Epilogue – Emika
Three Months Later
It turned out that I was Yelena Petrov’s worst enemy because I stole her man twice. First, it was when they were just lovers with no strings attached. Then it was after our breakup, when he was instructed to marry her to secure an alliance between their families.
She hated me so much for ruining her plans of being Mrs. Tarasov. But in my defense, I’d never meant to hurt her. I just didn’t want to lose the man I fell helplessly in love with.
I’d tried to live without him, to move on and pretend he never existed. However, I couldn’t. I’d tried; I really had. But the longer I stayed away, the harder it was to move on. It was a good thing I accepted my truth when I did. And I didn’t regret it.
Yelena must think that I was selfish and wicked. I wasn’t sure about “wicked,” but maybe I was selfish. She was, too, because she wanted him all to herself. It was a battle, and I won. No hard feelings.
Besides, Adrik had made his choice. He chose me. It wasn’t my fault that we fell in love; neither of us planned it. And even after one whole year, the flames of our passion for each other still burned just as bright.
I wasn’t to blame for what happened to her. It was quite unfortunate that he turned her down twice. But she had an entire year to make him hers. Yet she couldn’t. That’s because he didn’t feel anything for her. They weren’t meant for each other.
I honestly hoped that she moved on and found a place in her heart to forgive me.
Adrik had told his Pakhan that he wasn’t going to trade his future for an alliance with the Petrov family. He told the Bratva elites that he and I had worked things out and had decided to stay married.
Although a few were disappointed by his choice, most still respected his decision. Pakhan Artem gave us his blessings and the approval we needed. To Adrik, that was all that mattered; everything else was bullshit.
These past three months had been filled with joy and bliss. I finally found the happiness I craved and the peace I so much wanted. And I found them in the same mansion that was once nothing but a gilded cage.
My husband and I had sex all the time, as though we were trying to make up for all those months we spent apart. We made love everywhere around the house: the bathroom, the attic, the kitchen, the living room, and on the balcony.
Just yesterday, we’d had sex on the staircase in the middle of the night. And the night before that, we did it in the backseat of his car in an alley downtown.
I’d become so addicted to this man that I couldn’t go one full day without craving his touch. He was the drug that I couldn’t live without—the very air that I breathed.
Every day, our bond grew stronger, connecting us together on so many levels. Some mornings when I woke up, I’d take a moment to wonder how I got so lucky. Even if I hadn’t believed in destiny before now, our story had made a believer out of me.
Destiny. Fate.
That was the only explanation as to why two very different individuals from separate worlds would find themselves and end up falling in love. Despite all the drama, the secrets, the lies, the deception, the death, and the destruction, we still chose each other.
Adrik was still the same ruthless monster people knew him to be. He was just different around me. His calmness and gentleness were reserved only for his wife. Me.
What the rest of the world was allowed to see was the version of him that kept the fear and respect. The beast.
Recently, he’d been accused of money laundering and was brought to court. He didn’t panic, even though he knew he was guilty. Why would he, when he had me as his wife and attorney?
On the day of the hearing, the courtroom hummed with restrained tension, the kind that pressed against the ribs.
I rose quietly from my seat, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle on my black skirt. “Your Honor,” I began, “the prosecution has accused my client of money laundering. There’s no proof—no evidence whatsoever.”
“Objection!” The prosecutor rose to his feet, fingers adjusting the bridge of his glasses. “The defendant funneled money through multiple shell companies to hide illegal profits.”
This whole time, Adrik sat in his charcoal suit across the aisle. Calm and composed.
I replied to the prosecutor without missing a beat, “Those companies you speak of are fully audited and legally registered. Every transaction cited was reported and taxed.”
“How does that negate intent? The pattern suggests laundering.”
“My point exactly,” I shot back. “It suggests laundering—it doesn’t prove laundering.
” My heels clicked against the floor as I turned to face the judge.
“Your Honor, the prosecution wants to criminalize complexity. They want you to assume that my client, Mr. Tarasov, is guilty of illegal activities simply because his past is…‘unsavory.’”
A ripple moved through the jury.
When I glanced at my client-slash-husband, his lips curled into an imperceptible grin.
In that courtroom, I defended him flawlessly, dismantling every accusation piece by piece.
