Chapter 78 OUR HOME
••Luciana••
It took a month and a week for our new home to be ready. When I say "our home," I mean the place where Roman and I would finally build our life together, a place for us to start our family.
The process took longer than expected because Roman and I had our fair share of disagreements. We couldn't decide on the location of our new home for the longest time. We considered many options, but in the end, we both agreed on a beautiful area near Tver, a city close to Moscow, but far enough for us to feel like it was our own space while still being connected to the Orlov family.
Roman left me in charge of the interior design. He trusted me completely with the aesthetics, and honestly, I was excited to make this place feel like it was truly ours. I had everything at my fingertips, and for the first time, I got to create something that was purely for me, for us. I had the freedom to choose the colors, the textures, the furniture, everything that would make this house our sanctuary.
On the day the house was ready, I called Roman, wanting him to see it with me. He gave me every excuse in the book to not come, but I wouldn't let him get away with it. There was no way I was going to enjoy this moment without him. He finally agreed to come with me.
The moment we stepped inside, I was overwhelmed by how beautiful everything turned out. The floors were done with polished, dark wood, which complemented the light-colored walls that created an inviting atmosphere. The kitchen had everything I wanted. There were sleek white marble countertops and top-of-the-line appliances that would make any chef envious. The cabinets were spacious, with modern handles and a clean, minimalist design. The dining area had an elegant table with black velvet chairs, just perfect for family dinners.
I was particularly proud of the living room. I had designed it to be a mix of comfort and luxury. A large, plush couch in deep grey was positioned in front of a fireplace. On the wall opposite, a big flat-screen TV was mounted, and surrounding it were personal touches, family portraits of both Roman's family and my family were hung, in beautiful frames and a few vases with fresh flowers on the side tables.
The space was cozy, warm, and welcoming. The hallway leading to the rooms was lined with more photos of Roman and me, moments from our journey together, along with a few pictures of his family. It felt like a timeline of our lives, displayed in frames as you walked through the house.
I had chosen everything carefully, each piece of furniture and decoration was there for a reason.
Roman walked through each room with a smile on his face. His eyes softened when he saw everything I had done.
"This is a job well done, Luci," he said, standing by the doorframe of my favorite room, his office. I had made sure it was even better than the one at his family’s house.
"I’m even more surprised it turned out better than I pictured it to be," I admitted with a smile.
"You did well, baby," he added, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
"Maybe I should consider starting an interior design career," I teased.
"You’ll have a lot of running to do with me as your genius client," he said, a playful grin spreading across his face.
"Hmm, hmm." I nodded in agreement, basking in the pride of what I had accomplished.
"But you know that’s not possible," he added, his tone becoming serious.
"I know you’ll disagree, but it’s not that bad. At least I’ll have something to keep myself busy with," I protested, just a little, not wanting to push him too much.
"Luci, I have a responsibility to take care of you, and that means providing all that you need," he explained, his expression soft but firm.
"I know this doesn’t stop you from providing for my needs," I countered, gently.
"You and I have a reputation to protect. For our family too. You know this," he replied, more seriously now.
"I know, I just wanted to try," I said, my voice softening.
"I can build more houses and pay you to design for me if that makes you feel better," he joked, his eyes twinkling with affection.
"That’s not funny," I laughed, playfully swatting at him.
"Told you, anything for my princess," he grinned, and I reached up to kiss him on the lips.
Before I knew it, he had lifted me, his body pressing me against the office table. Our kiss deepened, and it quickly led to something much more. The intimacy between us felt different this time, more powerful, more real. It was like we were both finally fully letting go of our pasts, embracing this new chapter we were writing together.
••Roman••
As we lay together, spent from our third intimate encounter in the space of three weeks, I couldn't help but marvel at the incredible woman beside me. Luci was everything I never thought I needed, and yet everything I had ever wanted. She had unlocked a part of me that I didn't even know existed, a side of me that could love, could care for someone else.
She was getting dressed now, and I couldn’t help but watch her, the way she moved with ease and confidence. I had to ask her though, "Why are you doing that?"
"This is your office, and anyone can walk in," she replied, her voice calm.
"But this is our home," I insisted, still sitting on the edge of the bed.
As I began to put on my shirt, I heard voices coming from outside the room. My stomach dropped.
"Did you hear that?" Luci asked.
"Oh shit! I forgot," I exclaimed, my heart rate speeding up.
Luci was now looking at me, waiting for an explanation.
"I invited Theo and Mildred to come see the house," I confessed.
"And you didn’t tell me?" she accused.
"Sorry, baby," I blew her a kiss, trying to play it off.
As we were speaking, the voices grew louder. The door clicked open, and Mildred walked in, followed by Theo.
"Here they are," she said, her voice filled with excitement.
"Beautiful is an understatement to describe this place," Theo said, his eyes scanning the room.
"All thanks to the master planner, Luciana," I said, bowing slightly in her direction.
"I'm honored," she smiled, her hands over her heart.
"I got a report, Roman," Theo continued, his attention turning to the designs on my office walls.
"What is it?" I asked, not wanting to waste time.
"Marco is planning something against the alliance," he began. "He wants to pull us down so he can have absolute control of the ports."
"Is that all?" I asked, my tone serious.
"That’s all I have for now," Theo responded.
"We need to be more careful since we don’t know what move they’ll make," I added, my mind already racing with plans.
Luci, ever the one to speak her mind, chimed in, "Then you need to inform my family too, so they can be aware of the situation."
"No, we can handle this," I cut her off.
"If Marco wants to disrupt the alliance, that means both our families will be affected," she continued, her voice steady.
"She’s not exactly wrong," Theo said quietly, not wanting to escalate things.
"What did you say?" I directed my attention to Theo, my temper flaring.
"Nothing," he quickly said, taking a step back.
Luci shot him a look but turned back to me. "Roman, this is not the time to harbor hatred. It’s about shared survival," she insisted, her eyes serious.
I could feel my anger rising again, but I walked out of the room before I said something out of anger.