Page 82 of Trapping His Darling

Tiffany, Russia

One Year Later

Before the grand wedding ceremony, tension hung in the air, a palpable force that threatened to disrupt the lavish event. I found myself caught in the middle of a heated exchange between Viktor and his older brother, Alexie, the ex-Pakhan-in-exile.

I’d walked past the study, intent on shaking out some nerves after everything I’d been through. Fleeing America and finding sanctuary here was a blessing. The men were about to come to blows, it looked like. I was walking past, so I eavesdropped.

The conversation was fraught with emotion, a clash of wills between two powerful men, with the fate of the Bratva hanging in the balance.

“Alexie, you can’t stay in Russia,” Viktor asserted, his voice tinged with frustration. “I’ve made my decision.”

Alexie’s brows furrowed, his eyes flashing with defiance. “I won’t be banished like this again, Viktor. I have a place here, and I’ve earned the loyalty of our men.”

Their voices grew louder, the argument escalating with each passing word. It was a dispute that threatened to shatter the fragile peace we had cultivated, a discord that could have dire consequences for the Bratva.

As the tension mounted, I could no longer stand by and watch, as the two brothers locked horns. With a determined stride, I walked calmly into the study and stepped between them, my gaze fixed on Alexie.

“Enough!” I declared, my voice cutting through the argument like a knife. “Alexie, you won’t be banished. In fact, you’ll have a new territory; the entire United States.”

The stunned silence that followed was broken only by the soft strains of the string quartet playing in the background. Alexie’s eyes widened, and Viktor’s expression shifted from anger to surprise.

I continued, my voice unwavering. “Viktor has decided that you will lead our faction in the United States, Alexie. It’s a new beginning for you, a chance to build something great. Don’t squander it.”

The weight of my words hung in the air, and for a moment, the brothers stared at each other in silence, the tension diffusing like a storm passing. We hadn’t spoken about any of this prior, but there was no way I could handle Sloane and her baby, along with my child, plus Roman, the super smart kid. The one who made every adult in the room feel inadequate.

Finally, Viktor nodded, a begrudging acceptance of the decision. “She’s right, Alexie. This is your chance to prove yourself.”

Alexie’s defiance gave way to a slow, thoughtful nod. “Very well, Tiffany. I’ll take the United States, and I’ll make it ours.”

With that, the tension between the brothers began to ebb, and we turned our attention back to the upcoming wedding ceremony. It was a moment of resolution, a pivotal point inour journey together; a journey that had revealed the darkness within us, but had also kindled a love that was unbreakable, a love we were now ready to celebrate in front of our comrades and allies.

The grandeur of the ceremony, the opulent setting, and the haunting melodies of the string quartet, all paled in comparison to the love that flowed between Viktor and me.

As we exchanged our vows, our voices trembled with emotion, promising to stand by each other through the trials and tribulations of the world we inhabited. We had revealed our darkest secrets, bared our souls to each other, and found a love that was as fierce as it was tender.

Our kiss sealed our vows, a passionate declaration that echoed through the room, filling it with the intensity of our love. Our guests erupted in applause, celebrating a love that had defied the odds, and blossomed in the shadows of our tumultuous pasts.

The dance floor beckoned us, and Viktor took my hand, leading me into our first dance as a legitimate husband and wife. The world around us seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us bathed in the soft, romantic glow of the room.

As we swayed to the music, Viktor’s gaze never left mine. His eyes were filled with a tenderness that took my breath away. “Tiffany,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the music, “are you happy?”

I met his question with a sly, playful smile, rubbing my belly, swollen with our second child, as my eyes locked onto his, our first resting with his nanny. “For now,” I replied cheekily, my heart filled with a mischievous delight.

Viktor chuckled, his arms pulling me closer as we continued to dance. “You always keep me guessing, don’t you?”

I nodded, the weight of our shared secrets and the darkness of our pasts momentarily forgotten, in the warmth of the moment. “That’s part of the fun, isn’t it?”

We danced in silence for a while, lost in the rhythm of the music, and the magic of the moment. The world outside seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of us and the promise of a future filled with love and adventure.

As the night continued and the celebration carried on, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of contentment. For now, in this moment, I was happy; happy to be in Viktor’s arms, happy to have found a love that had conquered the shadows, and happy to be facing the future with the man who had stolen my heart.

And so, we danced on, our love a beacon of light in a world filled with darkness, ready to embrace the challenges and joys that lay ahead, hand in hand, hearts entwined, and cheeky smiles lighting our way.

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