Twenty Five

Sofia

The next morning, after spending some time with April so she can get her Mila time, we have a tearful goodbye with Glory, Rachel, Adam, and Bruce. I give my car keys to Rachel, knowing she hasn't had the best of luck lately. She bursts into tears, holding me tight and thanking me repeatedly. Right then, Damian and Alexandr show up and look at me with raised brows. I just shake my head as Mila spots them. Alexandr pouts when she goes straight to her daddy, causing everyone behind me to chuckle. We get in Alexandr's rented SUV and drive into town.

We head to see Mr. Townsend with the signed legal paperwork. I leave the others in the car as I head inside and pass him the paperwork to file. He gives me a big hug and states what everyone else has said since Damian showed up: "Give him a chance." It turns out my husband stopped by to shake his hand this morning, and they got to talking like old friends. So now Damian has another cheerleader in his corner, despite knowing I have the divorce papers ready to be signed. I just roll my eyes at my lawyer, making him chuckle.

Using money from my savings account, I give him a big commission for being amazing. I make sure to tell him that Amber is not to see a penny. I make sure he realizes she had not been doing her job properly. He kisses my cheek, thanking me as I say goodbye. Then I return to the car and head to the hospital with Mila, Damian, and Alexandr. When we get there, Damian decides he wants to accompany me, causing Mila to want to go, too, which means Alexandr tags along as well, using the excuse of wanting to see where I work. When we head inside, I see Amber sitting in the waiting area with a prescription ticket in her hand. Her head lifts, hearing footsteps, and when she sees me, she sneers.

"You still haven't submitted the documents Mr. Townsend spent weeks working on for you. Seriously, do you not care about anyone but yourself?"

I can feel both brothers tense, and I hear Al mumble, "Whoa…I get it now." Of course, he’s referring to Amber’s likeness to Candice and Luna.

I bite my lip to stop smiling, and I know they're about to say something worse, but I beat them to it. I don't need them to fight my battles, especially with Mila in her uncle's arms. She doesn't need to see them at their worst yet.

"Actually, I saw Timothy this morning and I gave him the paperwork that I paid him to do, very generously, I might add. You, however, won’t see a fucking penny. I told him you didn't even know what was in the documents, so the big commission I just gave him as thanks is all for him." I smile sweetly while both men freeze at the look on my face. Yeah, they realize I'm different now and I don't need them fighting my battles.

I look Amber in the eye. "Did I ever tell you who my father is, Amber?" I say it in my sweetest voice. She looks red in the face, full of rage over the fact she doesn't get any of my commission, but I continue before she can even open her mouth. "No, I didn't, did I? Stefano Russo, as in Russo Hotels, which means I'm filthy rich. My husband is Damian Volkov, the billionaire. So, as you can see, Timothy got a big paid day for his help."

Her face gets redder—if that's even possible. At the same time, both brothers chuckle under their breath, knowing I'm bullshitting about using family money to pay Timothy. I look at the prescription in her hand and notice it's doxycycline and azithromycin. I chuckle.

Yeah, bitch, I know this feeling well: embarrassment. I look at her, and her face pales when she notices I saw her prescription. I guess she remembers I’m a certified RN.

"Make sure you take the doxycycline every day for a week, I'm sure the doctor told you. And the azithromycin once a day for two days. Otherwise, that nasty chlamydia will just return. I should know, considering my husband gave it to me when he couldn't keep it in his pants.” I look at Damian, who has paled. I know I shouldn't embarrass him, but fuck it.

"You did get that little problem sorted, right, darling? I mean, unless you want to tell me something." I tilt my head toward Amber, making him growl, and I smirk while I can hear Alexandr trying to hold in his laughter at his brother's expense. Damian scowls at him and takes Mila from him. She goes willingly, holding him tightly around his neck and shoving her face into it, causing Alexandr to scowl back at him. I shake my head and continue my little revenge for Bruce and Adam.

"Have fun dealing with your little problem, Amber, and don't forget…." I lean in closer. "Leave Bruce and Adam alone, or your little problem will be made public." She pales and looks down while I just smirk, and the glare Damian sends my way just makes me chuckle. He obviously doesn't like the insinuation.

