Chapter 96 — Welcome To The Family, Sofija

Velikov, Senjak.

MYKAELA.

This was definitely luxury real estate. A filthy rich mobster's final stronghold.

I winced at the thought and the cool wind sweeping across the sprawling rows of shrubs, flowering trees, and freshly cut grass. I couldn't shake the nervous flutter in my stomach as the SUV drove away from the tall iron gates.

I felt as if we're entering another world. This place almost looked like a compound. A luxurious safe haven that belonged to the man I didn't expect I'd be seeing again. The mansion right ahead looked like a modern palace by the lake.

Wrapped in a knee-length coat, I stayed beside Enzo after we got out of the vehicle. The gusts sounded like they whispered more secrets about my family's mostly well-kept history. The ivy-covered fence and picturesque yard sprawled like living artwork. This was a stark contrast to our modest home in Schenectady, a place where Ilya's name was never spoken. Until Daddy Jim died.

"He must be excited to see you." Magnus stayed right in front of us, his phone in his hand, his steps not hurried or tentative. "Let's see if he's in the mood for coffee," he said in a slightly enthused tone. His well-dressed bodyguards remained beside him, accompanying us and Enzo's security staff.

"Ilya likes coffee?" I asked.

"Addicted to it." Magnus grinned at me and kept moving forward. "He's adjusted to his very restrictive diet, but his sleeping pattern's still a mess. Must be the caffeine."

"What else does he drink?"

"Blueberry and cranberry juice. Beetroot and tea sometimes."

I made a face, my mask covering me enough. It seemed Ilya was just like my dad when Daddy Jim started having serious health issues. "Who's monitoring him now?"

"The nurse on duty must be in the room with him," Magnus replied.

"Oh."

Right. Of course someone like Ilya would employ his own medical staff. They must be taking care of him 24/7.

"Maybe he's up. It's only two." I gripped Lorenzio's hand. The tension in his shoulders and neck practically reverberated through his limbs. I couldn't blame him, though.

He must be going through the same rush of emotions and these spiraling thoughts. Everything Magnus told us during the drive must be sinking in. One revelation at a time.

The bulk of information my brain was trying to process felt like a tidal wave swallowing me whole. My heartbeat wouldn't calm down. My legs felt like jello.

Enzo's hand in mine offered a sliver of reassurance, but today's itinerary and the grandiosity of this place loomed over me and my thoughts. I wasn't excited about meeting Alexei and my other half-brother, but, no backing out now.

If Lorenzio and Magnus weren't here with me, keeping me safe and comfortable, I would never have set foot in this country again. I wouldn't have reached this place by myself, and I wouldn't have gotten this chance to revisit my understanding of family and loyalty.

As we approached the front of the white mansion, I glanced skyward, the huge gray clouds mirroring the storm brewing within me. Some conflicting emotions were shattering the memories I'd thought were the whole truth behind my mother's choice to hide me from Ilya and his family.

With Magnus towering over us and leading the way, the throng of bodyguards escorted us to the mansion's quiet front patio. Ilya wasn't as tall as he was. Perhaps Magnus' late mother also had the height gene.

I gripped Enzo's arm, ignoring the loud thing beating angrily in my chest. My stomach clenched as I tried to make eye contact with the dark-haired man waiting for us.

He wore a plain black shirt and green pants. Like a military man's off-day getup. The guy stood outside the huge front doors, and his cropped haircut accentuated the angles of his stubbled jaw and high cheekbones.

He didn't look like Magnus. But the way he grinned, waved at us, and held my older brother's attention told me he was someone important.

Was he Alexei?

***

Alexei, the "favorite son", greeted us with firm handshakes and restrained smiles, commanding attention with his mere presence.

Although he wasn't taller than Magnus, who stood at 6'5" in normal men's shoes, Alexei's nearly six-feet-tall. Not to mention his broad shoulders and muscular frame exuded a quiet strength, complemented by his clean-cut hair that flaunted his chiseled features.

Dark, penetrating eyes hinted at his shrewd intelligence, and his well-groomed beard added an air of rugged sophistication. Alexei or "Alex" to the people close to him, spoke English with a foreign accent, but he sounded more fluent than I expected.

Small talk began. A stilted dance around the elephant in the room.

