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“You’ve outdone yourself,” I praised, stalking over to her. She glanced up, her blue eyes meeting mine.

“It’s just dinner, Lorenzo. Nothing special.” She shrugged, though her lips curved into a small smile.

“Trust me, it is.” I cupped her face as she nuzzled her cheek into my palm. “Dinner smells incredible as well. You made my favourite, didn’t you?” I asked.

“I did. You’ve done so much for me recently, I felt it was only fair I gave you something back.”

“I don’t need anything back. Just you carrying our babies and keeping them safe is more than enough.” I pressed a kiss on her forehead, a gesture I knew she loved. “I love you. All three of you.”

“We love you, too,” she whispered.

Suddenly, the sound of heels clicking against the marble floor echoed from the hallway. “It sounds like my mother is here.” I smiled, but it didn’t sound as though she was alone.

I took Ana’s hand in mine as my mother entered the dining room, her presence just as commanding as mine. I was right.She wasn’t alone. Beside her, stood a man, tall and broad-shouldered. Ana’s breath caught in her throat as her gaze locked on his face.

“Artem,” she gasped, clutching her stomach.

Artem? As in Victor’s former right-hand man?

From what Ana told me, Artem had been more of a father to her than Victor, but one day he just split without a word.

“Artem, is that really you?” she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. My mother's lips twitched into a knowing smile as she placed a hand on Artem’s arm.

“What’s going on? Why are you here? How?” Ana breathed. Artem’s gaze flickered to my mother before returning to Ana. There was a weight in his eyes, a mixture of regret and something undecipherable.

“I should’ve come sooner, I know,” he began, his voice rough with emotion. “But your father…” He paused for a second. “Your father made me leave. He knew that when the time came for him to arrange your marriage to someone, I would try to stop it, even though it wasn’t my place.”

He held out his hand to Ana. She took it without thinking twice. “After losing my own son, you helped fill the void. I saw you like you were my own. The fact that you used to seek me out instead of your father was something he couldn’t stand.” Artem’s own voice trembled as he spoke.

My mother stepped forward, her expression softening. “I’ve known Artem for years. We reconnected recently, and… Well, the rest is history. I didn’t want to say anything because we wanted to see where this went.” Mama smiled. “But just know it was incredibly hard for Artem to not come around to see you. He wanted to wait until now, until we knew we were something.”

Before Anastacia could respond, I cut in, turning my attention to the man with his arm wrapped around my mother’s waist.

“Artem, I’ve heard great things from my wife about you. Not much but enough to know you’re a fucking decent guy.” I cleared my throat. “I want my Ma to be happy. God knows she fucking deserves it, but if you hurt her, I swear to?—”

Artem held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Lorenzo, I’d never hurt your mother. You have my word.”

I studied him for a moment, narrowing my eyes as I tried to work him out a little more. Finally, I nodded, though for now, I’d remain guarded. “Let’s sit down and enjoy the dinner my wife has prepared for us.”

“Why now?” Ana asked as she lowered herself into the chair.

“Because some things… Some people…are worth fighting for. I should’ve fought harder against your father back then, but if I had, you wouldn’t be happily married now.” He smiled, taking his seat.

“No, she would have been. Anastacia and I were put on this earth for one another. It just took us a while to see it.” I took her hand in mine, placing a kiss against her knuckles as the smile that brightened my life every single day graced her face.

A few dayshad passed since my mother shared the news of her and Artem. I had to admit, Ana took him returning well. He’d paid more attention to her in the last few days than her father had in years, but then again, Victor always was a cunt.

I stood in the doorway after returning from the basement gym, admiring her for a moment before she clocked me. She always knew when I was near. She wore a pair of my boxers and one of my T-shirts. She never looked so damn beautiful. She caressed her stomach, humming a gentle melody to our twins.

“I can feel you staring, you know.” She laughed without moving her gaze an inch.

“I do know, but since when is it a sin to stare at my wife?” I teased, stalking over to her. “Happy Valentine’s day,mi amore.” I smiled before I pressed a soft kiss against her lips.

I breathed her in. The new perfume I’d gotten her for Christmas complimented her perfectly. The sweet smell of Jasmine filled the air around us. It reminded me of our very first date night in Sicily.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, husband.”

I lowered myself to my knees, flattening my hands on her bump. I could feel our babies kicking and wriggling around. I never thought too much about it before she was pregnant. I never thought how it would be to feel them kicking, to hear their heartbeats, or to see my wife’s body changing. Nothing would ever compare to any of it.