He shakes his head and turns toward the nurse's station, telling them I need to see the head nurse, Louisa. I wave to Amber, who is still pale, and chuckle, earning another glare from my husband.

"I know I deserve it, but come on, baby, low blow," he growls when I get closer. That's when I lose it, laughing my ass off. That was just fucking fun. I definitely need to message Adam later. He'll love this.

Damian smiles and shakes his head again, clearly liking my laughter.

After talking with Louisa, she promises to keep my spot open until the two-month deadline, bringing back Damian's scowl. She gives me a hug, and then we leave for the airport.

An hour later, we're in the air on our way to New York.

I'm sitting next to Damian while I watch my daughter nap on her uncle's chest. It warms my heart. I just hope they don't hurt her like they did me. Most likely sensing my thoughts, Damian grabs my hand and places a kiss on the back of it. I look at him and smile, and he nods toward his brother.

"He's probably going to sulk later when Mila meets Sergi at the airport. She's excited to see him."

I chuckle a little. "She loves the stories of us growing up." He smiles while I look at our hands in my lap, debating removing my hand from his. I don't want to give him false hope.

"I bought us a new home two years ago. I know you didn't love the house in Hudson River Valley and only stayed there for your mother. It was her idea and her decorating, but I tainted it anyway. I destroyed any home we could have had there, so I searched around, and I found a perfect one on Elm Street. It's Victorian style. It has a wraparound porch and a long driveway with a big gate, so it's private. There's a swimming pool, a gym, and an open living area and kitchen with dark wooden beams, which I know you love. I thought we could start fresh if I ever found you again."

I look at him with my mouth gaping. He seems nervous. I close my mouth and nod at him, no words wanting to come out. He smiles wide before returning to his phone, his free hand keeping hold of mine.

I lean back and rest my eyes. This is happening too fast.

Just under four hours later, we land in New York at the Volkov's private airfield. Damian squeezes my hand and tilts his head toward the door. Knowing Sergi is waiting, I quickly unbuckle, leaving Mila with her uncle and daddy.

As soon as the door opens and I see Sergi standing near the SUV, I run down the stairs and straight to him. He walks forward when he notices me, and I jump into his arms. He hugs me tight as Alexandr shouts from the stairs behind me.

"Why the fuck didn’t I get that reception?"

I shake my head, chuckling.

Sergi shouts back, "Because I’m the favorite!" I squeeze him tighter.

"Like fuck you are," Alexandr growls.

Sergi puts me down and kisses my head.

"I missed you, sestra." A tear leaks through, and he wipes it away, smiling wide. He asks, "Now, where's my niece?"

I chuckle, and as I open my mouth, I hear Mila scream, "Dyadya Sergi!" I move out of the way for her to throw herself at him. He catches her, and then looks at me in shock.

"You really did tell her all about us?" he asks with a rasp.

"You’re family," is all I have to say back, making his eyes turn glossy.

Bratva sovietnik, my ass.

Damian comes over and puts his arm around my waist, making me tense. Still, he just squeezes me, reminding me I'm giving him a chance, and I relax a little until I'm laughing my ass off.

I hear Alexandr growl, "Hang on a fucking second. I'm her favorite, not you."

Damian keeps me up while his body shakes as both Sergi and Alexandr argue over Mila, and she just smiles, loving the attention.

Damian finally has enough and states, "Get your butts in the car, will you? Besides, I'm her favorite, you know, being her daddy and all." Shaking his head, he plucks Mila out of Sergi's arms, causing him to pout. Alexandr tries to take her from him, but he's having none of it. I chuckle again. Poor girl.

We all climb in the waiting SUV, and we make our way to Elm Street, a neighborhood where I always wanted a house. Unfortunately, my mother butted in, stating Hudson Valley was better. Yeah, it's better for your husband to have affairs.

When we finally get through New York traffic, and we get to his street an hour later, my heart starts to pound.

"We're going to drop Mila off with Sergi so he can spend some time with her, if that's okay?"