Magnus stepped closer to the empty couches as his deep voice resonated through the living room, his tone a blend of formality and curiosity. "So, Lorenzio, tell us more about your work. Zione, right?"

"Yes. My friend and I came up with the name. He's our chief scientist. Worked for J&J before we met. He started working on influenza research a few years ago. Now we're trying to dive into vaccine development to combat the new virus, in light of recent circumstances." Lorenzio's hand found mine.

I intertwined our fingers and stole a glance at him, finding comfort in his nearness.

As he spoke to them about his company's growing medical research team, his blue eyes would often check up on me, a subtle reassurance that we were facing this together. Whatever this might be to my brothers.

"Mykaela, I heard you just graduated from medical school?" With a subtle smile that seemed both genuine and a little surprised, Alexei shifted his attention to me.

"Yeah. I'm about to start residency."

"Nice. Congratulations." Alexei gave me a lopsided grin. His words carried a warmth that contradicted a few things I heard about him.

"Thank you," I replied.

Our host prolonged the chitchat, but every word felt like walking on a tightrope, a delicate balance between revealing too much and veiling the underlying tension.

Alexei's curious questions masked something I couldn't quite decipher.

Magnus, as if sensing my unease, interjected whenever a lull threatened to end the conversation. "Sacha's not gonna make it, I gather." Magnus stood close to the bottom of the wide, carpeted arc-shaped staircase.

"He's with friends in Santorini," Alexei replied with a brief sigh. "He said it's Vana's 21st birthday."

"New girlfriend?"

Alexei smirked and gently swirled the red wine in his nearly empty. "I wouldn't put a label on it yet. You know how he is with skinny blondes."

"You don't say." Magnus chuckled. "And your mother's still in Spain? Barcelona again?"

"Maybe. Your guess is as good as mine, bro."

I hugged Enzo closer to my side, wrinkling his sweater's light-colored sleeve. We exchanged meaningful glances. I supposed he also caught the hint of condescension when Alexei said "bro".

While asking me about my recent graduation and residency applications, Alexei toured us around the house, offering us snacks and drinks when we checked out the dining area. "тата is just taking a nap. He will be up any minute now."

тата? Okay. So that was what he called his father.

"No. It's fine. We can wait," I replied as Alexei showed us the rec room, my voice steady despite my nerves. For a moment, my guard wavered and was replaced by a glimmer of relief.

The rec room was huge like the other rooms. It had a pool table, a separate movie lounge, and even a gaming lounge.

I tried to seem as polite and pleasant as my people-pleasing tendencies urged me to be. It wasn't a struggle, though. I didn't feel threatened in any way.

Like Miles, Alexei carried himself with a nonchalant confidence that belied the dark secrets of his father's businesses. To my relief, Alexei didn't seem the least bit hostile or unwelcoming. There was an undeniable charm to his demeanor, despite his pretty imposing exterior. A kind of natural charisma that could make allies out of foes.

Magnus and Alexei's heedful gaze flickered between me and Lorenzio whenever either of us responded to their personal questions. But as our chats went on, Alexei seemed more of an observer with a mysterious agenda of his own.

While Alexei resumed the house tour, I stuck close to Lorenzio. I had to. I was practically his lifeline at the moment.

Being Luciano Tomassini's son and heir, he was far from welcome here. Magnus probably didn't tell Ilya that Lorenzio wouldn't let me come here without him.

With him right behind me, I stood next to the big glass windows. I wrestled with the awe and trepidation making my hands sweat. My brain kept trying to reconcile the opulent façade of this place with the tumultuous history it sheltered.

The wind outside seemed to penetrate the thick concrete, carrying with it the weight of unspoken truths and unresolved family conflicts. The walls seemed to echo with privileged information about the owner's clandestine dealings, each piece of furniture telling a story I was not privy to. I felt like an interloper in a world where family ties were woven with threads of secrecy.

As I'd imagined, the rooms were decorated with big, expensive-looking chandeliers and hardwood furniture. The curtains and rugs alone looked like they cost more than my tuition. There was an elevator, too Then again, this wasn't just a house. It was a billionaire's mansion. The biggest estate I'd seen in person. The views and hexagonal pool looked unreal.

