Chapter 24 - Sienna
Everything felt like a dream, like I was drifting somewhere outside my own body.
Faces blurred and dissolved before I could grasp them.
Voices came and went in muted waves. Cool cloths—at least that’s what they felt like—dragged gently over my skin.
Mandy. Oskar. Avit. His brothers. Wexler.
Their images flickered through my mind like an old black-and-white reel I couldn’t stop.
When my eyes finally fluttered open, I had no idea how long I’d been out—hours, days, maybe longer. A groan slipped from me as I tried to push myself up.
“Hey, easy,” Mariya murmured from beside me.
I sank back into the pillows, blinking until her dark eyes sharpened into focus.
“W-where am I?” My gaze swept the room. I’d never seen it before.
“You’re home,” she said gently. “The master bedroom.”
Not the dorm. Panic skittered through me.
“And Mandy?” My hand shot out, gripping hers. “She was hit, she was hit over the head, please, is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” Mariya assured quickly. “She’s safe.”
Relief flooded through me. I closed my eyes, exhaling shakily.
“Sienna?” she said softly.
I looked at her.
“You’re pregnant.”
“I know,” I whispered.
The door swung open before anything else could be said. Ninel, Katya, Kira, and Vera walked in, their faces brightening when they saw me awake.
I still tensed.
“Hey, you’re up,” Ninel said as they moved toward the bed.
I glanced at Mariya, then at the others, heart thudding. I didn’t know if they were all here because they were genuinely worried…or if they’d come to tell me off.
“W-why are you all here?” I asked, gripping the sheet so hard the fabric strained between my fingers.
They all kicked off their shoes and climbed onto the bed, settling around me.
“We’re here because we’re worried about you,” Ninel said gently. “You’ve been in and out of consciousness for three days.”
Three days? Is that why the women were here to take care of me? And if they were, where was Avit?
My brow furrowed. “But…why would you worry about me? After what I did?”
Katya waved her hand dismissively. “Please. All you did was block us. We knew there had to be a reason. So we barged into headquarters and demanded answers from Avit.”
“And when we found out you left,” Vera said, “we understood why.”
Kira leaned in and said firmly but softly, “But don’t think you could’ve gotten away from us that easily. You’re one of us now. You’re here to stay. We love you, and we know you love us.”
“And more than us,” Mariya added, “we know you love Avit.”
My stomach flipped. “H-how do you know that?”
Mariya gave me a look that cut straight through every defense I had.
“You left with what you came with. You kept his baby and were prepared to raise it alone. You didn’t try to blackmail him.
You didn’t demand money or protection or anything in exchange.
You walked away quietly…probably hoping that would give him the chance to find someone else.
Someone who'd make him happy. You put his needs above your own. That’s love, Sienna. ”
“But now that you’re back,” Ninel asked carefully, “how do you feel about working things out with Avit?”
I shrugged. “He seemed eager for me to leave the second I cracked the encryption. I don’t plan on staying here. But now that he knows I’m pregnant, I can’t keep him away from the baby.”
“Sienna,” Mariya said gently, “Safin men are bound by honor. You were the one who told Avit to let you go when it was over. He did exactly what you asked. You can’t be angry at him for honoring the agreement.”
My eyes stung. As much as I hated hearing it…she was right. I created the deal. If I wanted something different, I should’ve said so.
“You’re right,” I whispered. “I was wrong. That part was on me.”
Mariya squeezed my hand. “I’m not saying that so you blame yourself. I’m saying it so you understand why he let you walk away, when he probably wanted nothing more than to ask you to stay.”
“So are you going to work things out with him?” Katya asked. “Now that you understand his side?”
“I don’t know.” I let out a long breath.
“I understand why he let me go, but he still could’ve told me how he felt.
He could’ve given me a choice. Instead, the only option I had was to leave.
” I folded my arms. “Avit pulled me out of my life and dropped me into his. I shouldn’t have to beg for a place in it if he truly feels something for me.
If he wants me here…he needs to make the first move. ”
Ninel grinned, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
“Well, Avit's first move was to bring you to the master bedroom and…” her voice trailed off.
She scrambled off the bed, disappearing into the closet.
When she returned, she carried a stack of boxes, her excitement practically changing the atmosphere of the room. “And he got you these.”
I lifted a brow, my curiosity piqued. “What are these?”
“Gifts!” Ninel practically bounced on the bed. “Now open them. Let’s see what Avit got you…to help him grovel.”
I picked up the first box and gently lifted the lid. Inside were papers. I pulled them out, my heart skipping a beat as I scanned the contents.
“What is it?” Kira asked, leaning closer.
I swallowed, breath catching. “A deed…” I whispered, wondering if I was reading the words on the document correctly. “To my favorite pizza place. It’s…it’s mine now.”
“Way to go, brother-in-law!” Katya cheered, and I felt a small smile tug at my lips despite the lump in my throat.
I moved to the other boxes. One held cozy hoodies and sneakers. Another contained elegant dresses and sparkling jewelry. Another with a document with five percent shares in one of the leading tech companies in Philadelphia.
Then I reached the last box, I gasped when I lifted the lid. Inside lay a framed picture of us. A selfie from the day we went canoeing—sunlight dancing across the water, our faces flushed with laughter and joy, our smiles impossibly wide and free. A memory of our first date.
I felt the tears before I could stop them. One slid down my cheek, then another, and another, as I clutched the picture to my chest. My body shook as I tried to hold back the sobs, but I couldn't.
