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I smile, my eyes misting over as my son lets out delighted squeals.

From the corner of my eye, I see Andrei hesitating, taking a small step forward before stopping behind me. I turn and kneel before him.

“What are you waiting for ? Go join them,” I say, gently taking his hand.

With his gaze lowered, he only shrugs, making me press my lips together. I glance up and spot a blue shirt lying nearby. Picking it up, I tie it around his shoulders like a cape.

“Come on ! It’s Andrei’s turn now. Get down, Rafael,” I say as I stand up, rubbing Andrei’s back while he stares at me wide-eyed.

Nikolaï freezes, his eyes shifting from his son to me before nodding slightly. He carefully places my son back on the ground, kneels down, and opens his arms toward Andrei. Theboy hesitates, so I give him a gentle push, smiling at him encouragingly.

Nikolaï lifts him effortlessly, hoisting him onto his shoulders just as he did with Rafael.

“You holding on tight, son ?” he asks. Andrei nods, and that’s all it takes—Nikolaï takes off running, and Andrei bursts into laughter, making me smile.

Maybe, just maybe, I could do something for them before I leave.

“Madame Ivanov ?” a voice suddenly calls from behind me, making me jump.

I turn to see one of the women who had been unpacking clothes when I arrived.

“I… I’m not…” but my words die in my throat as an arm wraps around my waist.

“Thank you for coming to assist my wife and sister-in-law, Miss Lugovaya,” Nikolaï says, making my eyes widen in shock. Sienna stiffens beside me, throwing me a bewildered look.

“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Ivanov. It’s an honor to assist your family. Without Madame Elif, I would never have been able to open my boutiques.”

She turns and begins wheeling a rack full of dresses in every imaginable color—each one more beautiful than the last. I lift a questioning gaze to the man beside me, whose arm remains firmly around my waist.

He simply smiles before leaning down to murmur, “Better to keep your identity a secret.”

I frown, gripping the fabric of his shirt to keep him from pulling away.

“So now I’m your wife? Just like that? Sounds like a very forced marriage to me,” I quip.

He chuckles near my ear, and God, that voice.

“Trust me,Solnychko, if we ever get married, you won’t even have time to think of an answer,” he teases, tightening his hold around me.

I close my eyes, my fingers gripping his shirt, my body betraying me.

He steps back, something unreadable flickering in his gaze before he clenches his jaw and finally lets me go. I exhale slowly, realizing only now that I had been holding my breath.

What am I doing ?

“My dearest brother-in-law, may I ask what all of this is about ?” Sienna’s voice cuts in, filled with skepticism.

She picks up a dark-colored dress, inspecting it with narrowed eyes before shifting that same sharp gaze to Nikolaï.

He meets her glare with an expression I can only describe as deliberately provocative, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Well, my angelic sister-in-law, I thought you might need clothes in your sizes and tastes—though I would never question Elif’s taste, unless I wanted to lose an eye,” he responds, turning away to unhook an emerald green gown from the rack.

I watch as my sister bristles, her lips pressing into a thin line as she directs her deadliest glare at Nikolaï.

“I don’t think we need anything. What we have is more than enough… for the week ahead,” she says, emphasizing the last words.

Nikolaï ignore her, striding toward me with the emerald dress in hand.