Chapter 25 Savannah
SAVANNAH
I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, turning sideways to see the full effect.
My bump is undeniable now. At eighteen weeks, I look properly pregnant. Not just bloated or like I ate too much pasta. Pregnant.
My regular clothes don’t fit anymore. This morning, I tried on three different pairs of pants before giving up and wearing leggings. The blouse I’m wearing stretches tight across my stomach, and I know I’m going to need to go shopping soon.
The thought makes me smile. Shopping for maternity clothes. Baby clothes.
“Mrs. Volkov?” Marie knocks on the bedroom door. “I brought your tea.”
“Come in.”
She enters with a tray, setting it on the nightstand. Then she sees me standing at the mirror and smiles. “You’re showing beautifully,” she says. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired, but good.” I turn to face her. “Marie, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you know where I could go for maternity clothes? I’m going to need new things soon, and I have no idea where to start.”
Her face lights up. “Oh, I’d be happy to help with that! There’s a wonderful boutique in SoHo. Very tasteful, very comfortable. I can make you an appointment if you’d like.”
“That would be amazing. Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure, dear.” She pours the tea, adding honey the way I like it without asking.
After she leaves, I head to my office, walking past Ledger’s when I hear his voice, sharp and cold in a way I rarely hear when he talks to me.
“I don’t care what excuses you have. The shipment was short by fifteen kilos. That’s over two hundred thousand dollars in product. Someone in your network is stealing, and I want to know who.”
I freeze in the hallway.
“Find them. I want a name by tomorrow. If you can’t handle your people, I’ll find someone who can.”
Silence.
“Good. Report back when it’s handled.”
I slip into my office and close the door quietly.
Fifteen kilos. Two hundred thousand dollars. Product.
Drugs. He’s talking about drugs.
I shake my head, hoping it’ll dispel the thoughts, then I open my laptop and get back to work on the Q4 marketing campaign.
The next conversation I overhear is two days later.
Alexi is in Ledger’s office, and I’m in mine with the door cracked open because the penthouse gets stuffy sometimes.
“The Brooklyn Heights building is operational,” Alexi says. “Petrov’s people moved in last week. First shipment went through clean.”
“Good. What about the tribute?”
“Four percent, just like you agreed. Came through yesterday.”
“And our own operations?”
“Running smoothly. The new contact at the port authority is better than the last one. Hasn’t asked questions, hasn’t caused problems.”
“Keep it that way. The moment someone gets greedy or nervous, we replace them.”
“Understood.” A pause. “Dad, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Does Savannah know? About all of it?”
My breath catches. I lean closer to the door, straining to hear.
“She knows enough,” Ledger says carefully. “She’s not stupid.”
“And she’s okay with it?”
“She’s still here, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, but—” Alexi sounds uncertain. “This is different from the legitimate businesses. If she really understood what we do—”
“She understands more than you think.” Ledger’s voice is firm. “And she’s stronger than you’re giving her credit for. She chose this life, Alexi. All of it.”
Did I? I’m not sure I consciously chose anything. I just kept staying, kept accepting, kept loving him despite everything I learned.
But maybe that is choosing.
The next conversation happens during dinner.
Silas stops by to drop off some documents, and Ledger invites him to stay for the meal that Antoine prepared. I’m at the table, eating pasta that I’ll probably regret later, when they start talking business.
“The distribution network needs restructuring,” Silas says. “Too many people handling the product between the docks and the buyers. Every hand it passes through is a risk.”
“Agreed. What do you propose?”
“Cut out the middle layers. Go directly from the warehouse to the buyers. Less exposure, less chance of someone skimming or talking.”
“And the people we cut out?”
“Compensate them. Give them other roles. Keep them happy so they don’t become problems.”
Ledger nods, considering. Then his eyes flick to me. I’m not hiding the fact that I’m listening or pretending to be absorbed in my food. He holds my gaze for a moment, and I see the question there. Is this okay? Are you okay?
I give a small nod.
He turns back to Silas. “Make it happen. I want the new structure in place by next month.”
After Silas leaves, Ledger and I finish dinner in silence. Then he sets down his fork and looks at me. “You heard all of that.”
“I did.”
“And?”
“And what?” I take a sip of water. “You run a criminal organization. I’ve known that for a while now. I’m just finally understanding how big it is.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Not exactly.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you. Because you’re the father of my baby.
Because this penthouse feels more like home than anywhere I’ve ever lived.
” I set down my glass. “And because I’m starting to understand that you’re really not a monster.
You’re just a man doing what he has to do to protect his family and his empire. ”
He’s quiet for a long moment. “That’s one way to see it.”
“How do you see it?”
“I see a criminal who got lucky enough to trick a good woman into loving him.”
“I’m not that good. And you didn’t trick me.
” I reach across the table and take his hand.
“I see exactly who you are, Ledger. All of it. The businessman and the Bratva boss. The hotel magnate and the drug smuggler. The man who threatens people’s families and the man who cries at ultrasound pictures. ”
“I didn’t cry.”
“Your eyes got shiny. Same thing.”
That night, lying in bed with my hand on my bump and the city glowing outside, I think about something Marie said about Ledger once.
He’s a good man, even when he’s doing things that aren’t so good.
The legitimate businesses are a cover. I understand that now. The hotels, the real estate, the tech companies. They’re all fronts for the real empire underneath. The shipments from Eastern Europe. The distribution networks. The territory disputes and tribute payments.
Ledger Volkov doesn’t just own businesses. He owns sections of this city. Controls what moves through them. Decides who operates where and who pays what. He’s not just wealthy. He’s powerful in a way most people can’t comprehend.
And I’m his wife.
Three months ago, that realization would have sent me running. It would have had me calling the police, packing my bags, or finding some way to escape.
But now? Now I’m just trying to figure out where I fit in this world he’s built. Because I’m not leaving. Not now. Maybe not ever.
The question isn’t whether I can accept what he does. I’ve already accepted it. The question is what kind of person that makes me.
“Savannah?” Ledger’s voice is sleepy. “You still awake?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Everything. Nothing. Us.”
He pulls me closer. “We’re going to be okay, you know. All three of us.”
“I know.”
And the strange thing is, I do know. Despite everything I’ve learned, despite understanding exactly what kind of man I married, I believe him.
We’re going to be okay.
Even if okay looks nothing like what I thought my life would be.