Mariya’s arms wrapped around me. “Shh,” she murmured into my hair. “It’s okay. Let it out. You've been through so much. But we're here for you, now and always.”
I cried until I couldn’t anymore, until the tears had soaked through her shirt, until my chest ached in a way that felt both heavy and light all at once.
I held that picture like it was the only solid thing in the world, letting the love, the heartbreak, and the hope all collide inside me.
And then, slowly, I drifted off to sleep.
The last thought before I was finally pulled under was of whether Avit would ever tell me how he truly felt—or if he’d just keep buying gifts, hoping I’d somehow piece it together on my own.
Over the next few days, I took my classes from home, and every afternoon, one of the women came by to help, right when my morning sickness hit hardest. Avit kept sending gifts: flowers, chocolates, perfumes…
but he never showed up. He even sent a prenatal basket filled with supplements and fruit.
Mandy stopped by, too, which lifted my spirits.
His brothers visited with the women, and at one point, Pyotr pulled me aside to apologize if he’d ever made me uncomfortable.
He said Avit had been through a lot before everything went down with Jasper, and he didn't want to see him get hurt.
And that Avit cared for me deeply, that I was the best thing to happen to him.
If that was true, then where the hell was he? Why disappear if he cared so damn much? Did he just want me here for the baby?
The more days that passed, and the more gifts he sent, the more on edge I became.
I needed to know where I stood with him.
Not knowing what my future looked like felt disorienting, like the ground kept shifting under me.
I needed answers so I could prepare myself, put things in place… in case he didn’t want me.
So one night, I sat alone in the living room, lights off, waiting. Around two in the morning, I heard the front door open and close, followed by soft, cautious footsteps. When Avit stepped into the living room, I switched on the lamp beside the armchair.
He froze.
“S-Sienna,” he stuttered. “What are you doing up at this hour?”
My eyes narrowed. “Avit, why are you sneaking into your own house at two in the morning like a damn burglar?”
He didn’t answer. I rose from the chair. “If you don’t want me here, just say it. But you can’t keep me trapped in limbo—sending gifts, having your family check on me—when you know it won’t last. It isn’t fair.”
His body tensed. “Sienna…I…” He shut his eyes for a moment, blew out from his mouth slowly, then met my gaze. “I want nothing more than to have you here. In our home.”
“Then why are you ignoring me?” My voice cracked.
“When Oskar sent that picture…When I saw blood running down your face, I snapped. I wanted him dead. And when you collapsed in my arms…I panicked.” He swallowed hard.
“Then Dr. Decker told me you were pregnant, and I felt like the worst husband in history. It was my fault Oskar got to you. He killed your father; of course he’d come for you.
Knowing I put you in danger because I wanted to prove a damn point…
Because I was stubborn was one thing. Realizing I put our baby in danger too…
” His voice dropped to a ragged whisper.
“I felt like the monster you said I was the night we met.”
Hearing the wreckage in his voice gutted me. I closed the distance between us and slipped my hand into his. A single tear trailed down his cheek, and I brushed it away, my palm staying against his face, hoping I could calm the storm in him that was mirrored through his eyes.
“Avit,” I whispered, “what happened wasn’t your fault. I chose to go with Oskar. I knew if I didn’t, he’d hurt Mandy. Hurt the other students. Hurt me. Hurt the baby. I couldn’t let that happen. What I didn’t expect,” my voice trembled, “was to see you walk into that room.”
“Angel,” he rasped, “I’ll always come for you. Since the day I met you, you’re the only thing that makes sense, that gets me through the day. You make me want to be better. For you. For us.” Gently, he tilted my chin with a finger. “I love you, angel. You’re mine…for keeps.”
He leaned in, breath brushing my lips—waiting, asking. I lifted my chin and kissed him. He kissed me back but didn’t deepen it, like he was holding himself together by a thread. Then he pulled away.
And went down on one knee.
And my heart skipped a beat.
He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small jewelry box. His hand took mine as he flipped the lid. A diamond wedding set sparkled back at me.
“Angel,” he began, as he looked up at me, “the first time I married you, it was to protect you. Any man who can offer up his daughter once to pay a debt will do it again. I wasn’t going to let that happen.
” His thumb stroked my knuckles. “But what I didn’t expect was to find the woman God carved just for me.
Fierce. Stubborn. Intelligent. Sexy as fuck. ”
I blushed at his words but didn't interrupt.
“I wasn’t just sent to protect you—I was sent to love you, support you, and give you a life no one could ever take from you.
” His voice cracked as he continued, “I tried living without you, and everything felt wrong. Empty. I want another chance, angel. Another chance at us. Will you do this life with me? Will you let me be the husband you deserve?”
Tears blurred my vision. “I love you too, Ace,” I breathed, “but I can’t do the emotional whiplash.
I can’t do the days where I’m let in and then shut out.
I want someone who’s sure about me. Who’ll fight for me…
for us”—my hand slid to my stomach—“for our baby. Not just one day…but every day, for the rest of our lives.”
His eyes softened. “I will. I swear it on my life. I’ll do all that and more.”
“Then my answer,” I whispered, “is yes.”
A sound left him—half relief, half possession. His hand trembled slightly as he slid the rings onto my finger, tucked the box away, then rose to his full height and kissed me hard. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, needing him closer.
God, how I missed him.
He swept me into his arms and carried me up the stairs. Whatever the future held, whatever waited…we’d face it together.
Tonight, though?
Tonight, I just wanted to make love to the man who stole my heart, and finally feel what it was like to be fully and completely loved in return.