20. Lacey
20
LACEY
5 WEEKS LATER
My heart is racing as we wait for Dr. Chen. Vadim's hand squeezes mine reassuringly. Despite all the chaos of the past few weeks, this moment feels surreal.
Today, we're about to see our baby for the first time.
"Nervous?" Vadim asks, pressing a kiss to my temple.
"A little." I smooth my hand over my still-flat belly. "It's strange—everything feels so normal right now. Almost like we're just any other couple waiting for their first ultrasound."
He chuckles. "We are far from normal, zvyozdochka ."
"I know. But with Megan's interviews hitting harder and harder, and Sayanaa going quiet..." I trail off, not wanting to jinx anything.
"The war isn't over yet," Vadim reminds me gently. "But we're winning. That's why we're being careful, having Dr. Chen come here instead of risking you leaving Pankration."
I nod, thinking about how much has changed. The final designs for Svoboda's new collection are complete—a tribute to Irina's vision mixed with my own style but named after her. Megan's latest exposé about the trafficking victims had over a million views within hours.
We're making real progress.
A knock at the door makes me jump. Dr. Chen enters with her ultrasound machine. As she sets up the equipment, I grip Vadim's hand more tightly. Despite everything we've faced, this feels like the most momentous thing yet.
"Are we ready today?" Dr. Chen asks, squeezing the cold gel onto my stomach.
I look up at Vadim and see my own mix of excitement reflected in his eyes. "Ready," I whisper, though my racing heart suggests otherwise.
Dr. Chen's hands tremble slightly as she arranges the ultrasound equipment.
"Mr. Stravinsky, would you mind stepping out for a moment while I prepare your wife?"
My heart skips at being called Mrs. Stravinsky. Even after everything, it still feels new.
Vadim kisses my forehead. "Of course, doctor. I'll be right outside, zvyozdochka ."
As the door closes behind him, something nags at me. Dr. Chen has never asked Vadim to leave before. And she's usually so confident and steady with her movements. Today her hands keep shaking as she adjusts dials and settings.
"Is everything alright?" I ask.
"Yes, yes. Just need to..." She trails off, fumbling with the ultrasound wand. A bead of sweat rolls down her temple despite the cool air in the room.
"Dr. Chen?"
She won't meet my eyes. Her usual warm bedside manner is replaced by darting glances at the door. The way she keeps wringing her hands reminds me of someone else who was terrified.
Taliya.
In Megan's interview.
My stomach churns, and not from morning sickness. Dr. Chen has always been so composed during our previous visits. The way she's acting now...something isn't right.
"Just a few more adjustments," she mutters, but she hasn't actually done anything with the equipment for the past minute.
Dr. Chen's face crumples and tears start streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Stravinsky. I'm so, so sorry."
"What's wrong?" My heart pounds as I try to sit up on the exam table. "Dr. Chen, you're scaring me."
"I don't want to do this." Her words come out in a choked whisper. "But I have no choice?—"
Before I can process what's happening, she lunges forward with something glinting in her hand.
A scalpel.
Aimed straight at my belly.
Pure instinct takes over. I grab her hands, but the blade slices deep into my palm. Hot pain lances through my hand as blood wells up, making my grip slippery. But I don't let go.
"Please," she sobs, trying to wrench free. "I have to?—"
"VADIM!" I scream, using every ounce of strength to keep the scalpel from plunging into my stomach. Blood drips down my arm as Dr. Chen and I grapple. The cut burns, but all I can think about is protecting our baby. "VADIM!"
My arms shake with the effort of holding her back. Dr. Chen may be smaller than me, but desperation gives her strength. The scalpel inches closer to my belly despite my blood-slicked grip.
"I'm sorry," she keeps crying. “Please forgive me.”
The door crashes open as Vadim bursts in, and rips Dr. Chen away from me with such force that I hear something crack.
My hands are slick with blood, throbbing in time with my racing heartbeat. But I barely register the pain as my trembling fingers fly to my stomach.
Thank god!
The blade didn't reach my belly. Our baby is safe.
Dr. Chen crumples to the floor, sobbing hysterically. "I didn't want to—they made me do it! Please, I had no choice!"
Vadim towers over her, his face twisted in cold fury. "Who made you?" His voice carries the deadly edge I've only heard a few times before.
"They took her." Dr. Chen's words dissolve into broken wails. "They took my daughter last week. My Bianca..."
The raw anguish in her voice strikes something deep inside me. Despite my bleeding hands, despite what she just tried to do, I find myself stumbling forward to grab Vadim's arm before he can move closer to her.
"Who?" My voice shakes as I pull him back. "Dr. Chen, who took Bianca?"
Dr. Chen's body shakes with each sob as she tells us what happened. "I was working late at the clinic. When I got home..." Her voice breaks. "There were men everywhere. They had guns pointed at my husband, at Bianca..."
My heart twists painfully despite the throbbing in my hand. I've seen that same desperate terror before.
"And there was a single woman among them." Dr. Chen's words come faster now, tumbling over each other. "She kept stroking Bianca's hair, telling me what pretty eyes she has."
Dr. Chen's fingers claw at her own arms, leaving angry red marks. "She told me what I had to do…” Fresh tears stream down her face. "A child for a child, she said.”
Vadim's entire body has gone rigid beside me. I know that coiled tension—he's fighting the urge to unleash violence. But Dr. Chen is just another victim here.
"What did this woman look like?" I ask softly, though I have a suspicion who it might be. There are only two people in this world cruel enough to force a mother to choose like this.
