Chapter 124 Official News...

Chapter 124 Official News...
“Well then, where’s your chosen one?” Kirill asked skeptically, clearly sensing that the evening was about to get interesting.
“She’ll be down in a moment,” Yartsev Sr. replied, his brows drawn. “She’s been cooking for you all day—she’s exhausted and nervous! So I expect respect.”
We heard hesitant footsteps approaching, and everyone turned toward the woman entering the room. The shock and surprise on every single face must’ve been visible from space. Even the toddlers squealed happily:
“Vaaa!”
“Valentina?!” My eyes went wide as saucers, and our former nanny flushed deeply, shyly greeting us. “But… how?... what?” I laughed, holding my belly. “And you didn’t say anything?!”
“Well… it happened unexpectedly,” Valentina mumbled, embarrassed as she sat down beside Oleg. He gently took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. “Everything happened so chaotically and so fast. We were shocked ourselves. We needed time to process it, accept it, and gather the courage to tell you.”
“Oh my God…” I breathed out, getting up to happily embrace the older woman. My heart instantly felt lighter.
“You really got yourself tangled up now!” Nazar chuckled, though his eyes clearly showed approval of his father’s choice.
“I’m really glad it turned out to be you, Valentina,” Kirill added with a smile. “Someone like you is exactly what father needs—someone who can keep him in line and put him in his place if necessary.”
“You watch that mouth of yours!” his father grumbled, playing stern but looking ridiculously pleased—like a cat that just finished off a bowl of cream. It was obvious he felt relieved after seeing that we all welcomed his relationship.
How could it be otherwise? It was our Valentina, after all.
She spent the whole evening fussing around the table and around him, while he, in turn, practically purred under her attention. It was strange to watch, unfamiliar even… but the truth was undeniable—their eyes sparkled, and smiles never left their faces.
When it was time for tea with the magnificent pie Valentina had made, I immediately volunteered to help. Of course I did!
“Alright, confess! How did this happen?!” The moment we stepped into the kitchen, I practically jumped on our former nanny with questions, impatient to finally hear the juicy story. Val flushed bright red.
“Oh, Vicky!” she pressed her palms to her heated cheeks and began fanning herself. “After Ivan and I stayed with you and then returned home, about a week passed. Once you left with the boys, I had more free time again, so I went back to making custom pastry orders,” she laughed. “A good acquaintance of mine asked me to bake a birthday cake for her husband. I made it and went out to meet her to hand it over. I walk out of the house and—there he is! All dressed up, holding flowers… and completely stunned. Oleg did NOT expect me to walk out like that,” she chuckled softly.
“And? Did you talk?” My patience was hanging by a thread. I hate pauses in the middle of a good story.
“I stared at him, and he stared right back! Honestly, my knees went weak, and I needed a moment to collect myself. But Oleg snapped out of it first—he stepped up to me, handed me the flowers, and told me he missed me and couldn’t get me out of his head. Oh, Vicky, you should have seen him!” she laughed happily. “He looked like an inexperienced schoolboy giving flowers to his crush for the first time! But that lasted only until he noticed the cake box in my hands. The transparent lid made it impossible to miss the big festive inscription: ‘To the most beloved man in the world!’”
I gasped, pressing my hand to my mouth, instantly imagining the scene—and my father-in-law’s expression. Knowing his temper, I’m sure that in his mind, at minimum, a murder had already taken place.
“His face went stone-cold in an instant. He said he had serious feelings for me and wanted a real, committed relationship. Then he nodded toward the cake in my hands and said, ‘You need to make a choice—him or me!’ I was so shocked and overwhelmed that I didn’t immediately understand what he meant. So I blurted out, ‘You… or the cake?’ I was already thinking he wanted me to stop baking—or worse, stop eating cake altogether!” Val burst out laughing, and I joined her.
“He said, ‘You’re not going to him today! Spend the day with me, and you’ll understand that I’m serious!’”
“And you?” My eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I burst out laughing!” Valentina chuckled again. “I decided not to torture him and explained who the cake was for. He STILL didn’t believe me! He went with me to deliver the order—and after that, we ended up spending the day together… and the night,” she added, blushing.
“You two are unbelievable!” I stared at her with admiration.
“Vicky, we’re adults. We see no point in circling around things,” the nanny sighed softly. “Oleg asked me to move in with him, and I agreed. Honestly, nothing was keeping me in Kremenchuk anymore. My husband is gone, my daughter is grown, married, living in another city, you moved away. I can talk to my friends over the phone. And… I think I should give happiness a chance. Oleg may be an old, stubborn, unbearable goat, but I like him very much… maybe even more than that. And for now, I am truly happy.” Her eyes grew misty—so did mine. Overcome with emotion, I hugged her tightly.
She deserves happiness… they both do.