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I turned toward her. “No, it’s not. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I know it might seem strange to you, but I love him. I really do.”

“I’m glad you found someone. I wanted you to know I’m investing in the facility.”

My sister never ceased to amaze me. “Are you certain?”

“I never wanted the money and now? I can’t imagine buying houses and cars when children are suffering everywhere. I guess like you believed, I knew somewhere inside it was blood money. How or why I didn’t want to know but now, I’m glad I do. With what Callista went through and Mina, I realized that good can come from a horrible situation. What better way to honor our mother.”

“You’re a pretty amazing sister.”

She smiled, which was rare for her to do. “I want you happy.”

“I am happy.”

My sister was as telling with her facial expression as I could be.

“What?”

The way she squeezed my arm meant something was about to happen.

I didn’t need to wait for long. Maxsim came strolling through the women, Sergei behind him and Mina with her hand in his. Then there was Shadow, with a big red bow on his neck.

“What is this?” I challenged. “Men don’t usually attend bridal showers, you know.”

Given he wasn’t saying a word and Mina was all smiles, I was suddenly nervous. When my sister backed away, my stomach did flipflops.

Maxsim looked down at Mina who nodded profusely, a dramatic nod that she’d learned from me. He released her hand, sliding it into his pocket.

Everything ceased to exist around me. There was no sound, no movement. Just the man I adored standing in front of me with a sheepish look on his face. When he dropped to one knee, the girls all sighed audibly as they crowded around.

“Mina and I would like to ask you a question.” His voice was deep, velvety, and created a wave of heat drifting straight to my core.

“You would?”

“I know being with me is challenging,” he started.

“To say the least.”

“Shush,” Hope barked.

Maxsim arched his eyebrows. “I once told you that you were the light to my darkness. That hasn’t changed. Yet you’re more. You’re the reason I get up in the morning, also why I look forward to coming home. You’re my shooting star who reminded me that while I didn’t deserve a second chance, I wasn’t going to throw it away.”

“Papa. Ask her.”

There were smiles all around.

“Isabel Dayne. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

As he opened the box, a dozen or more memories washed into my mind, including one of my mother telling me she couldn’t wait until the day I found my knight in shining armor. While she might consider him tainted or scarred, to me he was the epitome of a man who would stop at nothing to make the woman he loved happy.

“Does that mean you’re going be my mommy?”

There wasn’t a sound from anyone. They were all holding their breath. I looked down at the sweet girl, tears in my eyes. “Would that bother you?”

“I love you, Izzy. Please?”

One of my friends gasped and I closed my eyes briefly. “I would be honored to become your mother,” I told her. “And your wife,” I added to Maxsim.

After he slipped on the ring and stood, I threw my arms around him.