Page 22 of Beautiful Agony

The sightof Megan and Lacey together in the sitting room catches my attention. Something feels different.

Not necessarily wrong, but there's an undercurrent I can't quite place.

Lacey sits perched on the edge of her seat, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. The morning light streaming through the windows catches in her hair, turning it to spun gold.

Megan stands behind her, her hand resting protectively on Lacey's shoulder. The two of them share a meaningful look that makes my skin prickle with unease.

"What's going on?" I ask, keeping my voice carefully neutral.

Megan straightens, her chin lifting. "Lacey has something she needs to tell you." She squeezes Lacey's shoulder once before heading for the door. "I'll give you two some privacy."

The click of the door closing behind Megan sounds impossibly loud in the sudden silence. Lacey's eyes meet mine for a briefmoment before darting away. Her teeth worry at her lower lip—that nervous habit I've come to know so well.

My feet carry me closer, though I'm careful to maintain enough distance that she won't feel crowded. The chasm that's grown between us these past weeks feels wider than ever. But despite it, I take her hands gently in mine.

"Zvyozdochka?" I say softly. "What's going on?"

She bites her lower lip, and takes a deep breath before she speaks. "Something wonderful happened."

I lean forward, every protective instinct firing at once. But before I can speak, she pulls back, produces a small white stick, and places it in my hands.

My breath catches as I see the two pink lines. The world seems to tilt on its axis as understanding crashes through me.

Joy, terror, protectiveness, and something deeper I can't even name blankets me, chasing all thoughts out of my mind.

"Are..." The words stick in my throat. "Are you sure?"

Lacey nods, fresh tears running from the corner of her eyes as her smile widens. "I took three tests. All positive. I even made Megan take one just to make sure they weren't defective."

My hand shakes as I stare down at the test, handling it like it's made of the delicate filaments of glass.

Two lines. Two clear, unmistakable lines that mean everything is about to change.

"Pregnant," I whisper, the words feeling foreign yet right on my tongue.

"Yep." Her voice wavers with emotion.

I look up to find her watching me intently, her amber-flecked eyes searching my face. In that moment, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen—my fierce, brave wife carrying our child. The urge to protect them both nearly overwhelms me.

"Come here," I say, opening my arms.

She practically launches herself into my embrace. I pull her onto my lap, one hand cradling her head while the other instinctively moves to her still-flat stomach. My child.Ourchild. The thought sends another wave of fierce joy through me.

My hand rests on Lacey's still-flat stomach, and I can't help imagine what our child will look like. Will they have Lacey's amber-flecked eyes? My height? Her gentle nature?

I'm going to be a father.

The moment that thought enters my head, bile rises in my throat. And all I hear is Pyotr's voice echoing from those dark memories: "A son, I finally have a son."

My hand trembles against Lacey's stomach. What kind of father will I be? The same monster who sees children as pawns to be shaped into weapons? Who views them as vessels for ambition rather than souls to be cherished?

"Vadim?" Lacey's soft voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. "What's wrong?"

I try to speak but can't find the words. How do I tell her that the joy of impending fatherhood is tainted by the fear of becoming like him? That even now, decades after his death, Pyotr's shadow threatens to poison this precious moment?

My arms tighten around Lacey protectively, as if I could shield her and our unborn child from the darkness in my blood. But the truth haunts me. The darkness isn't coming from outside. It's already here, coursing through my veins, waiting to corrupt everything I touch.

"Vadim?" Lacey's fingers trace my jaw. "Talk to me, please."

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