” I respond, a little surprised at her question. “It may take me back a few years, but it could be a good way for me to start over. I’m sure he’ll agree.”

Dorota presses her lips into a thin line, suggesting a nod before her expression changes into a smile. “I’m sure he will.”

I don’t know why, but she doesn’t seem to share my elevation at the news I received today. The acceptance letter was dropped in the mail just a few hours ago, not only coming unexpectedly but also way earlier than I ever thought it would.

I never thought that college could ever be a possibility for me, especially now after I’d already worked for more than eight years. Starting college in your mid-twenties is not only unusual, but also comes with its own hurdles different to those eighteen-year-old faces.

But I want this. I want this so much, and I’m sure Raad will me support me in any way he can. He encouraged me from the start when I cautiously voiced the thought of applying, but I’m sure that he—just like me—never expected me to actually get in.

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