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My head spun, my heart broke, and I quickly pushed the material down, so overwhelmed with the fact that for four years, I’d been not only someone’s wife but also someone’s mother.
CHAPTER3
Sebastian
“Daddy!”Lilly’s squeaky voice reverberated through the house when I walked through the door. A pair of tiny hands embraced my legs, so I crouched down and she quickly wrapped her little hands around my neck. She was surprisingly very strong for a three-year-old, this little creature who’d become my everything ever since I thought I’d lost Marinka.
Although I’d kept the penthouse mainly to use as an office and occasional sleeping pad, I’d moved us to Oak Brook from the heart of the city in my desire to give her a better life. My daughter deserved the best I could offer, apart from my heart. A safe, normal childhood, albeit one without a mother. I squeezed her little body tight, hanging on to my life anchor, my reason for being a better man. I’d never expected to live to old age, considering my line of business, but with Lilly, everything changed.
I thought about Marinka, and her request to meet her parents—the very people involved in my first wife’s Russina’s death. I blamed her father, Vlad, for all my problems. Russina had been from an affluent family and was acquainted with everyone worth knowing. Our marriage had been a business arrangement, with occasional benefits. At the time, this worked perfectly for me. She was all about the mafia business, but then, Marinka’s parents got her killed and needed to pay.
I remembered the day my men took over their yacht, off the Amalfi coast in Italy. Pieces of shit floating in exquisite surroundings. That day, I was ready to shed some blood. Rather than kill him though, I shot him in the leg. Then, his wife, Marta, offered me their daughter as payment. Just like that. The epitome of shitty parenthood. She claimed Marinka was the spit image of Russina, that she could play her role well for me, and that alone should be enough to settle their debt. I knew right then this woman was rotten to the core. She was willing to sell her own child, just to save her own skin.
I agreed because she was right: I needed to have Russina to sort all my affairs. Therefore, Marinka would have to fill some pretty big shoes, pretending to be her.
The beginning was tough, but we made it work. From the beginning, I kept Marinka’s parents away from her. They were no good, and I didn’t want them anywhere near us. After all, she was my wife and I owned her, so I made all the decisions for her…
Lilly’s giggle drew me back to the present.
“How is my little princess?” I asked, kissing my precious daughter’s forehead. Despite the circumstances of her birth, Lilly was a healthy, bouncy child. She was placed on Marinka’s body right after the operation. Dr. Stephens believed the baby could possibly help her wake up, but that didn’t happen.
When I held Lilly for the first time, I knew I had to protect her at all cost. I had to raise her for Marinka.
“I’m good, but where have you been, Daddy? I’ve missed you and my dolls missed you too,” she complained, regarding me with her wide blue eyes—just like her mother’s. She was, in truth, an honest to God miniature of Marinka. Pedro kept saying that she had my features, but I couldn’t see it.
She handed me two of her dolls, frowning slightly.
“I went to see your mommy in the hospital, and I have great news,” I said, rubbing my forehead against hers and picking her up as I stood back on my feet.
“Really?” Lilly’s eyes widened even more. “What is it, Daddy?” she asked, placing a hand on my cheek.
My heart melted.
“She’s woken up from her long sleep and can’t wait to see her princess! Isn’t that amazing?” I’d wanted to tell Marinka about her, but she was so overcome just by waking up. Soon enough, she’d learn about her.
Lilly squealed and someone gasped behind us. I turned to see Tasha, Lilly’s nanny, with her hands on her face and an incredulous expression between them. Tasha didn’t know Marinka, but she’d been through life with us in the last four years. She’d even come to hospital with us a few times.
Lilly’s face brightened up. I had never hidden anything from her. From the moment she was born, she was always with me when I visited Marinka. Lilly had treated her mother as though she was conscious, telling her about her day, and playing with her. Dr. Stephens had even encouraged it once he observed Lilly’s behaviour and reactions during visits. Hope had never left the building, sticking around in some form or fashion even on the dimmest days.
“Mommy woke up? You saw her without me … naughty Daddy,” she said, frowning. She was indeed cross with me. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“My little bunny, you know Mommy has been sleeping for a very long time, so she’s still confused. Don’t worry though. You will see her soon enough,” I explained, gently flicking her adorable nose.
“But I want to see her now. I have to tell her all about my dolls and Patricia. Can we take Patricia with us next time?” she asked, her voice brimming with excitement.
Patricia was my cousin’s daughter, a little older than Lilly. They played with each other from time to time.
“Of course you can, but right now you need to be a good girl and go with Tasha to have your dinner. Daddy has some work to do in his office,” I said, and she made a sour face, then stuck out her bottom lip. She hated when I didn’t spend all my time with her or when I had to go out on my own. Not that I didn’t, either. Most of the time, I’d rather hang out with Lilly, who ranked as the most intelligent kid I’d ever met. I was a little biased because she was fucking mine, but still, the stuff she came out with at times blew my mind.
I put her back down on her feet and lightly pinched her cheek. “Off you go.”
She proceeded to complain to Tasha that I had messed up because I didn’t take her with me to see her mother. However, after some negotiation, she left to have her dinner.
I headed to my office, dreading what was to come. I needed to get in the right frame of mind, which wouldn’t be easy since Marinka’s parents were going to be here any minute. When I called Vlad earlier, he clearly wasn’t expecting me. I went straight to the point, and he responded with his usual stutter, agreeing to come—as if he and his fucking excuse for a wife had any other choice. That old bastard had many debts he was probably hoping I’d cover, anyway.
Well, I’d deal with them. But there was one place I drew a line: Lilly. So far, they’d no idea about the pregnancy or the fact they had a granddaughter. To expose her to them had seemed … a dirty thing to do. I didn’t want her tainted with their presence. Lilly was all that was pure.
So what now? Marinka wanted to see them and my hands were tied. Those two were the only connection to her memories, and I couldn’t deny her this.
