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Someone left it unlocked.
Careless.
And when I step inside, the house is pitch dark. Utterly silent. The scent of pancakes still lingers in the air, bringing with it a powerful sense of warmth and affection.
My initial response is relief. That means Mel probably went to bed.
She’s not worried or mad enough to be waiting for my arrival—or on her way to the Canadian border right now.
Still, if Lev and Denka wanted to give her some space, at least one of them should have stationed himself in the hall. They should know that.
My intuition tingles.
Pausing in the dark room, I take a beat. And I shoot a message to my two best men, demanding a reason for the door being unlocked and asking if anything was out of the ordinary tonight.
Oops. That’s all Lev says about the door, which makes my hackles rise. Then, he follows almost instantly with, All good. Doing a perimeter check now.
I release a breath. I’ll have to talk to them about their coordination when they return.
Maybe it’s not fair of me to assume they would excel at guard duty. Typically, they’re my sharpest hunters, but that doesn’t mean they’re natural protectors. I know from experience that offense and defense are completely different worlds.
Bolting the door, I slip my phone into my pocket and turn on the entry light. The space floods with a soft golden glow. Yet it still makes me squint since my eyes were just starting to adjust to the dark.
The space looks as pristine as always, and it puts me at ease to know the girls must have had a quiet night. Even if I was later getting home than I said I would be.
Combing my fingers through my hair, I head toward the kitchen to rustle up some dinner. Pancakes might be my new favorite breakfast, but they’re far from a hardy meal, and they’re all I’ve eaten today. Between the hours of waiting for Sascha and the intensity of my agitation, my stomach’s beyond raw.
That’s when my eyes land on the subtle scuff marks on the floor—like a chair was scooted roughly across it.
Then, the white slip of paper on the dining table. It’s propped like a tent at the center of the dining table. And Mel’s scrawling cursive spells my name on the front.
My heart skips several beats.
For something so beautiful, her handwriting has become an ugly trigger for me—associated with some of my worst moments.
Immediately, my sense of unease returns.
Compounded by an ugly feeling of déjà vu.
My lungs freeze as I reach for the slip of paper. And it weighs next to nothing in my hands. Such a contrast to the weight of the message I’m terrified it holds. Carefully, I unfold Mel’s letter, my chest trapped in an iron hold.
Dear Gleb,
I know this probably isn’t the best way to tell you, but I’ve decided to leave you…
Icy confirmation trickles into my veins, and my brain’s first reaction is denial. There’s no chance in hell this is what we’ve come to. Not again. Not after everything. Not after all the fighting, the tears, the effort to open up, the hours of coming to a better understanding.
I swallow convulsively, forcing my eyes to read on.
I’ve thought long and hard about it, and I’ve decided I don’t want to spend my life with you. I can’t love a man who controls me, confines me, and leaves me alone while he wantonly risks his life despite knowing how that makes me feel. I realize that’s probably not what you want to hear. But I just can’t do it anymore.
That she’s thought about this—about the idea of loving me and spending her life with me—and still, she would prefer to leave… It cuts me to the core. Here I was, envisioning pancake breakfasts and picnics in Central Park, and Mel’s had one foot out the door. Just waiting for the moment when I prove unworthy of her expectations.
I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye, but it’s better this way. Because I know you would have tried to stop me. And I need space. I need freedom. And it’s clear now that those are things you can’t give me.
Please, don’t come looking for me again. I need to find my own way, and I have to do this without you. I think we both know that if I don’t leave now, I’ll never be happy. I’ll never truly be free. I’m done. Our sham of a marriage is over.
Don’t misunderstand me. I do value our time together. You’ve made my life better in so many ways. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. And I hope someday, you can forgive me.
