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“Wow! I love your flowers,” I praised him, kissing his cheek just as Rafael, Alexei, Mikhail, Ivan, and Dimitri joined us, abandoning their board game on the garden table.

“But Mama, you’ve never had flowers,” Rafael pointed out as he looked at the drawing, leaving me momentarily speechless. Of course, Antonio had never been the type to hand me a bouquet between his blows.

“My dad buys flowers for my mom all the time,” Ivan said with a smile.

“Yeah! Uncle Grigori gets Aunt Elif flowers every week,” Alexei added, nodding in agreement.

“That’s completely normal,” I explained, wrapping an arm around Mikhail’s shoulders. “When you love someone, you give them gifts to make them happy. It’s an act of love.”

“Then why has no one ever given you flowers, Mama? Doesn’t anyone love you?” Andrei asked, his innocent words tightening my throat.

I knew I was being ridiculous for letting a child’s question affect me, but the absence of love in my life had weighed on me for so long. The absence of someone who would love me without expecting anything in return.

I felt Mikhail tense under my arm, throwing a sharp glare at his little brother, ready to step toward him, but I stopped him just as Elif came down the stairs, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Well ! What a welcoming committee for my departure,” she laughed, joining us in the hall. She was dressed in a long, fitted red dress that perfectly matched her lipstick. Her long hair, usually wavy, was now sleek and straight, cascading over her shoulders as she stopped beside me.

Her smile faded slightly when she saw my expression, but she said nothing. Instead, she simply took my hand and gave it a squeeze—a gesture that meant more than any words could.

“What good deeds have we poor Ivanov brothers done to deserve such divine women?” Roman suddenly exclaimed as he came down the stairs, now dressed in a black shirt and tailored trousers, looking nothing like the carefree, joy-filled young man he had once been.

“Idiot. Start the car and get my sons settled in. We’re going to be late,” Elif ordered, pushing him toward the door as he tried to kiss her cheek. He chuckled, blowing me a kiss before grabbingIvan and Dimitri around their waists and carrying them outside as they giggled.

“We’ll be back in two hours. I really hate leaving you alone on your first day here, but I have to attend this meeting with the wives of Grigori’s subordinates. Otherwise, they’ll find a way to start an internal war before the Italians even get the chance to come after us.”

“No, it’s not up to you to adjust to us; it’s up to us to adapt to your life. Don’t change your routines for us—”

“You’re not adapting to our life, Selina,” she cut me off, locking her deep brown eyes onto mine. “Don’t adapt to anything. Just live your own life.”

She pulled me into a tight hug, and despite myself, tears slipped from my eyes. Her embrace took me back to years ago, when I was just a little girl in my mother’s arms.

“Everything will be alright, Selina. I promise you,” she whispered before stepping back to wipe my tears. “And I’ve never broken a promise.”

I nodded, sniffling like a child as she smiled gently at me.

“The kids are going to be late for their classes, Mommy!” Roman called from the SUV’s driver’s seat.

“Good luck with the Ivanov Brotherhood, Version 2,” Elif said, casting a glance over my shoulder before heading toward the car.

I grimaced and turned to see the boys huddled around the garden table, whispering. Yeah, they were definitely up to something.

I smiled once again as I read one of the many notes Nikolai had scribbled in another book I had taken from the library. Only a fool would let himself be swayed, he had written.

I glanced toward the garden, where the boys were still huddled together, deep in discussion for over an hour. When I had tried to find out what they were up to, they had practically kicked me out of their little meeting. Rafael had even slammed the door in my face, making Velma and Sena—who had just arrived—burst into laughter.

Sienna suddenly appeared at the entrance to the living room, dressed in slim black pants, a white tank top, a black leather jacket, and high-heeled boots. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail—a style I had never seen her wear before.

“Sienna?” I stood and moved toward her. “Where are you going?” I asked, grabbing her hand.

“I’m going out, and before you remind me of our hosts’ rules, I already spoke with Nikolai. We came to an agreement.”

I stared at her, wide-eyed.

“You and Nikolai? You actually reached an agreement without fighting?”

“You really think I’m some kind of wild animal, huh?” she sighed, rolling her eyes.

She kissed my cheek and headed outside. I followed her, calling her name, and asked Velma to keep an eye on the boys.