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In that moment, the fog lifted completely. My path, my worth, my light—they'd always been there, in the music at my fingertips, in the heart that beat for love, for this.

In this rose-filled morning, on this stage made just for me, the real Cassie Monroe—the one buried under life's dust—picked up her bow and found herself again.

Chapter 16

Gennady

After her birthday, Cassie bloomed again, like a rose catching sunlight after a long winter. Watching her pick up that violin, seeing the fire spark back in her eyes, filled me with a satisfaction I'd never known. It hit deeper than crushing a rival or wiping out an enemy. My woman had found herself again.

"Gennady, can you teach me some Russian?" Cassie asked out of the blue at breakfast, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

I set down my coffee mug, leaning forward with a grin. "What's got you wanting to learn Russian all of a sudden?"

Her cheeks flushed a soft pink. "'Cause you keep calling me ???????. I wanna know what else you might say to me."

Anya clapped her hands, bouncing in her seat. "I wanna learn too! Teach me Russian, Daddy!"

I chuckled, watching the two of them, so close, like mother and daughter. "Alright, we'll start with the basics."

I stepped over to Cassie, gently tilting her chin to meet my eyes. "First, if you're ever in trouble and need help, you say: ???????? ???—'Help me.'"

"????…???? ????" Cassie repeated, her tongue tripping over the syllables, cute as hell. It took everything not to kiss her right there.

"???????? ???," I corrected patiently, smiling. "And if someone asks who you know, you say: ? ???? ???????? ????????—'I know Gennady Sokolov.'"

"? ????… ugh, that's so hard!" She scrunched her nose, looking adorably frustrated. "Why's your name gotta be so complicated?"

I laughed, a real laugh that felt good in my chest. "????????. Take it slow, ???? ????? ?? ???—one letter at a time."

"???…??…????" she tried, her voice hesitant but determined.

"Perfect, ??? ????? ???????—my clever girl."

Anya piped up, mimicking her. "????????! ????????! I got it!" She clapped, sticking her tongue out at Cassie, who gasped and grabbed her, tickling her sides until Anya squealed for mercy.

Watching them laugh and play, a warmth spread through me, soft and unfamiliar. These simple, happy moments were something I'd never dared dream of in my world of blood and betrayal.

I leaned close to Cassie's ear, my voice dropping low and teasing. "One more, the most important one: ? ???? ?????—I love you."

Her face went bright red. "?… ????… ??????" she tried, stumbling over the words.

"? ???? ?????," I said, brushing a kiss against the corner of her mouth. "You gotta say that to me all the time."

"Then you better say it to me too!" she shot back, pointing at me with mock sternness, but her shy smile ruined any attempt at intimidation. It just made me want to pull her closer.

"? ???? ?????, ??? ???????," I said, looking into her eyes, meaning every damn word.

She smiled, her eyes glowing with happiness, and for a moment, everything felt right.

"Boss, we found out who's behind the attempt to grab Cassie." In the top-floor office of Sokolov Industries, Dimitri's face was grim as he slid a file across my desk.

"Who?" My voice turned to ice, sharp and cold.

"Marco Moretti." He pointed to the file. "We got it out of the guys we caught. Marco's been sniffing around you for a while. When he figured out who Cassie was, he planned the kidnapping."

My fists clenched, knuckles popping. Marco. That bastard had been trying to muscle into Chicago for years, and we'd had bad blood forever. But touching my woman? That was a death sentence.

"Where is he now?" My voice was low, like a growl from the pits of hell.