Page 30 of Fractured Empire

His lips twitch, one side higher than the other. A smirk. “Then it’s settled.”

My eyes widen, surprised by his sudden switch in demeanor. He’s gone from cautious to victorious in the blink of an eye.

“I don’t see how it’s settled,” I reply with a gulp. “I…Aren’t there more questions? Don’t you need to speak to⁠—”

“I doubt Linus will carry any objections, unless you do.”

My heart clenches and I think of the little boys who’ve already stolen my heart. The boys who deserve to grow up feeling unconditionally loved and cared for. And it becomes painfully certain that I can’t find it within myself to think of any objections. There’s something telling me to throw myself at this opportunity, and the voice refuses to be ignored.

Chloe is going to kill me.

“I don’t want anyone to know about the circumstances of our contract,” I tell him quietly. “If we do this, the nanny role stays between us and your family. I know it’s sort of temporary, but I don’t want my mother to worry. She has dreams that I’ll marry for love like she did, and she wouldn’t understand taking a chance like this.”

“That’s fine,” he agrees easily. As if to persuade me further, he adds, “It’s a real marriage, Katya. We will be man and wife, but the boys need you more than I do, at least for now. They need someone who’s invested in them completely, and I need that for them as well. I hope that friendship between us will grow easily, and eventually we’ll make an effort to make this marriage something more. But I need you to be here for them, not for me. Not now.”

The earnestness and the honesty of his words nearly knock me off my feet. Here before me stands a man who lost a wife, a wife who never loved him if the rumors are to be believed. And instead of seeking to soothe whatever inner turmoil that relationship caused by finding love for himself, he’s desperately looking for someone to come into his life to be there for his babies.

As if he can read the contemplation on my face, Leon speaks up again. “Even if you say no, Chloe will not be my choice. I’m sure she’s a wonderful friend, and a good woman, but I need more. Nothing about her calls to me, and I can see that she eyes my children with worry rather than hope. I’m sorry if I’m putting you in a difficult position with her, but I have a feeling that you’re exactly what we need. I’ll do whatever I can to give you a good life, Katya, as long as you do the same for my boys.”

And it’s his ability to be open about his needs—the pleading in his voice—that makes my internal battle come to a halt. I can’t consider how this will affect my friendship with Chloe anymore, not when I know she wouldn’t be his choice even if I said no. Not when I’ve met his precious children and already found myself attached to the idea of keeping them safe and loved.

“Do you want more?” I blurt out suddenly. “More children? Eventually?”

“Yes,” he answers without even thinking twice. “I love being a father.”

My stomach flips, attraction flaring hot.

“And you’d have them…with me? You don’t want me to be a motherly nanny forever, only a nanny for now?”

“A nanny for now,” he muses, scratching his chin. “I like the way that sounds. But yes, Katya, I’d have babies with you. As soon as you wanted, honestly. As long as the boys are settled, of course.”

As soon as I wanted.

“You’re attracted to me, right?”

I swallow down the awkwardness it took to ask such a bold question.

Another small smirk finds his face. “Yes, Katya. I find you attractive. Do you share the notion?”

I almost squeak. “Y-yeah.”

“I know my decision may seem quick to you, and you may think I haven’t thought it through, but I have. You’re young, but not too young. You’re beautiful, educated in the right languages, and from your paperwork, I can see that you’ll be a good fit. Bastian plays piano too, did you know that? He’s quite good.”

“He didn’t say.” A vision flashes behind my eyes of sitting on a sleek piano bench, little fingers playing alongside mine, and a shy smile coming across the child’s face. “He mostly let Leo do the talking.”

“He does that,” Leon says, looking almost wistful. “He’s a bit shy and quiet, but he liked you. Leo tends to be a social butterfly, he gets along with everyone. But Bastian felt comfortable around you too. I need that for him. He needs a safe space.”

“You love them so much,” I murmur, hiding a smile. “They’re very lucky to have such a devoted father. I’m sorry to admit that I was a little skeptical about you at first, hearing that you were looking for a wife so soon after⁠—”

“Don’t feel sorry,” he cuts in. “I know the optics look unfavorable. I don’t care what anyone thinks of me because of the decisions I make. My kids are my first priority and everything else, the chatter and the rumors, they’re meaningless.”

“Humans jump to conclusions,” I muse sadly. “It’s one of our less than favorable tendencies. I didn’t want to come here today, honestly. I didn’t want to feel like I was pushing Chloe on you, even though she’s great. I—she really is a good person. I don’t want to make her upset.”

“But?” he asks, sensing it.

“But something is telling me that coming here today altered the course of my life. It sounds crazy, and maybe it is. Still, I’m glad I came. I’m glad I got to meet you, and your boys. Rayna and Apollo too, even though they were testing me.”

Leon chuckles. “You caught that, did you?”