CHAPTER 35
IRIS
It has been a full week since my father returned from the hospital to recover in the safety of the estate, and the house has been quiet until my phone rings to interrupt my reading.
I look at the caller ID and feel a drop in my stomach when I see Ilay’s name, I don’t know what tempted me to pick up, but I do.
"Iris." His voice comes through smooth but edged. "Can you hear me?"
"What do you want?" I ask, keeping my tone flat.
"Now, that's no way to speak to your husband," he says.
"Cut the crap," I snap. "What the fuck do you want?
" There's a pause, then his voice drops lower.
"When are you coming back home?" I laugh bitterly.
"You're the one who told me to get out. I'm out. I'm not coming back."
"For fuck's sake, stop that," he roars, his voice so loud I pull the phone away from my ear. "What?" I ask when I bring it back. "didn’t you threaten me? You did say the next time you found me, you'd shoot me. So no, I'm not coming back, and plus I think you and I both need time apart."
"I don't need time apart," he says, firmly. "I've been patient for a week. I've been a fucking kind man. So come back to this house in the next week, or I will start bombing your family's estate." My blood runs cold.
"The only reason that place hasn't gone up in smoke," he continues, "is that you're still there.
So I'm giving you a week." I swallow hard.
"Wait." Silence on the other end. "So now you want to talk?
" he asks, his voice softened taking on a bitter edge.
"I'm beginning to think you care about them more than you care about us. "
"There is no us," I say quietly. "Not if you don't stop threatening people and get help.
" The silence stretches between us. "I want to see you," I say finally.
"Where?" he asks immediately. "Pick anywhere you like, and I'll meet you there.
" He's quiet for a moment, then says, "Let me think. Sozhou Hotel. Tonight."
"Fine," I say. "Perfect," he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. "Should I bring flowers?"
"You're going to do whatever you want," I say. "Even if I tell you not to." He chuckles. "You know me so well." Then his voice drops, becoming serious. "I love you." I do not say it back because the words are stuck in my throat, so I simply end the call.
***
I find my father in his study with Roman and Kirill, all three of them going over security reports.
"Dad," I say, stepping inside. "I need to talk to you. All of you." They look up, concern immediately crossing their faces. "What's wrong?" my father asks.
"I talked to Ilay," I say. "This house is rigged with bombs. He threatened to blow this place up if I don't go back to him. The only reason he hasn't done it already is that I'm here. You need to search everywhere." Roman sits up straighter. "How many?"
"I don't know," I say. "But you need to find them all." Kirill stands up. "I'll get the team on it right now."
"Wait," I say, holding up my hand. "There's something else." My father's eyes narrow. "What?"
"I'm leaving," I say quietly. The room goes silent. "What?" my father says, standing up slowly. "What are you talking about? Where are you going?"
"Away," I say. "Far away from here. It's the only way to keep you all safe."
"Absolutely not," he says, his voice rising. "We can protect you. We're not weak."
"I know you're not weak," I say, my voice breaking. "But Dad, he's going to keep coming after you if I stay. He'll never stop. The best thing I can do is just disappear."
"No," he says firmly. "I just got you back. I'm not losing you again."
"Dad, please," I beg, tears streaming down my face now. "If you truly love me, if you truly want to live, I can't take the pain of watching you get attacked and shot at. I need to remove myself from everybody's life." He stares at me, trying to blink back tears but failing. "Please," I whisper.
Roman steps forward. "Dad, maybe she's right. If she stays, he'll never stop targeting us." My father looks at me for a long moment, then finally nods slowly. "Alright. But we stay in touch. Every day. We'll work on some kind of peace agreement with him so everyone can be happy eventually."
"Okay," I whisper. He pulls me into a hug, holding me tight. "Promise me you'll be safe."
"I promise," I say. Kirill clears his throat. "We'll help you get set up wherever you go. Money, security, whatever you need."
"Thank you," I say.
"When are you leaving?" Roman asks quietly. "Soon," I say. "Maybe tomorrow. I just need to handle something tonight first." My father pulls back, looking at me with concern. "What do you need to handle?"
"I'm meeting with Ilay," I say. "One last time. To try to talk some sense into him."
