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When the trio returned, Mariya was behind them as they ran into the living room. They stopped to stare at me, those blueeyes bright with both curiosity and wariness. I smiled warmly at them.

“Hello,” I said, giving them a little wave. My heart was melting when Tatiana shyly turned into her mother’s leg.

Alexei continued to stare at me. He wasn’t as shy as my princess. My chest puffed out, and I thought of my brother. I could see both of us in Alexei.

“Alexei, Tatiana, this is your daddy,” Mariya said, and I looked up at her in shock.

I wanted this, but I was shocked because I thought she would want to go slow.

“Daddy got lost, but he found you again,” she said as she knelt.

I didn’t miss that she left herself out of the equation. Tatiana looked at me before looking at her brother.

“Hello, Alexei, Tatiana, I’m sorry I was late,” I said, trying not to wince.

“They are young, their mind is about to hit an explosive learning rate, and it was best to tell them the truth,” Mariya said as Tatiana sat on her knee. “They aren’t used to having any men in the house.”

I nodded before sliding off the couch and sitting on the floor to be on their level. I held my hand up for a high five with Alexei and he giggled before he slapped my hand as hard as he could. With that, he was off playing with a train on a set of train tracks. Tatiana remained with Mariya, but it didn’t matter because they were before my eyes.

Mariya sent me a copy of their routine from morning to bedtime. It didn't surprise me in the least that she had this on her phone. I stayed until they were fed, bathed and tucked in. I hovered around, taking in everything Mariya and Orla did. Icould see how much a regular routine benefitted the twins. The twins were in sync with the adults for their bedtime ritual. As much as I admired Mariya for what she had achieved, it didn’t stop me from planning what I would do next.

???

I remained awake well into the early morning, reading everything there was on Mariya Harlestone. Her mother, Bethany, her father, Alan, her brother, Julian and the ex-prick Owen Chartwell. The Rabbit had pulled emails, documents, text messages and relevant social media content. There were government and medical data. I needed to add my name on the twins birth certificate, and the documentation was helpful.

She did well for herself financially and making key choices early on helped her build her wealth. We couldn't access her Bitcoin wallet yet, but I suspected that this was where she had kept most of her savings. To me, trading was similar to gambling, taking a risk in the markets, but she only took calculated risks. Dublin properties were expensive, yet she bought her home outright. She supported herself and our children with ease.

My family were more than excited to meet the twins. I was on the phone with my brother when I broke the news to him and sent the pictures. It took him a long time to respond. We didn’t need words between us. My parents were a little trickier with their instant demand to meet Alexei and Tatiana.

Each time I said their names or thought of them, my wicked brain dredged up images of Mariya from our night together or the current version with her milky goodness dripping out of her. The image of her feeding my children was seared into my brain.

I was a greedy man because I wanted them all.

???

The two-day Tech Summit was forgotten while I focused my every waking minute on endearing myself to Tatiana and Alexei. My formidable suits were gone, and I wore my civilian clothing so as not to intimidate them. Once Alexei accepted me as a playmate, Tatiana followed suit, showing me how to paint. With the ice broken, they welcomed me into their world, small, trusting and terrifying.

I woke up in cold sweats, knowing they weren't with me. Spooked that something would happen to them or Mariya would run away again. Artyom never left them during the night, and I was with them all day. As the days passed, my love grew stronger for my children, but my thoughts grew darker for their mother. My obsession was eating me alive.

It took me almost two weeks until all three of them were comfortable with me.

???

My children had a healthy appetite for breast milk. I stood in my usual spot, peering into the room. It burned my insides up, knowing what I missed. Mariya was precise enough to document her pregnancy like a scientific researcher, but it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to breed her. To see her pregnant with my seed and be beside her as her body changed. I wanted to feel our baby inside her belly, but most of all, I wanted to see those nipples, dripping with milk, feed our baby.

I needed everything that I missed with Alexei and Tatiana.

Sheowedme.

And I would take her.

???

I stood over Mariya as she slept. My aeroplane was ready, and a note was left for Orla, along with a first-class ticket to join us. Mariya’s home would be packed up, and everything would be transported to our new home to ensure the twins were not disturbed by the sudden change of home.

Maksim and Artyom had the twins. I placed the cloth over her face to watch her panicked eyes under the dimly moonlit room. She recognised me before she fell unconscious. The darkness in me revelled because soon, she would be exactly what I wanted her to become.

The new form of chloroform was a gift from my friend Stefanos, who assured me that it carried no risks. I couldn’t contaminate my children’s milk, so his drug was perfect. I peeled her covers back to take Mariya to the car, locking the door behind me.