Chapter 274

ALINA

“ALI!”

I barely had time to turn before someone launched themselves at me.

Not a child this time.

An adult.

Well...

Technically.

“Mia!” I laughed as she nearly tackled me into another hug.

“Breathe!”

“I’m breathing!”

“You are absolutely not breathing.”

“I missed you!”

“I can tell.”

She squeezed me so tightly my ribs protested.

“You vanished!”

“I know.”

“You stopped answering messages.”

“I know.”

“You disappeared for months!”

“I know.”

“And I was this close to filing a missing person report.”

I smiled sheepishly.

“…That would’ve been awkward.”

“You think?”

She pulled back just enough to smack my arm.

Mia Collins.

My best friend.

The woman who’d been volunteering at the orphanage long before I’d become a guardian here.

Her chestnut hair was escaping its ponytail, paint smudged one cheek, and she looked like she’d sprinted the entire length of the building.

She slapped my arm again.

“Ow!”

“That was for disappearing.”

Another slap.

“And that was for making me cry.”

“Mia!”

She threw her arms around me again.

“I missed you.”

I hugged her tighter.

“I missed you too.”

For a moment neither of us spoke.

Neither of us needed to.

She’d been here through everything.

Through my nightmares.

Through Santos.

Through the days I thought I’d never feel safe again.

She leaned back, holding my shoulders.

“You literally vanished off the face of the earth.”

“I had… reasons.”

She looked me over from head to toe.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“Better thwn ever.”

She searched my face for another second before wrapping me in another quick hug.

“I’m just glad you’re back.”

“So am I.”

A chorus of tiny voices interrupted us.

“ALI!”

“Your giant is being attacked!”

Mia’s gaze shifted over my shoulder.

“Oh. My. God.””

“What?”

She slowly raised one eyebrow.

“…Who’s the ridiculously attractive mountain dressed in black?”

I chuckled.

“My husband.”

Her jaw dropped.

“…Your what?”

“My husband.”

“You…”

She pointed between Alexander and me.

“…got married?”

“I did.”

“When?

“It’s… a long story.”

“You married him?”

She looked back toward Alexander.

“…I mean… wow.”

“I know.”

“No.”

She shook her head, eyes still glued to him.

“I don’t think you do… he’s fucking hot.”

Mia was practically drooling, fanning herself dramatically as she stared at Alexander like he was a particularly delicious dessert.

“Hey, he’s taken, remember? Eyes off my husband, you thirsty gremlin.”

Mia clutched her chest in mock offense.

“How mean. I’m just appreciating the view. You can’t blame a girl for looking. That man is built like a Greek god. The shoulders alone deserve their own fan club.”

“Down, girl. I know exactly how good those shoulders are. They’re mine. All mine.”

Mia wiggled her eyebrows.

“How do you even control your hormones around him?”

“With great difficulty. And a lot of self-control. Mostly the self-control part is failing spectacularly lately. I blame that body. It does something to my brain.”

“I bet. That man looks big… if you know what I mean. Like, ‘ruin your life in the best possible way’ big.”

I slapped her shoulder playfully, laughing.

“Mia!”

“What? I’m just saying. The man has presence. And by presence, I mean—”

“Mine,” I cut in, giving her a pointed look.

“All of it. Every inch. Hands off, best friend. I don’t share.”

Mia clutched her chest like I’d wounded her.

“Selfish. But fine. I’ll behave. Mostly.”

She sighed dreamily, watching Alexander patiently endure another round of imaginary tea from the kids.

“God, I need to get married. Or at least find someone half as hot. The bar is now impossibly high thanks to you.”

I smiled, leaning my head against her shoulder for a second.

“But if you ever need a break from all that… intensity, you know where to find me. I’ll be happy to take care of him.”

I gave her a mock glare.

“Over my dead body. He’s mine, grumpy face, and all. Go find your own man. This one’s taken.”

“Selfish.”

“Very.”

We both turned toward the courtyard.

And immediately burst out laughing.

Alexander…

The feared Alexander Dimitri…

was sitting on one of the tiny benches outside because apparently six children had collectively decided he wasn’t allowed to stand anymore.

His knees were somewhere near his chest.

He looked profoundly offended by the furniture.

Andrew stood in front of him with his arms folded.

“No.”

Alexander blinked.

“…No?”

“No more grown-up words.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means…”

Andrew pointed dramatically.

“You have to talk like us.”

Alexander stared at him.

“I fail to see the strategic value in that.”

Andrew sighed.

“See?”

“He did it again.”

Another little girl nodded.

“He keeps using big words.”

“He's showing off.”

“I’m not showing off.”

“You said strategic.”

“Nobody says strategic.”

“I do.”

“Exactly.”

We watched in silence as a tiny girl climbed into Alexander’s lap without permission.

Alexander froze.

Not just a little.

Completely.

His entire body locked up like someone had pressed the pause button.

His arms hovered awkwardly in the air, refusing to touch her, like he was afraid she'd explode if he moved too quickly.

Lily settled herself comfortably against his chest with a satisfied sigh.

"There."

Alexander looked down at her.

Then around at the rest of the children.

Then at me.

"Wife."

His voice was remarkably calm.

"...I seem to have acquired a child."

I pressed my lips together.

"I can see that."

"What do I do with it?"

Mia made a choking noise beside me.

"It?"

Alexander looked genuinely confused.

"I don't know the correct terminology."

"You call her a little girl."

"I know she's a little girl."

He looked back down at Lily.

"I meant... what's the protocol once one has attached itself to you?"

