Page 160 of Sweet Deception
“She deserved it,” he said after a pause, his voice tight. “For what she did to you. To our baby.” His hand ran over his face.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered.
Was I apologizing for my anger? For blaming him? Or for the fact that, despite everything, I still wanted to trust him?
My hands trembled as I clutched the fabric of my dress. I felt like my body had become a hollow shell, like my son had been ripped from me along with the air in my lungs.
Gleb reached for me, but I jerked away, wrapping my arms around myself. “Every second, I wonder if he’s crying for me. Ifhe’s cold. If he’s scared. And I can’t do anything, Gleb.” My voice cracked.
He exhaled sharply, his fingers clenching at his sides. “I know. And that’s why I won’t stop until he’s back.”
Silence.
When I finally raised my gaze, I saw him leaning against the doorframe, watching me. He looked... tired. Not just physically, but soul-deep. Like a man worn down by everything he had done, everything he had lost.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and stood on unsteady legs. Slowly, I walked toward him.
When I reached him, he pulled me into his arms.
A sob tore through me. “I’m not going anywhere, Gleb. We’ll get through this. Together.”
He tightened his grip, as if he needed to believe that. “I’ve already handled my side of the family. I’ll renegotiate with the others today. As for your family... with the amount of money I’ve spent, we should get answers soon.”
I nodded against his shoulder. “I just wish I had our baby here,” I murmured. “I imagined what it would be like, holding him, hearing him cry, waking up to his little hands reaching for me.”
Gleb’s fingers caressed my back. “I’ll get him back, Anna.”
I closed my eyes, letting myself believe him. Letting myself hope.
We stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, saying nothing. Just breathing. Just waiting.
Then my legs gave out.
Gleb caught me immediately, lifting me effortlessly, his hands supporting my weight.
“Yesterday, you said you love me,” I whispered. “Did you mean it?”
“Anna..”
“I need to know,” I choked out.
His eyes darkened, and suddenly his lips were on mine. Desperate. Wordless.
“I love you,” he murmured against my lips. “With everything I have.”
My chest ached. I pulled back just enough to see his face, my fingers grazing his jaw.
“After all this is over...” Gleb exhaled. “I want us to start over.”
I looked up at him. “What do you mean?”
“A real wedding. Just you and me. No forced vows, no threats hanging over our heads.” His thumb brushed my cheek. “I want to give you the life I should have given you from the start.”
My chest ached at the quiet sincerity in his voice.
A small, shaky smile tugged at my lips. “I’d like that.”
“And our baby will be watching, too.”