I tense, but Sergi looks back at me from the front passenger seat, pouting. Alexandr is driving, trying to hold in his chuckle at my expense. I narrow my eyes at him, and he straightens quickly, causing Damian to snort. Before I can give him the same treatment, I catch Sergi's puppy dog eyes again, causing me to roll mine and I nod.

Damian continues, "Your father wants to see you, and I thought it'd be best in the office."

I tense again, but not because of my father, who sold me, but because of Candice.

"He just wants to talk to you, malyshka."

I nod. He's about to get the shock of his life when I break that cunt's nose, and reveal everything I know about her and her nasty dealings.

As if he can read my mind, Sergi smirks at me, and I smirk back, causing him to chuckle and Damian to furrow his brows.

He shakes his head and says, "I'll give you a quick tour, then we'll go, okay?"

I nod, and we sit silently for ten minutes while Mila sings nursery rhymes. Then we pull through tall black gates as his guards let us in.

After five minutes of passing trees on either side of the car, we pull up to the most beautiful Victorian home. Light gray on the outside, with a beautiful black wraparound porch. Damian gets out first, then holds out his hand for me while Sergi beats Alexandr to Mila in her car seat. I take his hand, and he helps me out.

"Wow, it's beautiful," I whisper, and Damian smiles like he just won the jackpot.

"As you can see, it has a 4-car garage. It's got five bedrooms, five full baths, and one-half bath, and it's 9,124 sq ft., sitting on eight acres of land.

Come on, let us go look." He pulls be along behind him as we walk up the steps into the front foyer. Damian continues to talk about the house as I look around in awe. Mila runs ahead with both her uncles vying for her attention.

"Out back, there's a full bar-b-que area, a pool with a Jacuzzi attached, a full swing set and play area for Mila, as well as a sand pit and a detached gym," he reports as I look around the beautiful home. The living area is straight ahead, and to the left is a grand staircase. We continue to walk through, and to the right of the living area, under an arch, is the dining room with an antique table, different from the one I bought but also the same. The color is darker, more like dark oak. And then there's the beautiful marble kitchen that's big enough for a chef's dream, with a breakfast bar in the middle of the dining room and kitchen to separate it.

We go to the sliding doors to the backyard, and I gasp at the gazebo out back.

Damian puts his arm around my waist, resting his chin on my head.

"For your reading," he says as a tear slips out of my eye. He really wants me be comfortable here.

He lets go of my waist and takes my hand, and we continue to walk around.

Off to the right of the kitchen is a small quarter bath.

“All bedrooms have a bathroom attached with a shower and bath, down here just, as you walk through the front door, you have a closet, then the next door is a toilet and sink. You have two bedrooms on the second floor with walk in closets, and a room that's an office with a bathroom attached. And on the 3rd floor, you have the master suite, a his and hers walk in closet…. I put your wedding dress in there, it's in a glass case with your shoes as well as your Nonna's clip. I found it on the floor. You'll see for yourself later. The master suite has a massive en suite bathroom, and across the hall is another bedroom with a closet and bathroom. I thought it could be Mila's, and if things go how I hope they do, when she's older, we could move her to the second floor. For now, though, those two dimwits are using those bedrooms when they're around." He kisses my palm a kiss.

I'm too stunned to speak. He found the clip…. A tear leaks out. I thought I lost it.

He continues, not realizing my turmoil over the clip I thought I lost three years ago.

"We also have a basement that I've turned into a big playroom/media room." Then he places a kiss on my head while Alexandr and Sergi chuckle. Knowing Damian is trying everything he can to keep us here, I turn around and glare at them, then look for Mila, who is currently playing on a rocking horse.

Damian wraps his arm around my waist and whispers, "Come on, malyshka, let's get this meeting done, then we can try and figure everything out."

I nod, then go and give Mila a kiss on her head. She waves, and Sergi goes to her while Alexandr starts to pout and moan about having to come with us.

Sergi states, "I think you're in for a treat, Al."

I chuckle, and Alexandr gives me a raised brow, but I just smirk at him and raise one of mine back. I watch as the light clicks in his head. He now looks like a kid in a candy shop.

We head out with Damian, who is none the wiser.