The kids are on the floor playing with a new train set that I had delivered. They all seem to be getting along, which is a pleasant surprise.
Not that the kids weren’t playing well together the past few days, but Sophia and Liam had been keeping to themselves quite a bit. I wasn’t sure if it was because they’re twins and prefer each other’s company, or they’re just a bit socially awkward.
Aleksandra is seated on the couch beside Nikki. Olivia, Paige, and Karina have pulled up chairs as they sit in a circle gabbing about who knows what.
Hopefully, it’s not regarding me.
I should have put Mario in the room with them, not just as a lookout, but to feed me back any information that’s shared.
“Aleksandra, a word,” I say and gesture for her to get up and come over to me.
She gives the girls a look before standing. “Is everything okay?” she asks. Her voice travels, probably back toward the girls, as I lead her out of the living room and down the hallway.
“The twins are mine,” I say, shoving the DNA results at her as proof that she kept the truth from me.
“I know,” Aleksandra says. Her demeanor is calm, and why shouldn’t it be? She’s had more than four years to process this information. I’ve had only a few days to accept what might be a fact.
And now that it’s official, my world has been turned on its axis.
“Maybe we should sit down somewhere and talk,” she suggests.
I nod. It’s all I can do. Words don’t seem to form, and I lead her down the hallway to a private corridor and into one of the many rooms in the complex. It would have been simpler to extend her an invitation into my office, but I’d read the DNA results and had felt suffocated in such a small space.
This room has more windows, is brighter even with the gray clouds blanketing the sky. There is an assortment of books scattered amongst the shelves and a sofa near the window. I take a seat and leave space for Aleksandra to join me.
She sits at the opposite end of the couch, turning toward me. “I didn’t expect for you to find out this way.” Her voice is soft, hardly above a whisper.
“How did you intend for me to find out? Were you ever going to tell me that I had twins?” I pin her with my stare, and her cheeks burn.
“No, as far as I was concerned, you were the enemy.”
We’ve always been on two opposing sides, since the day we met.
“And you still feel that way about me?” I’m not sure why I bother asking. I don’t expect a sudden change of heart after forcing her to come live with me.
“To be honest, Antonio, I’m confused.” She slides her legs up on the sofa, shifting to face me. “I never imagined Mikhail would hurt children.”
Her gaze tightens, and her bottom lip juts out just slightly with a pout.
I’m silent as I listen, wanting her to open up to me.
She fiddles with her sweater and stares at her pants, speaking but putting distance between us by not making eye contact. “It makes me rethink everything I thought I knew about my family and the bratva. I’m not saying I’m disowning them,” Aleksandra clarifies her position, “but I never thought they’d target children.”
“For what it’s worth, I want to be part of our children’s lives, but I won’t hold you captive.”
She brushes her hand over her pants as she glances up at me, filled with hope. “You’ll let me go?”
“Yes, but Liam and Sophia stay here with me.”
“No,” Aleksandra gasps.
“You kept them from me for four years. You can stay or go, but the kids aren’t leaving.” I don’t point out that it’s dangerous for them to leave as they are easily a target.
She pulls her legs up against her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees, protecting herself. Aleksandra doesn’t get up. She doesn’t flee. Is it because she realizes there’s nowhere she can go and hide from me?
“You’re a monster.”
“Maybe I am,” I say, giving her the insult, letting her win this battle. “Your brother is no better. You were living under his roof with my children, putting them in harm’s way.”