Andrei’s day began with an uncharacteristic sense of calm. For the first time in weeks, he had decided to shut out the noise—the constant updates from his private investigator, the maneuvers of his stepmother Catalina, and the seemingly endless complications that came with managing his father’s empire. Today, his focus was entirely on Cristine.
She had been on his mind more than usual, an anchor in the storm of his life. Every time he looked at her, every time he caught her smiling softly to herself as she cradled her growing belly, Andrei felt an unfamiliar warmth blossom in his chest. It was as though the woman who had entered his life as part of a calculated scheme had effortlessly become the very center of it.
He knew he needed to confront his feelings. What started as a ploy to expo
