Page 157 of Bratva Butcher

“No, no and no.” Her stern voice left no debate on the matter. “I think I might head upstairs and take a nap. The smell of that fish has just made me feel yuck. Can you let Nikolai know?”

I exhaled a disappointed sigh. “Okay. Do you need any help?”

She shook her head, getting to her feet. “I’m good. I’ll see you later.”

We all said goodbye and she left. When Nikolai finally turned around and saw she was gone, panic took over his face.

“Where is she?”

An evil, villainous laugh echoed in my head. “She had to go lie down. Turns out, it wasn’t the food that was making her nauseous. It was your aftershave.”

Nikolai paled. “I’ll go shower right now.” He bolted out of the room at a speed I’d never seen from him before.

I broke out into a fit of laughter.

“You’re evil,” Arturo chuckled in my ear.

I glanced over my shoulder and shrugged. “You knew that when you married me.”

He smiled, bright and beaming. “I did. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Chapter Forty

Dimitri Volkov

Istared at myold bedroom door, so many thoughts running through my mind that I almost felt overstimulated by them all.

Illayana was right.

After she left my office, I spent the next few hours going over everything she’d said. While her words hurt, I knew deep down in my heart that she was right. And I felt like a fool for not realising it sooner.

Before I hurt Autumn.

I was ashamed of my actions. Ashamed of what I’d said to her. I had to make it right, but first, there was something else I had to do.

Taking a deep breath in, I reached for the handle and opened the door. For the first time in ten years, I stepped into the room Yekaterina and I used to share together. So many memoriesbombarded me all at once, but instead of making me feel sad, those memories brought a smile to my face.

It’s time to say goodbye, Father.

Yes. Yes it was.

I took a turn around the room, just taking everything in. My fingers lightly touched the furniture, flashbacks of my time with Yekaterina playing in my mind as I walked. Of her smile. Her laugh. The way her eyes would light up when she saw me.

It made me realise something I’d been trying to deny for a long time.

I loved Yekaterina, and I most likely would always love her. She was a big part of my life. The mother of my children.

But I was no longerinlove with her, and the difference between those two things were monumental.

Despite the promise I’d made her, my heart belonged to another. While that should have riddled me with enough guilt to bring me to my knees, I stood taller, determination in my steps as I moved throughout the bedroom.

I mourned Yekaterina for so long that it was as if that was all I knew how to do. It was time to stop letting the guilt rule me. It was time tostopfeeling guilty altogether. To let her go. To move on.

My heart felt lighter at the revelation, which was how I knew without a shred of doubt that I was doing the right thing.

I just wished it hadn’t taken me so long to realise it.

After I was done doing a lap of the room, I sat on the end of the bed and closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there for, reminiscing about all the good times Yekaterina and I shared together. All the moments with our children as they grew up. All the happy moments. All the sad moments. I took the time to remember it all. To honour the life we had together because she deserved that before I let her go.

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