Page 116 of Imperfect Desires

Yelena walks up beside me, arms crossed, smug. “I still think you should’ve waited to have the baby first.”

I arch a brow. “We didn’t want to wait. Lev and I agreed—we want our daughter born into a home already bound in love. Into a family, not just a house.”

Scarlett melts at that. “Oh, damn. Now I’m crying.”

Yelena rolls her eyes. “You always cry.”

“I do not.”

“Scarlett,” I say gently, turning to face her. “You’ve cried at Viktor sharpening his knife before.”

She wipes beneath one eye, muttering, “It was a very emotional day. He was going to war for Yelena.”

We all burst out laughing. And then the room stills for a moment.

Scarlett gently walks over and tenderly places her hand on my belly, her voice filled with warmth. “We’ve really come such a long way together, haven’t we?”

Yelena nods, her expression faraway. “We’ve become three wives to three men who no one expected would ever settle.”

“To think that Viktor almost ruined your love story by trying to marry you off to the Colombians?” Scarlett chuckles lightly.

“I’m glad he came to his senses,” Yelena adds. “Aithan wouldn't allow me to interfere, claiming Viktor is in charge and would do the right thing.”

Scarlett shrugs, unbothered now. “I told him he was out of his damn mind. We fought, but he didn’t listen. Until he came to his senses at the airport.”

I reach for her hand. “I didn’t know you fought for me.”

“You’re my sister,” Scarlett says simply. “We may not have started out that way—but I’d go to war for you.”

My throat tightens, and Yelena brushes a tear off my cheek. “You’ve always been the quiet one. The soft one. But today, you’re walking into a life you chose. A husband you chose. That’s no small feat in our world.”

I nod, overwhelmed but steady. “I feel strong today. I feel… whole.”

There’s a knock on the door.

Scarlett peeks out and then chuckles. “The officiant says we have ten minutes.”

“Where’s your baby, by the way?” I ask Yelena, suddenly realizing the tiny bundle I expected to see hasn’t been passed around yet.

“With the nanny,” Yelena says casually.

Scarlett barks out a laugh. “Really? That’s interesting. Because I just saw the baby in Aithan’s arms as I came down the hallway.”

Yelena flushes. “I told him to hand him over before I came up.”

I grin. “Yelena, you don’t need a nanny.”

Scarlett leans in. “Because your husband won’t let your son out of his sight.”

Yelena attempts to scowl, but we all can't help but burst into laughter once more. In this delightful moment, surrounded by love, laughter, and lace, I feel more than just a bride, a Bratva princess, or a mother-to-be. I feel like a woman who fought for her own fairytale.

And today, I get to live it.

The late afternoon sun casts a warm golden glow across the garden. Everything sparkles—crystal glasses on the reception tables, soft white rose petals along the stone aisle, the delicate lace on my veil that drifts like mist around me.

Scarlett squeezes my hand just before I step out. “Breathe, okay?”

Yelena adjusts my veil one last time, her expression soft but proud. “He’s going to lose it when he sees you.”

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