Attached itself.

Like she was a particularly affectionate barnacle.

Before I could answer, Lily proudly held up a tiny flower crown she'd woven from daisies and clover.

"Now you wear this."

Alexander looked at the crown.

Then at Lily.

Then back at the crown.

He cleared his throat.

"I... really don't think that's going to suit me."

Lily frowned as though he'd just announced Christmas had been cancelled.

"Why not?"

"Well..."

He gestured vaguely at himself.

"Look at me."

She did.

Very seriously.

Then she smiled.

"It'll make you look pretty."

Alexander actually looked alarmed.

He tried another approach.

"I don't think black shirts and flower crowns really go together."

"Yes, they do."

"They really don't."

"They do."

"I assure you—"

"If you don't wear it..."

Lily narrowed her tiny eyes.

"I'll tell Ali."

Alexander blinked.

Was that...

Was that a threat?

He'd just been blackmailed by someone who still needed help tying her shoelaces.

Alexander slowly turned his head toward me.

"Wife."

"Yes?"

"...Help."

I smiled as innocently as possible.

"No."

"You find this amusing?"

"More than I probably should."

"This feels like a betrayal."

"It is."

"I thought marriage meant loyalty."

"It does."

"So?"

"I'm being loyal..."

I glanced down at Lily.

"...to the right person."

His expression flattened.

"I've made a terrible mistake."

Lily tugged gently on his sleeve.

"Come on..."

"Wear it."

Alexander looked down at the tiny flower crown as though it were a live grenade.

"I... really don't want to."

"But you married Ali."

"...Yes?"

"So she's our princess."

She pointed decisively at him.

"That makes you the prince."

Alexander blinked.

"I don't think that's quite how—"

"And princes wear crowns."

She nodded with complete confidence.

"Duh."

Alexander looked at me one last time.

His eyes silently begged.

Please.

I folded my arms.

"Oh no."

"You're on your own, Your Highness."

He opened his mouth.

Closed it again.

I could practically hear his brain trying to negotiate his way out of this.

"...Must I?"

Lily's tiny face fell.

"Don't you wanna be Prince Ali's husband?"

I snorted.

"I believe you've got the titles confused."

"Nope."

She lifted the flower crown higher.

"Sit still."

Alexander looked at me.

Actually looked at me.

His eyes silently pleading.

Save me.

He even mouthed the words.

Help me.

I smiled sweetly.

Then waved at him.

"Enjoy."

His expression was one of pure betrayal.

Traitor.

Lily carefully placed the flower crown on his head.

"There."

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Now you look pretty."

Alexander stared at her in horror.

"...I'm not fucking pretty."

A collective gasp swept through the children.

Andrew didn't even flinch.

With the weary patience of someone dealing with a repeat offender, he picked up the swear jar, walked over, and held it out beneath Alexander's nose.

"That'll be another twenty dollars."

Alexander stared at the jar.

Then at Andrew.

"...You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Andrew slowly lifted one eyebrow.

Without a word...

He pushed the jar a little closer.

Alexander closed his eyes.

"...I walked right into that one."

"You swore twice."

A little girl started counting on her fingers.

"That's forty dollars."

Another child shook his head.

"No."

"He said two big swears."

"That's fifty."

The children immediately began arguing over swear-jar inflation.

I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

Alexander reached into his wallet with the defeated expression of a man paying protection money.

"I'm being extorted by children."

Andrew smiled sweetly.

"We're teaching you manners."

Oliver suddenly held up two plastic teacups.

“He can pay later..First we’re having tea.”

Alexander looked at the cups.

Then at the boy.

“…Are we?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t really drink tea.”

“You have no choice. You’re our guest.”

Oliver poured absolutely nothing into Alexander’s tiny cup.

“There.”

Alexander picked it up with two fingers.

It looked ridiculous in his enormous hand.

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

This is how empires fall. Not with bullets. With plastic teacups and imaginary Earl Grey.

He stared at the empty cup for a long moment, then very carefully lifted it to his lips.

“Thank you.”

The little girl frowned.

“You have to drink it.”

Alexander looked genuinely confused.

“There isn’t anything in it.”

“It’s imaginary.”

“…Right.”

He hesitated.

Then very carefully lifted the empty cup to his lips.

“Mmm.”

He nodded once.

“Excellent tea.”

The children beamed.

One little girl immediately shook her head.

"Oh dear.”

Alexander frowned.

“What?”

“You forgot to say thank you.”

“…Right.”

He looked at the empty cup.

“Thank you for the tea.”

The boy nodded approvingly.

“You’re learning.”

Alexander sighed.

He looked frustrated

Yet..

I could see it in his eyes.

He couldn’t bring himself to hate it.

My heart did that stupid little flip again as I watched him — the most dangerous man I knew — patiently playing imaginary tea party with a group of kids who had no idea who he really was.

Or what he was capable of.

And somehow...

He was doing it for me.

I smiled, leaning against the wall as I watched the scene unfold.

This was ridiculous.

This was chaotic.

This was us.

And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

One day, I thought, watching him carefully pretend to sip from the tiny cup while a little girl adjusted the flower crown on his head, I think he’ll make a great dad.

The thought caught me off guard.

But it felt… right.

Warm.

Possible.

Even if we still had a long way to go.

Even if there was still so much to forgive.

Even if Santos was still out there.

I let myself imagine it for a second — Alexander with a child of our own. Patient. Protective. Maybe a little overbearing.

But good.

So good.

I pushed the thought away for now.

We weren’t there yet.

But for the first time…

It felt like we could be.