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“Do you ever think about how…different things are now?”
I glance over at him, meeting his eyes briefly before looking ahead once again.
“All the time.” I admit. “We never planned for any of this to happen, brat, but now that she’s ours…”
He releases a heavy breath, nodding as we turn from our wing into the main hallway now.
“Chiara is truly ours now, in every way that matters.”
I smile to myself, knowing it’s true.
She accepts us now, more than she ever did when she was first taken, and she welcomes us both with open arms.
“We won’t allow anybody to take her away from us. Not now, not ever.”
Mikhail nods, his lips curving into a small smile.
This is real, what my brother and I have built together.
It’s more than just a bond; it’s our lives, intertwined with hers.
There’s no turning back now.
Once we reach our father’s office, we both step inside, shutting the door behind us.
He looks up at us at once.
His gaze is sharp, as always, but there’s something softer there too.
Although he doesn’t say it outright, Mikhail and I see the approval in his eyes.
“You should see how she’s adjusting.” My brother says. “How happy she is, now that we’ve made her ours.”
He raises an eyebrow, leaning back into his chair, his expression unreadable as Mikhail and I take our seats across from him.
“I see that, my sons, but how long do you think this will last? It’s not always easy making a woman yours, and keeping her happy too.”
There’s a flicker of something across his face—concern, perhaps—but I keep my own face neutral.
“It will last as long as we make it last, and we will keep her happy. Always. Forever. She's ours, and that’s all that matters.”
Mikhail nods beside me.
“Though the circumstances weren’t ideal, we’ve built something real with her, and nothing is going to destroy it. Not anybody. Not anything.”
Our father looks at us for a long moment, then he gives us both a short nod.
“Good. Make sure you boys keep it that way.”
We don’t need to say anything else.
The look that he gives us now is different.
It’s not only the look of a father protecting his children; it’s the look of a man who understands what it means to fight for what is his.
To fight forher.
For a moment, we all sit like that in silence.