Chapter 23: Vivian

Daniil showed a side that I hadn't known he had; he'd acted in a certain way that left me completely in awe. I'd never known that he was capable of being so genuinely lovely.

Watching him bond with Sophia was a sight that melted my heart. I was so shocked. It was like looking at a whole new Daniil—the one that was everything but ruthless. To top it off, Sophia seemed very intrigued and interested in him. She was more comfortable around him than she'd ever been around any stranger before.

I felt a sting in my eyes as she slipped into his arms, relaxing in his embrace. Tears from a mix of emotions welled. I was relieved to know that the deadly man who had followed me home wasn't the same man smiling at my daughter. I was happy that he'd been accepted, but I was confused about what would happen next.

Never had I seen him smile so broadly before. And my God! How handsome he looked with those perfect teeth.

Daniil needed no DNA test; the look in his eyes said it all. He'd obviously thrown that doubt out the window the moment he set eyes on them.

When he'd asked me to pack up, that we were coming with him, my heart paused for a moment as I pondered on the meaning of this. However, it was to be expected, and I didn't have the luxury of asking questions now that he was calm. The last thing I was going to do was piss him off.

"Say hello to Daddy," I said to Leo, setting him back on his feet.

Leo looked at him with almost a blank expression and said, "Hello."

"It's like looking in a mirror," Daniil joked and laughed lightly.

Daniil said a joke! Wow!

"I'll go pack up," I said to him.

"I'm coming with you, Mama!" Sophia ran to me.

"I'll help with the things that I can," Alba said.

"Thank you." I smiled at her.

"Hey, buddy." Daniil bent to Leo's level.

I knew a conversation was about to commence, and I left the two men to talk while I went upstairs with Alba and Sophia.

Once inside, Alba hushed her voice and asked me if I was making the right decision here. I had told her the history I had with Daniil, so she wasn't really in the dark.

"I don't really have a choice right now," I replied with the same tone as we started to pack up. "Besides, he's calm now."

"Are you sure?" Alba asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"I appreciate the concern, Alba, but trust me. It's better this way."

She let out a sigh. "Well, he does seem to like the kids—and he's very hot," she said the last statement dreamily.

I looked at her and chuckled.

"I'd ask you to come, too, but your whole life is here," I said to her.

She replied with a smile.

"Thanks, Alba." I embraced her. "You've been a great help to me with the kids."

"Aww." She blushed. "I'll really miss you guys, you know."

"We'll miss you too, Alba," Sophia chipped in, her adorable voice piercing the air around us.

"You take good care of your mother, okay?" Alba advised.

Sophia, filled with joy for this trip, nodded swiftly. She seemed so happy that we were leaving; Sophia didn't know where we were going, but she was thrilled.

I loved how she felt good about seeing Daniil, and it was amazing how everything I had been so afraid of had somehow managed to fall into place.

About an hour ago, I had thought that I was surely going to die when he pulled that gun at me, but here I was now, alive and well. Daniil was still as sexy and dashing as I remembered, maybe even hotter, and a part of me was glad that he wanted us all to move with him.

But then what?

____________

Flying in a private jet was a lot cozier and more relaxing than I'd imagined, and maybe that was the reason the flight was shorter than it was the day I flew away. The interior was amazing, with state-of-the-art cushions that were so comfortable to sit in. The view was amazing, and the food…hmm. Delicious. Don't get me started with the wine.

I had a great time on the jet—Andrei, Daniil's right-hand man, had even checked me over for any lingering injuries from the crash—and most of the time, I would just watch with grateful eyes as the kids played with their father, who was more than willing to indulge them.

Andrei seemed to develop an interest in the young Wolkov boy, saying he took after his father in more ways than one. Andrei had always scared the shit out of me with his grumpiness and rigid face, but on that jet, when I saw how he was with the kids, I understood that there was more beneath the serious face.

By the look of things, Leo and Sophia were the light on that jet; they were the life that made the atmosphere rather lovely.

As I watched them, I couldn't hold back the smile playing on my lips or the blush that was visible on my face.

Was I dreaming? If yes, then I didn't want to wake up.

We landed back in New York City and were driven to the mansion.

It felt weird being back here after all these years, and what was even weirder was the fact that the room I was once a prisoner in was still the way I'd left it.

Images of our times together in this came rushing back into my head; Daniil had fucked me in every corner of this room. I felt a jolt of electricity surge through my veins as memories of his touch flooded my mind.

The kids were tired and sleepy, and it didn't take long to put them to bed. I kissed their foreheads.

"Goodnight, Mama," Sophia said with sleepy eyes, yawning.

"Goodnight, my beautiful angel," I replied with a smile, watching them both fall asleep.

My babies were so cute, and I couldn't believe that such beauties would come from such a cruel man like their father—a cruel man who was relentless in his pursuit of me.

Now, I had some time to be all by myself, to think. But instead of thinking, I found myself reminiscing on how good sex with him was. Basically, everything in that room reminded me of his masculinity.

The bed—oh, the things he'd done to me on that mattress. I shut my eyes, swooning at the thoughts of him in my head. Even now, I could still feel his touch, his skin against mine, his breath. I could smell that rich cologne that somehow always turned me on.

I thought about how good his cock used to feel inside me. He'd been my first and only. Maybe that was the reason I couldn't give myself to someone else; he'd set a standard. Daniil was excellent at pleasuring me the way I'd always envisioned. He was rough when I wanted it rough, gentle when I wanted it so, and, to top it off, he was quite spontaneous.