"Absolutely not," my father says immediately. "You're not going anywhere near that man alone."
"I have to," I say. "It's the only way. He needs to hear from me that this is over."
"Then I'm coming with you," Roman says. "No," I say firmly. "This is something I need to do alone. Please. Just trust me." They exchange glances, clearly unhappy, but finally my father nods. "Alright. But you call us the second you're done. Understand?"
"I understand," I say.
***
Later, I make my way to the medical wing of the estate. The doctor, an older man named Dr. Petrov, looks up when I enter. "Miss Iris. What can I do for you?"
"Do you have very strong sleeping pills?" I ask. He raises an eyebrow. "Why would you need very strong sleeping pills?"
"I'm having terrible headaches," I say. "I can't sleep.
" He studies me for a moment, then nods.
"Alright. Let me get them for you." He leaves and comes back a few minutes later with a small bottle.
"These are the strongest we have. It's best if you break one in half and take it. Don't take a whole pill."
"How effective are they?" I ask. "If you gave three of these to a horse," he says seriously, "the horse would be asleep in less than an hour."
"And for humans?"
"Half a pill," he repeats firmly. "That's all you need." I nod, taking the bottle. "Thank you."
***
Back in my room, I pull out my phone and see a text from Ilay, its the address of the hotel in the city center, and its neutral ground.
I reply within seconds: I'll be there in an hour.
***
I spend that hour pacing the hotel room after I arrive early to prepare, my hands shaking as I go over the plan in my head again and again, the small bottle of sedatives hidden in my purse feels like it weighs a thousand pounds.
I order wine from room service, then when it arrives, I carefully grind up four pills into a fine powder using the back of a spoon, watching them dissolve into one of the wine glasses, the dark red liquid hiding any trace of what I've done.
When the knock comes at the door, my heart nearly stops. I take a breath, smooth down my dress, then open it. Ilay stands there in a black suit, his hair slightly disheveled like he ran his hands through it too many times on the drive over, holding a bouquet of yellow flowers.
"For you," he says, extending them toward me.
I take them without a word and set them on the table beside the wine.
He steps inside, those dark eyes scanning me from head to toe, then he closes the door behind him.
"You actually came," he says, his voice low.
"You threatened to blow up my family's house," I say, crossing my arms. "What choice did I have? "
He turns to face me fully, his jaw tight. "That's the only reason you're here? Out of fear?"
"What other reason would there be?" I ask, keeping my voice steady even though my heart is racing. He steps closer, close enough that I can smell his cologne, that familiar scent. "You could've just called me back, told me you were coming home.”
"I'm not going back to that house," I say firmly. "Not after everything that happened, not after you told me to run."
"I was angry," he says, his voice dropping lower. "I said things I didn't mean."
"You meant every word," I counter. "You always mean what you say when you're angry, that's when the truth comes out."
He reaches up and cups my face with both hands, his touch surprisingly gentle. "The truth is that I can't function without you, I haven't slept properly in a week, I can barely think straight, every moment you're not with me feels like I'm suffocating."
I close my eyes, trying not to let his words affect me. "That's not love, Ilay, that's obsession."
"Call it whatever you want," he says, his thumb brushing across my cheek. "But it doesn't change the fact that you're mine, that you've always been mine, from the moment I saw you, you belonged to me."
"People don't belong to other people," I whisper, opening my eyes to look at him. "That's slavery."
"Then let me be your slave." His voice drops, rough at the edges. "I'll wear your chains. I'll kneel at your feet. I'll let you own every part of me if that's what it takes for you to understand."
"Ilay…"
"You belong to me," he says with absolute certainty. "The same way I belong to you, whether you want to admit it or not."
I swallow hard, my resolve wavering. "Why did you agree to meet me here? You could've just refused, could've demanded I come to you."
"I would've agreed to meet you in hell itself if it meant seeing you again," he says, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch.
"Do you have any idea what this week has been like for me?
Knowing you were so close but completely out of my reach?
I've been losing my mind, Iris, every single day without you has felt like dying slowly. "
"You're the one who told me to leave," I remind him, my voice breaking slightly.