"Tall, maybe in her early fifties..." Dr. Chen's voice trembles. "Like a statue come to life. Her hair was dark with streaks of silver." She wrings her hands. "But her eyes... they were so cold. It was like looking into two pieces of ice."
My blood runs cold.
"And rings." Dr. Chen stammers. "She wore rings on every finger." Dr. Chen's voice breaks. "I saw them when she grabbed Bianca's chin to make her look up."
Vadim's hand tightens around mine. I know he's reached the same conclusion.
"She kept calling my daughter little dove," Dr. Chen adds. "While she told me what I had to do. I didn't want to. I told her I didn't want to. But she left me no choice."
Dr. Chen shakes her head. "She knew everything about us—Bianca's school schedule, my husband's work route, even which nights I volunteer at the free clinic." Her voice drops to a horrified whisper. "She said they'd been watching us for weeks, waiting for the right moment."
My stomach churns as the full scope of Olga's vileness hits me.
She didn't just target Dr. Chen randomly. She deliberately chose someone we trusted, someone with access to me. She turned a healer into a weapon by exploiting the one thing more precious than a doctor's oath:
A mother's love for her child.
I exchange a look with Vadim, seeing the same determination in his eyes that I feel.
We can't let another child suffer.
"Dr. Chen," I say softly, kneeling beside her despite the burning pain in my hands. "Vadim can help get Bianca back."
She looks up, tears still streaming down her face. "How? The police can't help. She told me that she'd kill her if I went to them."
"My husband has helped others in your position before. He knows how these monsters operate. Trust me."
"Really?" Dr. Chen's voice cracks with desperate hope. Her eyes dart between us. "You can really help get my baby back?"
"Yes," I tell her firmly. "We can."
Her gaze falls to my bleeding hands and fresh tears well up. "Oh god, what have I done? Let me patch those up for you." She starts to rise but hesitates, clearly unsure if she should come near me again.
I instinctively pull back at the thought of letting her touch me after what just happened. But when I glance at Vadim, he gives me a reassuring nod. He'll be right here watching.
And Dr. Chen is still the same person who's cared for me and our baby these past weeks.
"Okay," I whisper, holding out my trembling hands.
Dr. Chen's hands tremble as she wraps gauze around my palm. The sharp sting of antiseptic makes me wince, but I focus on staying still while she works.
"I'm so sorry," she whispers again, taping the bandage in place. "I didn't mean to. The cut isn't too deep. There shouldn't be permanent damage."
Vadim paces behind her, his footsteps measured and deliberate. "Olga is playing a different game here." His voice carries a dangerous edge. "She wouldn't expect you to succeed in killing our baby."
"No," I say slowly as I think. "If anything, she'd expect you to kill Dr. Chen in retaliation." My stomach churns at how casually we're discussing murder, but I push through. "That would give her exactly what she wants—another corpse to pin on you."
Vadim's eyes meet mine, sharp with understanding. "Unless there's a third option we hadn't considered."
I watch Dr. Chen's fingers fumbling with the medical tape. "Like what if, against all odds, Dr. Chen succeeded and managed to escape?"
"Did she give you any instructions?" Vadim asks Dr. Chen. "A way to contact her if you completed your task?"
Dr. Chen nods, finishing the bandage on my other hand. "She said..." Her voice catches. "If I succeeded, I'm supposed to go to the docks tonight at 10PM."
Vadim checks his watch, his jaw tightening. "Eight hours."
My heart skips as I realize we're on borrowed time.
"Dr. Chen," he says, kneeling beside Dr. Chen. "If we're going to save Bianca, you need to trust us completely. Can you do that?"
Dr. Chen nods frantically, her fingers twisting in her lap. "Anything. I'll do anything."
"Good." Vadim's voice is solemn. "You'll go to the docks at the appointed time, but you need to be mentally prepared for the fact that Olga may have already gone back on her word."
"No." A thought strikes me as my bandaged hands throb. "Olga isn't working alone anymore, remember? She's with Kirsan and Sayanaa." My stomach churns. "And Sayanaa likes to play with her food."
Vadim nods. "Which means Bianca might actually be there, but only so they can force Dr. Chen to watch while they?—"
"No!" Dr. Chen's scream cuts through the air. She scrambles backward until she hits the wall, shaking her head violently. "No, no, no! You can't let them hurt my baby. You promised! Please!"
Her hysteria reminds me of how I felt watching Irina die in Paris. That same helpless horror of knowing someone you care about is in danger and being powerless to stop it.
"They won't," I say firmly, though my voice shakes. "We won't let them hurt Bianca."
"I can have sharpshooters in place by nightfall," Vadim says. "Demyon will stay here with enough men to ensure Pankration remains secure in case this is Sayanaa's attempt to draw us out."
My fingers brush against the bandages on my palm. "We need to make this look convincing. Dr. Chen needs to appear like someone who just fought their way out of Pankration after..." I swallow hard. "After completing her task."
"Yes." Vadim nods. "That's something I didn't consider."
"I can help with that," I offer, looking at Dr. Chen's tear-stained face. "Make-up, torn clothes, the works. If Olga's watching, she needs to believe you barely escaped with your life."
Dr. Chen nods, then hesitates. "One more thing." Her voice trembles but carries a mother's fierce determination. "You need to call her. This Olga woman. You need to threaten to kill her."
Vadim's eyebrow raises slightly. "Why?"
"She sent me here to kill your unborn child. You need to show her the rage of a parent who just lost the most important thing in the world."
Dr. Chen's hands clench into fists.
"Because that's exactly what I would do to her if I find out that she hurt my Bianca."