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Valeria

I found Zara and Alice in the kitchen. The black chrome and charcoal surroundings didn’t surprise me, but the dog behind the dining table did. Zara affectionately scratched the massive animal behind his ears while he licked her plate clean.

“Is this Bluff?” I asked, placing a piece of peach in my mouth. The dog’s ears perked up, and our eyes met. He certainly looked like the beast I had already met in my stalker’s warehouse.

“Yes,” Zara confirmed with a broad smile, already totally in love with him. “Do you know him?”

“I had the honor of meeting him under,” I paused, looking into my daughter’s expectant eyes, “less pleasant circumstances.”

“You tried to break in?” Zara squealed, her eyes widening. Bluff pushed the plate to the side, looking at me as if he were curious if I would tell her the truth.

“God, no.” I laughed, scanning the surroundings for a coffee. “I was just scared of him, that’s all.”

Zara didn’t look convinced, but Bluff directed her attention to him, so I was free of her questions. She gave him another piece of bacon and attempted to feed him two more, but she was interrupted by a deep, amused voice that sent shivers up my spine .

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, princess,” Zyon said, entering the kitchen. He wore the same suit as yesterday, but at least he’d washed his face.

Zara blinked at him, her arm freezing mid-air toward the dog as she watched him walk around the table.

“Why?” Alice raised the question Zara was too afraid to ask. I noticed my girl became suddenly nervous, but who could blame her? I would be agitated, too, if I went through the things she had experienced last night.

“He will fart like an elephant,” Zyon replied nonchalantly, stopping beside Zara. “We haven’t been introduced yet. I’m Zyon.”

He stretched his arm for a shake while my daughter stared at him like a deer in headlights.

“Zara,” she beeped.

Reluctantly, she placed her tiny palm into his, and to the great surprise of all of us, Zyon gently pecked the top of her hand like a perfect gentleman.

“Nice to meet you, Zara,” he said in a velvety voice while she gaped at him like she had just fallen in love. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Zyon straightened to his full height, undoubtedly aware of the impact of his behavior. He playfully winked at Zara and turned to me, his dark eyes observing every inch of my face as if he had seen me for the first time.

If I hadn't put on heavy makeup to cover the bruise on my jaw, I would have thought he studied me because of it. But the welt was flawlessly hidden, so his look had to have a different meaning.

“Can I have a word with you?” he asked, motioning for the living room with a slight movement of his head. I put the cup with steamy coffee down, following him with my heart galloping in my chest.

It should be our first conversation since I confirmed my suspicion, but I didn’t know what I wanted to tell him or what I expected him to say. I felt like no explanations were needed. Everything fell into place. We could finally be happy together .

I glanced at Zyon’s broad back as he walked toward the coffee table and picked up a file with papers. He quickly leafed through the pages and stopped before me, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t describe.

“I promise I will explain everything,” he said in a strained voice, and I instantly recognized the emotion. It was regret.

Hastily, I closed the distance between us, stood on my tiptoes, and cupped his tired face.

“I know you had good reasons,” I whispered, brushing his cheeks with my thumbs. He gently took my wrists and placed a loving kiss on my palm.

“I have to leave,” he mumbled, leaning into my hand. “The police are outside. I need to explain some things.”

“What did you do?” I asked, my chest tightening. I couldn’t lose him just when I finally had him.

“You don’t want to know.” He smiled, erasing my worries with one simple glance. “In this file,” he pushed it between us, handing it to me, “are divorce papers. If you want to get rid of Chester, my legal team is at your disposal.”

“I don’t have money for Manhattan hotshot lawyers,” I pointed out, taking the file from him.

Zyon’s dark eyes narrowed as he let go of my wrist. I smiled at him, but he didn’t react. He just scanned my face until, after about a minute, he reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

I frowned, seeing the leather wallet. His fingers picked up the black card, and he gave it to me with a deep scowl.

“It doesn’t have a limit. You can buy anything you want.

” He pushed it into my hand, ignoring my refusal.

