Chapter 109 HOME IS WHEREVER YOU ARE
Chapter 109 HOME IS WHEREVER YOU ARE
••Luciana••
Most of our days in Mauritius were just like a slow, beautiful blur of sun, salt, and the kind of peace I never thought I’d find.
We had been on this island for two and a half weeks now. If you added that to the time we spent exploring the skyscrapers of New York and the romantic streets of Paris, it had been a full month of being away from the chaos.
I was really loving this island life. It was serene, quiet, and a far cry from the life we used to live back home, where every shadow held a threat and every conversation felt like a chess move.
Here, I loved the independence and the privacy. I loved having access to parts of Roman that he usually kept locked behind iron doors.
During those two and half weeks in Mauritius, I even celebrated my birthday. Roman had outdone himself, arranging a private dinner on a yacht that sailed into the sunset. It was magical.
And of course, on that night, we had the most amazing sex.
For a once miserable virgin, I feel it's important to point that out—not that I'm a virgin anymore, thank God, but compared to the girl I used to be, I felt like a queen.
We managed to explore everything the island had to offer. We went on hikes through lush greenery, took boat rides to nearby secluded islands, and tried the best restaurants on the days we didn't feel like eating at the villa.
I knew Roman had a lot of work to do. His responsibilities as the Orlov heir didn't just disappear because we were on vacation. He had to balance his time between handling the family’s international business and spending time with me.
I watched him sometimes, his face stern as he barked orders into his phone, but the moment he looked at me, his eyes would soften. I didn't mind the work. I didn't want to be that hot-blooded wife who competed for his attention and caused him to slack at his duties. I wanted to be a supportive wife, and so far, I was trying my best.
“Babe?” I called out as I stepped out of the bathroom, drying my hair with a towel.
I had heard the chef bringing up our meal earlier while I was in the shower. The scent of grilled seafood and fresh herbs was already wafting through the room, making my stomach growl. I hoped Roman hadn't started without me, or worse, finished the whole thing himself.
“Roman?” I called again, frowning when I saw our bed was empty. The food was laid out on the table, perfectly served, but he wasn't there.
A strange prickle of unease moved down my spine. I left the bedroom and went straight downstairs to the living room. I found him there, sitting on the edge of the couch with his head buried in his hands. The broad shoulders that usually looked so invincible were slumped.
“Roman, I’ve been calling you,” I said softly, coming closer. I sat down beside him, placing a hand on his back. “Is anything wrong?”
He took a deep breath, finally looking up at me. His eyes were tired, the "work" mask back in place but cracked with worry.
“I just got a call from home, I need to be there as soon as possible Luci. I know I promised that we could be here till whenever you want, but things are about to get bad over there.” Pain was written all over his face as he spoke.
“Why? What happened?” I asked, my heart sinking.
“It’s the girl Theo is with,” Roman explained, his voice low. “The one in the hidden relationship. It turns out she once worked for a man who wields a lot of power within the Serbian mob. And he wants her back. He considers her his property.”
My blood ran cold. The Serbians were not friends with the Russians. In our world, an insult like that, taking a woman claimed by another, wasn't just a personal matter.
“If this isn't handled correctly, and quickly, it’s going to lead to a full-scale war,” Roman said.
“We cannot allow that to happen,” I said firmly. I knew the cost of war. I knew how many lives would be lost over a single spark.
“Yes,” Roman nodded. “And that’s exactly why I need to go home. Theo is… he’s not level-headed right now. He’s thinking with his heart, not his gun. If I’m not there to mediate and handle the Serbians, it’s going to be a bloodbath.”
“Okay,” I said, squeezing his hand. “We’ve spent more than enough time here anyway.”
Even though I felt a sharp pang of sadness at the thought of leaving our bubble, I didn't show a hint of it. I wouldn't be the reason he hesitated. I knew what was at stake. Family came first, that was the vow we both lived by.
Roman looked at me, his expression full of guilt. He apologized over and over. He felt like he was breaking a sacred promise to me by cutting our time short.
Watching him sitting there, so concerned about my happiness even while a war was brewing, I felt a familiar warmth spread through me.
Is it possible for me to fall in love with him all over again?
Every day he showed me a version of himself that was better than the day before.
“It’s nothing, Roman,” I reassured him, leaning in to brush a stray hair from his forehead. “Of course we should go back. You need to protect your family. You are the heir; this is what you were born for.”
He reached out, pulling me into a short, fierce kiss. “Thank you, Luci. Truly.”
Even after that, he tried to apologize again, but I stopped him with a finger to his lips. I told him how much I had enjoyed every single minute of being here with him. I told him how much it meant to me that he was intentional and genuine with every hike, every dinner, and even every argument.
“It was all perfect,” I whispered. “But I’m ready to go back home whenever you are. Because I’ve realized something while we were here…
wherever you are is where home is for me. The villa, the estate, a yacht—it doesn't matter as long as you're there.”
I truly meant everything I said.
For the first time in my life, I felt truly rested and recharged. This vacation had given us something precious: a foundation.
We had spent quality time together without the suffocating pressure of our families or the expectations of the alliance. We had learned how to be a husband and a wife before we had to go back to being a Prince and Princess of the underworld.
I was actually happy to go back.
I was ready to start new with him. We had found our peace in Mauritius, but we were taking the strength of it back to Russia.
As we went upstairs to pack our bags, I took one last look at the sunset. It was beautiful, but I wasn't afraid of the dark anymore. Not when I had Roman walking beside me.