“You heard their expert testify that the money could—emphasis on ‘could’—have originated from illicit sources.” I paused, then continued, “And as we all know, in financial law, ‘could’ is meaningless.”
The courtroom held its breath.
The prosecutor didn’t relent; he fired back, but I was prepared. After hours of debating, the judge finally ruled in our favor.
“The court finds insufficient evidence against Mr. Tarasov.” She raised the gravel. “Case dismissed.”
The sound echoed through the room, a symbol of our victory.
He was guilty.
Yet he got away with it.
Maybe I was just as evil as my husband. But it didn’t matter because he and I were one. His battle was my battle, and mine was his.
***
Later that evening, on the flat rooftop of a private restaurant, we sat across from each other. Under the cold and distant stars, we had dinner alone, just the two of us.
He was resplendent in a white tuxedo and black pants, charming as usual. His hair was neatly combed, his eyes shining with something I couldn’t name.
Dressed in his favorite red gown, I sat in my chair, cradling a glass of red wine. I couldn’t stop staring at him—at the man who’d stolen my heart and proved to me that people could change.
Adrik made me the happiest woman on Earth. He was light, my protector, and the source of my joy. He made me laugh so hard without even trying; that’s how I knew I was with the right person.
“Mom wants to know if you’ll be present at her wedding,” I said, sipping from my glass.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he answered, his lips curling into a faint grin.
“I still can’t believe she found love at the end,” I said, gently swirling the wine in my glass. “I’m so happy for her.”
“I read somewhere that the best kind of love are those you find when you’re not looking,” he stated.
“Kinda like ours?”
He nodded.
I heaved a sigh. “I’m just glad everything worked out for all of us.”
Adrik was silent for a moment before leaning in to clear his throat. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Promise me you’re not gonna get mad.”
I tilted my head to the side, confused, unsure of whether to be scared or anxious. “I’ll try not to.”
“Your friend, Josh….”
“What about him?” I squinted my eyes, worried that something might’ve happened to him.
“He, uh…he works for me.”
My brows rose instinctively. “Huh?”
“I asked him to keep an eye on you since you both were in the same class,” he explained. “I wasn’t stalking you or anything. I just wanted to make sure none of my enemies came close to you.”
“I don’t…I don’t understand.” I scratched my forehead. “Josh works for you, how?”
“I told you before. I have eyes and ears in the city.”
“So….” I leaned back in my chair. “All that time I was away, you knew exactly what I was doing?”
“Not really,” he answered. “I was only interested in your safety.”
“Hmm.” I tapped my finger on my jaw.
“Are you angry?” He stared at me with a soft expression.
“No.” Slowly, my lips parted into a bright smile. “I’m glad that you chose to protect me even while we were apart. It shows how much you care.”
He reached across the table and took my hand. “Tell me, what did I do to deserve you?”
My cheeks flushed, and my eyes crinkled at the corners. “I can name a few things.”
He chuckled faintly, his thumb caressing the back of my hand. “I can’t wait to start a family with you, Emi.”
“Me neither.” I curved my lips into a seductive grin, my foot teasing his leg under the table. “We can get to work right away if you don’t mind.” I bit my index finger, my toes climbing up his leg.
He yanked his brows. “Like right now?”
“Mm-hmm.” I nodded. “There’s no one else here but us.”
He rose from his chair. “You’re so naughty.”
“I’m naughty for you, Daddy.”
He walked over to me—tall, handsome, and ravishing.
“God, you turn me on so much, and it’s not fair.” I spread out my legs, my chest heaving with slow breaths.
He kissed my lips with the kind of fervency that fanned the flames of my desire. Adrik dropped to his knees in front of me, lifted the hem of my dress, and stuck his head between my thighs.
I moaned, arching my back in response to his touch. He shifted my panties to the side and parted my vulva with his tongue. I reached down, pressing his head deeper between my legs, unable to get enough.
The feeling was electric, a reminder that he owned my spirit, soul, and body.
I threw my head back, chanting his name as he made me feel like a goddess—worshipped and adored.
Anytime, anywhere, I’d choose Adrik Tarasov as my life partner over and over again.
He was my biggest motivation and my biggest turn-on.
Crazy!
*****
THE END