Page 84 of Always Meant To Be

Three….

Two….

One….

“Liliya wasn’t biologically mine,” she exclaims, and I wince, looking at my wife. Her eyes are wide in shock, and her mouth opens a little.

Mikhail groans, “Anastasia, now isn’t the time!”

She snaps back at her husband, “Now is the time. I need her to understand my actions,youractions!”

He winces and looks at his daughter, who is now glaring at her father. She is already coming to the realization of who Liliya’s true parents are.

Mikhail clears his throat and rasps, “You can’t hurt me; I’m holding your son.”

I snort, causing El to kick me, and I have to clear my throat to hide my chuckle before she accuses, “You fucked your wife’s sister? Seriously?”

He winces again while Anastasia asks, “How did you?—”

El cuts her off, “I remember hearing Agy when I was in a coma. She said something about needing to defend her daughter, which confused me because she doesn’t have adaughter.” She sneers at her father, “I always thought she looked like Mama, but Agy and Mama were nearly identical.”

Mikhail flinches, and Anastasia rasps, “I amyourmother though, Elena….”

El rolls her eyes and snorts. “I know, Mama. I did a DNA test years ago. Liliya kept saying how I was conceived through an affair. I tested both of you.” I squeeze her calf as she furrows her brow and speaks more to herself, “Guess that’s why she hit me when I accused her of being adopted….”

Anastasia gasps. “I thought you banged it….”

El snorts. “Mama, most of my bruises came from her; you and Papa just looked the other way, and now I know why. She knew about Agy, didn’t she?” They both nod, and El chuckles darkly. “You overcompensated with her all because Papa couldn’t keep it in his pants….”

Anastasia speaks up, defending her husband, “He had a weak moment, Elena. I was told we may not be able to conceive, and he got drunk. Agy wanted his title; she wanted to be the Pakhan's wife. When that failed, she relinquished all parental rights, and I really wanted a child no matter how it was conceived, and then I got pregnant with you?—”

El sneers, interrupting her, “And I was anothergirl, huh. I always thought it was because you wanted a boy, an heir. I mean, that’s what you kept shouting at me when you belted me.” Her mother flinches. “But that’s not the case is it, Mama? No, you didn’t want Liliya to believe she wasn’t your favorite; you didn’t want her to feel unloved and in doing so, you caused her to believe she could do whatever she wanted, whenever.” El scoffs, “She used you and your fears, and youlether….”

Anastasia lets a few tears fall as Mikhail sighs, passing me my son. I take him willingly, smiling down at him.

“Of course, you’re going to comfort her,” El says with disappointment, and I look up to see Mikhail glare at his daughter as he wraps his arm around his wife.

I snap, “Do not look at my wife that way; she has every right to be upset. She was shot because of the stipulations in that stupid contract, she nearly lost our son, and nearly lost her life all because of your daughter. Not to mention the years of unearned punishment because your wife is a guilty bitch who can’t stand being wrong.” Mikhail looks down, but I’m not done. “My wife has fucking belt scars on her back, Mikhail. If she wants to get this shit off her chest, then you both are going to stand there, and you’re going to fucking take it whether you like it or not, or you can kiss our alliance goodbye!”

Mikhail's eyes widen, but I just glare at him, meaning every word.

I’ve put him, his wife, and that bitch first for too fucking long just so that I could keep my marriage. Enough is enough now.

“I-I’m sorry,” Anastasia sobs, and we look her way. “I-I was hoping Elena would leave you. I was hoping she’d divorce you and leave this life, and be happy. I, oh God, I knew you’d kill Liliya eventually, Romeo.” Mikhail looks at her sharply, and she winces. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t be around her anymore. She stopped being my daughter years ago when she admitted to calling Agy ‘mama.’ She became mean-spirited, and I-I couldn’t deal with the pain any longer….”

Mikhail hugs her to him while El looks down. I squeeze her calf to get her attention. She looks up, tears coating her cheeks, and instantly, I want to kill someone.

She sees the look in my eyes and smiles a little before she says, “I don’t know how I can forgive you, Mama, and I don’t know if I ever will.” I soften at the hurt shining back at me. She’s refusing to look at her mother. She looks down and continues, “All the hurt, the pain. I was your daughter, too, I needed you,too, and you let me down.” She furrows her brows, her eyes going to our son, and I smile, knowing exactly what she’s about to say, proving to everyone what kind of heart she really has. She whispers, “I just hope you can be a betterbabushkathan you were a mother….”

Anastasia gasps at her words as I slowly stand and walk over to her. Tears coat her cheeks as I gently lay my son in her arms, and I rasp, “My wife has a pure heart, and I can guarantee she’ll forgive you at some point, even though we all know you don’t deserve it.” She looks at me, and I warn, “Don’t let her down.”

She nods frantically, then looks down at her grandson. I return to my wife, this time sitting beside her. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her head, rasping, “I’m so fucking in love with you,” making her giggle a little.

Our eyes go to her parents, who’re fawning over our son as she rasps, “Ditto, but if you evermake a mistake, I’ll kill you.”

I laugh, pressing my lips to her forehead.

Fuck, I’m one lucky motherfucker that she was willing to give me another chance, a chance I’ll never take for granted.