“Here,” he pointed at the black box, “are the keys from the cars parked in the underground garage. You can take any of them. And this,” he took out the dark brown notebook from the drawer, “contains the numbers to every influential person I know. Call whoever you want, tell them you’re my girlfriend, and they do your bidding. ”

“That’s not necessary,” I sighed, looking at the senator’s name on the first page .

“If you ever need a plane ready, call Malin,” Zyon continued, completely ignoring my words.

“There is a motorcycle, scooter, and three bicycles in the garage. Buy something small for Zara, too, so we can enjoy some fun. And,” he looked me dead in the eyes, the blood freezing in my veins from the severity of his glance, “don’t you ever say you don’t have money for something.

Everything I own is yours, too. I plan to spend my life with you, and whatever my queen wants, she gets. ”

“I don’t need your money,” I whispered, squeezing the black card between my fingers. “I just want you.”

“I know, mon c?ur.” He smiled, taking my chin between his thumb and index finger. “It’s part of the package. Why not enjoy it?”

I smiled as well, lost in his dark eyes. He leaned closer and connected our lips in a slow kiss that was roughly interrupted by Alice’s awkward coughing.

“Sorry,” she said, giving us an apologetic look, “but the guard asked me to tell you, Zyon, that the inspector is growing impatient.”

“Tell him I’ll be right there.” Zyon’s heated gaze didn’t leave my face for a second. I didn’t want him to go, either, but clearly, some of his actions were more serious than I was ready to admit.

“Fine,” Alice groaned, leaving us alone.

“Is Zara okay after yesterday?” Zyon asked, completely changing the subject. I had to blink to direct my mind to his question because I was lost in his mesmerizing eyes. “Malin told me you encountered two armed problems .”

“I think so.” I nodded, stroking his shoulders. “She is happy Chester isn’t part of our lives anymore.”

“That makes two of us.” Zyon grinned, pecking my nose.

“Three,” I exhaled, wrapping my arms around his middle and resting my face against his firm chest. He enveloped me in a comforting embrace, erasing the terrible memories of the last night.

“I have to go,” he whispered into my hair, frustration sneaking into his deep voice. “They won’t leave me alone until my alibi is confirmed. ”

“Alibi?” I pulled away, observing his handsome face. “Zyon, what have you done?”

“I don’t want to lie to you, mon c?ur.” He cupped my cheeks with his large palms, forcing our gazes together. “There are things involving me you will never know. It’s safer for you and Zara to be left out of this business.”

“Chester left me out, too, and look how it turned out,” I said, unsure what I expected from him. I knew who he was and that his line of work didn’t correspond with social standards.

“It’s the cleverest thing he could do, Valeria,” Zyon objected, resting his forehead against mine. “If I fall, I don’t want you girls to fall with me, too. I promise to tell you everything I can, but some things must stay hidden. For your and Zara’s safety.”

“No lies?” I whispered, moving my hands mindlessly up and down his torso. It was calming to my tense nerves to feel him so close. His soothing effect on me was immense.

“No lies or half-truths,” he confirmed. “I either tell you everything or nothing. I’m sorry, but it has to be this way.”

“Okay,” I whispered, not at all happy about his development. I understood his reason—this was exactly why he created a secret stalker identity—yet it still hurt me that I couldn’t be part of his life completely.

On the other hand, did I want it? He was a mob boss involved with dangerous people. It was better this way.

“I’ll do my best to be back for dinner,” Zyon mumbled against my cheek. “They don’t have enough to keep me there longer.”

“Just be careful,” I pleaded, clutching his suit jacket. “Chester will want revenge.”

“I know, mon c?ur. I’ll be careful.”

He sealed his words with a passionate kiss and reluctantly left the house. I stayed in the living room, hearing Zara and Alice laughing in the kitchen, but I needed a moment alone.

My emotions and thoughts were like a tornado swirling in my chest. Everything fell on me like a boulder.

The fear for Zyon doing God knew what, for Lisa, who didn’t return my calls, and for myself because I had no clue if I could live the life with a man whose life was constantly endangered, but he kept me in the dark .