I bit my lower lip as my eyes settled on the table in a corner. I could hear the sound of my moans from the first time he'd set me on the table and ate me up fervently. How could I forget the wonders his tongue had done on my pussy that evening?

My breath was starting to become heavy, and I knew that if I continued to harbor these thoughts, I'd end up wet, wanting him.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to have him fuck you again. You know you miss it , that tiny voice said to me.

You know you want it.

I did miss it, and I might've forgotten how good it felt to have his big cock deep inside me. My hands subtly reached for my breasts, and I slowly began to play with my nipples, imagining it was his hands touching me.

I got a hold of myself so quickly and shook my head, trying to block these thoughts from my head. However, the more I tried, the more I lost the fight. The connection was too strong, especially because I was inside this room.

There was a part of me that wanted to stop reminiscing, but every other part of me wanted to delve into those days. It was only a week, but in that week, we'd had the most mind-blowing sex.

A smile played on the corners of my lips as I recalled the day I'd almost passed out after he fucked my mouth. This was my request, though. I was feeling naughty that night and had asked him to fuck my mouth like it was my pussy.

The experience was exhilarating, thrilling, and right now, I was craving something similar.

"Are they asleep already?"

His voice startled me, forcing me back to reality.

"Jesus," I said softly, turning to him, shocked by his presence.

He smirked from the entrance, where he leaned against the door. Daniil was so attractive, and those thoughts of having him inside were gnawing dangerously at my mind. I wanted him so badly, but I had to pretend like I was in control.

I cleared my throat and adjusted on the bed.

"Yes. Yes, they are," I replied.

"Okay, good," he said. "Come with me."

There was nothing commanding or authoritative in his tone. He was as polite as a gentleman.

I rose to my feet and followed him to his room. This was the first time I was stepping into this grand master bedroom with a glamorous interior that exuded wealth.

"Please, take a seat," he said, gesturing at a couch.

Okay…why's he being so nice? I thought to myself, sitting down quietly.

"Things have been weird between us for the past four years," he began. "But I had no idea you were pregnant at the time." He paused for a moment. "What I'm trying to say is that, from now on, you are my responsibility. All three of you. And I will do everything that I can to protect you, to keep you safe."

"I don't doubt that," I said, the words falling out of my mouth. I didn't plan to say them, but unfortunately, I had.

He smiled and continued, "I want you to spend more time with the kids," he blurted out. "Which means, you don't have to work anymore…."

"Hold on, what?" I instantly got upset and reflexively rose to my feet. "You want me to be a full-time housewife?" I glared at him.

"Well, if you say it like that…."

"I worked my ass off every day for the past four years to get to where I am. I saw myself through school, and I got a job, all while simultaneously raising two kids. Do you really think that I'll throw all of that away just because you want me to be less productive?" The words burst out of me in an angry rush.

I watched him grow soft in an instant, and with the look in his eyes, it was obvious that he understood the pain I had to go through all on my own.

"I didn't mean it that way," he said defensively, his voice calm and tender. "Look." Daniil took gentle steps forward. "I just want you to spend quality time with our children; that's all."

Our children.

I sure loved the sound of that.

Who are you, and what have you done with Daniil Wolkov?

Daniil was super nice and understanding, and that was weird— extremely weird.

"You don't wanna be idle. I get it, and I respect that," he said. "How about you become the official Bratva financial analyst?" he proposed. "Trust me, you'll earn more than you ever thought possible. I can guarantee you ten times whatever your old job was paying you."

The offer was mouthwatering and very tempting, but it was also fair and quite comfortable. Honestly, this was the best offer I had ever been given, and I wasn't going to turn it down.

"You're really good at what you do," he said, coming close to me. "I saw your work firsthand, and I must admit: I was very impressed by your performance back at the meeting. It takes guts for a woman to pull off what you pulled off." He halted before me, gazing into my eyes.

Shit. He's too close. He's too close.

His cologne was turning me on, and he was too hot to resist. I was trying to stay composed, to remember the fear I'd felt for him not so long ago, but I wasn't sure if I could continue to hold back this feeling.

He touched my hair, caressing it softly as I struggled with my breath. "I'm certain that you're more than capable of adding value to the business," he muttered.

I didn't know which one had more effect on me: his words or his touch.

"This way, we'll always be around each other and even have meetings in the bedroom," he whispered into my ear.

My body tensed at the sound of that, and I felt my pussy tickle.

"Oh, yeah?" I managed to speak, pretending to be unbothered. "And what would you do to me during or after these meetings?" I was burning with desire, longing to hear him say something dirty.

"I can think of a few things," he replied, his hand traveling up my thigh.

I shivered at his touch, and a slight moan escaped me when he pinned my back against the wall. My eyes searched his for a moment as his hands traversed my body, my contours.

His thumb reached my mouth and trailed my trembling lips for a moment.

"You act like you haven't been with another man since you left," he said, his tone dripping with jealousy.

"That's because I haven't," I replied faintly, already weakened by his touch. "No man has touched me but you." I stared into his brown eyes.

Daniil smirked and inserted his thumb gently into my mouth.

"You haven't fucked anyone else after me?" he asked.

I shook my head, enjoying his thumb and the way I licked it slowly.

I couldn't wait for what was next.