Chapter 24: Vlad

"I gotta admit, it's so refreshing being out here," Sienna said while we walked along the seashore.

Her skin radiated a gentle glow in the evening sun as it cast its warm golden light. The air was filled with the sweet scent of sea spray and distant sounds of laughter from folks scattered here and there—some sat on benches while others were in the water, having a good time.

She'd been home for days since the incident, and my men had their eyes on her. Nothing and no one went in to see her without my knowledge. Of course, the family did have their private moments together. But other than that, nothing was out of sight.

Sienna was the woman I wanted to settle down with; she was the mother of my unborn child, and as such, she had to be protected at all costs.

Her kidnapping had made me realize just how much she meant to me and how miserable I'd be if anything happened to her and our baby.

Paul and I had a serious talk, and he suggested I did the same with Sienna. I wasn't sure how this conversation was going to turn out in the end, but Paul reminded me the talk was long overdue. He'd accepted my proposal, and we took some time to settle our differences.

I had come over to the house earlier today, ready to speak with her, but decided on second thoughts to take the talk somewhere private.

"Where are we going?" she asked when we were left alone.

"Where do you wanna go?" I asked, and she replied with a smile.

"I miss this," she looked at me, "being out in the open again." She shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"I'm glad you like it," I said. "But why the beach?" I asked.

"Why not the beach?" She flashed me a faint grin. "It's a beautiful place, inarguably one of the safest places to talk." She pushed her hair behind her ear.

I really missed that pretty smile of hers, and the fact that, so far, we were having a decent conversation like two grown-up adults was comforting.

"I almost forgot how beautiful you are," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

She paused in her tracks and faced me, her cheeks turning red.

Is that a blush I see? I think we're making progress.

"Thank you," she replied with the same tone.

We locked eyes for a moment, but neither of us said a word. I was taking my time to savor her beauty as we stood facing each other. There was a lot to discuss, but for now, I just wanted to appreciate this marvelous piece of art.

Beneath our feet, the ocean waves caressed the shore with a smoothing melody. Her hair, a tangle of curls, danced in the ocean breeze, strands escaping to frame her face like a halo, and her eyes sparkled like diamonds.

At the same time, we said, "Listen, I—"

She chuckled softly.

"You go first," we chorused again.

I scoffed, pinching the bridge of my nose at this silly coincidence that made us look like children on a playground. "Okay, you go first," I said, looking into her eyes.

She sighed softly. "I don't know what to say…I mean, I thought I had it all planned out, but right now, I'm out of words."

"Why don't you start by telling me exactly how you feel?" I suggested. "That would help."

She shook her head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea, Vlad. I don't wanna go down that road."

"That's why we're here, Sienna—to go down that road," I said. "We've long avoided this talk, and I think now is the time to settle this once and for all."

Her eyes started to go dim, losing their iconic sparks. Her shoulders dropped, and her carefree countenance was gradually fading away. She took her focus off me and fixed her gaze on the horizon. Her eyes were rapidly blinking as though she was fighting back her tears, and her feet were crossed, one behind the other.

I could see how much she was struggling with the feelings she'd bottled up all this while, and it was obvious she was afraid that she'd break down.

She turned back to me. "This is hard for me, you know that. Don't you?"

I nodded subtly.

"I'm trying to let go of the hurt, the pain, and the trauma—I really am—but it's more difficult than I thought," she said, her lips trembling.

"I wasn't kidding when I told you that I wanted to marry you," I said.

"Why?" she asked. "I recently learned from my mom that the motive behind something matters a lot. So, why do you want to marry me, Vlad? What's the real reason? Do you feel obligated to do so just because I'm pregnant?" She blinked rapidly in an attempt to hold back her tears.

I stepped forward and reached out to hold her hand. "You think so little of me, Sienna."

"Would you blame me?" she asked but didn't pull away. "After everything that I've seen, everything that I've heard about you…."

"I understand your skepticism," I said, placing a palm on her face. "I do. But I'm not marrying you out of a sense of duty. No, I want you to be my wife because I…."

She stared at me, breathing heavily as she anticipated the words that clung to my throat. "That's the problem, Vlad." Sienna gently pulled away. "You don't know how you feel. How am I supposed to trust you when you can't be true to yourself?"

"I'm not a man of many words, Sienna," I said calmly, watching her fight to stay composed, but her feelings seemed overwhelming.

"I'm not asking for many words, Vlad. I'm asking for the truth about why you want to marry me," she explained, her arms spread apart as the hem of her dress twirled around her legs in a mesmerizing rhythm. "Is that too much to ask?"

The tears in her eyes hurt me, but she wouldn't let me explain.

"This is what you do. You act like you care—and you're so good at it—but when it's time to prove it, you go mute." The words rushed out her mouth. "I hate that I love you, Vlad." She sobbed. "It sucks to love someone and not be loved in return."

"What sucks even more is to love someone and not be able to tell them how you feel," I replied softly, catching her eyes.

She looked at me in silence as she tried to process what I'd just said.

"We're two different people, Sienna, and we have different approaches to stuff," I said, halting in front of her. "The things you can say freely are sometimes very difficult for me. I wasn't trained to love or express any emotion at all." I wiped away her tears, my thumb brushing softly over her cheek.

She seemed calmer this time, and her body tensed at my touch, at our close proximity.

"But with you, things are different," I continued. "You taught me to see things from another perspective, to always find the light in the dark. You have successfully snuck your way into my heart, Sienna, and all I do all day, every day, is think about you."

"What…what are you trying to say?" she stuttered.

"I'm trying to say that this isn't one sided." A sigh came forth, and I caressed her hair, my eyes deeply locked with hers. "I love you, Sienna Summers."

Tears rolled down from her eyes the moment I said those words. "Please, don't lie to me," she begged. "I'm too fragile for that right now."

I gently pulled closer until our bodies collided, and we could feel each other's breaths. With a hand around her waist and the other on her face, I said softly, "Tell me if you think this is a lie." I leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her soft cherry lips.

Seconds later, she kissed back, and soon, our tongues were involved, with our heads cocking sideways in the flow of the passion directing us.

I rested my forehead against hers. "I want you, Sienna. Wanted you since the first time I saw you in St. Petersburg. You are the light in my dark, and without you, my world will be filled with emptiness. There's a space in my heart that no one has ever occupied, but you filled it so effortlessly."

She sniffled, and I dried her tears.

"There's nothing in this world that I want more than to have you as my wife—to raise our child together and build our own home," I said, meaning every goddamn word.

She chuckled softly. "You know, for someone who doesn't say much, you sure are a smooth talker."

"I'm just being honest." I smiled. "I can't risk losing you simply because I'm unable to express how I feel. For you, I'd do anything to wipe away your doubts."

She stared into my eyes as if searching my soul.

I buried my hand in my pocket and withdrew a ring. Her palm flew to her mouth as I went down on one knee.

"Sienna Summers, will you marry me?" I asked, holding up the ring and hoping that she didn't let me down.

"Yes," she said amidst chuckles.

Tears were in her eyes, but I assumed they were now tears of joy.

I smiled. "Yes?"

She nodded, excitement coloring her gaze as those sparks in her eyes returned.

I got back on my feet, and she kissed me.

Yes, she kissed me .