I needed a break, something that would change the course of my thinking. I deserved a little piece of happiness and fun, and I just had a great idea. Throwing the file with divorce papers on the couch, I walked into the kitchen, smiling.

“What about a day at the swimming pool?” I suggested, earning a squeal from Zara.

“We can?” Her eyes glowed with excitement as she stared expectantly at me.

“Of course we can,” I confirmed, stretching my arm to help her from the high stool. “Zyon said it’s our house, too. Why not make a little mess?”

“I’ll make margaritas,” Alice chirped, immediately attacking the cabinet in the living room where she found costly alcohol.

“But we don’t have swimsuits.” Zara frowned at me, and my expression matched hers because I didn’t think about this minor detail.

“Let’s try to find something,” I said, rushing her up the stairs into the bedroom where we spent the night.

Exactly as I presumed, Zyon had taken care of everything.

The walk-in closet was full of clothes for numerous occasions, and in the bottom drawer, I found the bikinis as well.

I examined it from every angle, musing how to cover the bruises on my back and legs.

Thankfully, Zara discovered a long, colorful skirt that matched the bikini perfectly and hid the remains of Chester’s love .

We found things for Zara in another room, and we were ready for a party.

“I have three more pairs of bikinis upstairs,” I said to Alice, who scoffed.

“In which universe will your bra look normal on me?” She laughed, handing me a drink with a tiny purple umbrella.

“Where did you find this?” I asked, taking a sip of a green liquid. It was strong and deliciously cold.

“I think Zyon has everything here.” She shrugged, opening the counter where four boxes of different cereals sat. “It looks like he worries you won’t like it here.”

“I love it,” I whispered, slightly embarrassed about feeling so homey in this strange, monstrous, luxurious house. “I just hope Zara will feel the same. ”

“She’ll be fine.” Alice smiled encouragingly, leading me to the indoor swimming pool. “But right now, you have more pressing matters to take care of.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, thinking about what I could have forgotten.

“How do you plan to explain your bruised legs?” She pointed at my still purple calf, and my heart clenched. “Zyon will notice them. You can’t cover Chester’s ass forever.”

“I’m not covering his ass.” I lowered my voice because Zara and Bluff, who already followed her everywhere, were close to us. “I’m protecting Zyon from himself. He’s very protective of me. He would do something stupid. I don’t want him to get in trouble because of something he can’t change.”

“I understand, but he won’t.” Alice shrugged, stirring her drink. “You’ll need one hell of a story to explain those without revealing Chester’s deeds.”

She was right, and her words completely ruined my mood. Zyon wasn’t blind or stupid. One look at my bruises, and he would instantly know what caused them.

I jumped into the pool, playing with Zara and Bluff, but my mind often wandered away. Thankfully, my girl was a great swimmer and didn’t need my help or support to have fun. She spent almost the entire day around the pool or inside the house while I tried to devise a plan of action.

But, no matter how hard I tried to come up with something, nothing was sufficient and credible. If I didn’t want to tell Zyon total bullshit, I had to tell him the truth, yet it scared me to the core.

George Harrow only threatened me, and he ended up dead. I couldn’t imagine what Zyon would do with Chester for beating me.

Around dinner, I eventually managed to get Zara out of the water. It required tremendous effort and a promise of her favorite spaghetti. According to Malin, Zyon employed a lady who took care of the house and kitchen but had a day off, so it was up to me to cook and serve dinner.

While Zara was upstairs changing, I danced in the spacious kitchen, enjoying the modern equipment. The water on the stove with pasta bubbled, giving me time to study different buttons on the remote controller I found on the counter .

One was for lights, another for air conditioning, and the third turned on the flat TV on the opposite wall, almost giving me a heart attack. The voice of a moderator boomed from the speakers, hurting my poor ears, but I couldn’t find the button to turn the volume down.

Groaning in frustration, I headed to the back door to call the bodyguard to help me, but then the screen flicked to the breaking news . I stared at the TV, unable to tear my gaze from it. My body froze, and the world around me stopped existing.

The headline said:

Zyon Zhumagulov is dead.