While Lorenzio and I tried to look the opposite of nervous and stressed, Alexei and Magnus led us to the third floor.

I cut in by mentioning Ilya's recent trip to the hospital, then frowned when Alexei's response didn't include any specific details.

Magnus kept the conversation going whenever there was dead air, most of his replies calculated and quite amicable. While he embodied the perfect mix of charm, power and wealth, Alexei seemed like a modest, slightly aloof introvert with the enigmatic allure that defined a mobster's prized progeny.

I wanted to know more about his life. His childhood. What it was like to grow up with his younger brother. If his parents raised them here.

I couldn't wait to get to know both of them.

***

The patient's room on the third floor was lit by one lamp and the faint rays of the sun passing through the windows. A faint scent of disinfectant greeted us on our way in, the soft hum of medical equipment merging with my pounding heart.

In the fading light, Ilya's hunched figure on the king-sized bed didn't surprise me. He sat alone on the wrinkled blanket. Wires snaked from his frail body to a bunch of machines.

As far as I knew, he was a man whose looming presence had shaped the destinies of those around him. Now he looked just like another patient needing bedside care.

I took relaxed but firm steps forward, bracing myself for this unwelcome reunion. Part of me wondered if this visit would be the prelude to a long-awaited reconciliation. The other side of me wished for this to be over in two minutes.

Lorenzio stood by my side with a protective arm around me, his touch warm, almost possessive.

Before we could get any closer, Ilya's gruff voice sliced through the awkward silence. "Sofija."

I froze. The name echoed in my head. No one ever called me that.

My brother wasn't lying at all. But why call me that? Did Ilya think I liked to be called by a name from a past my parents tried so hard to bury?

Confusion danced in Ilya's baggy eyes when I didn't respond. Was he losing touch with reality? Or was there some weird motive behind it?

Despite his illness, he looked better than I expected. Ilya's thinner, weathered face only showed some of the physical torment he dealt with lately.

"How're you feeling, Sir?" I feigned some concern and took a step closer to his bed. I'd much rather pretend I saw him as an acquaintance with some authority than address him by his first name, as if he were more than a stranger.

"Better now that you're all here." Ilya glanced at Lorenzio and gave me a smile that didn't show his teeth, only the wrinkles around his jowls and pale-colored eyes.

His accent sounded the same. Vaguely Eastern European. His smile, quite disarming, left a subtle wariness lingering in my mind.

The tension in the air nearly paralyzed my muscles. I tried to look calm and composed despite feeling the weight of Lorenzio's gaze, a silent reminder to tread carefully. "It's good that you, um, don't have to stay in intensive care," I replied, unsure of what else to say. I tried to stand up straight. A part of my chest ached when Enzo chose to stay a few feet away from Ilya.

"Good. Yes." Ilya shifted on the bed. "I didn't want our next meeting to be inside a crowded hospital."

"I see."

"Been looking forward to this day." He coughed loudly. "And you are?"

My knees almost buckled when he directed his attention to Lorenzio. I took a few steps backwards to stand beside Enzo.

Though he usually seemed levelheaded and composed, his apprehension showed in his furrowed brows and the tight grip of his hand on my wrist. It was a small, intimate war being waged in our shared silence.

I cleared my throat and stared at his profile. "This is Lorenzio, my fiancé."

A fleeting expression of shock crossed Ilya's pale face. Then concern slightly wrinkled the skin around his tired eyes.

Despite the anxious thoughts gripping my chest and concentration, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand: ensuring Enzo and his family's safety. "We're getting married soon."

"Is that so?" Ilya mumbled, his heavy-lidded gaze focusing on Enzo. He probably knew who Lorenzio was, because he didn't bother to ask any questions about Enzo's family or where Enzo grew up.

Hugging Enzo to my side, I gave Ilya a nod and tried to match his intent stare. "I'm pregnant."

Ilya squinted at us, as if he could tell it was just a lie. While he tried to hide his shock, his eyes scanned my outfit. "Your brother didn't tell me that."

"We only invited a couple of people to our engagement party. In New York. Kept it very private."

Ilya nodded. "I understand. This new virus is making everybody panic." He cleared his throat. "I hear you started a business in the pharmaceutical industry, Lorenzio."

"We're fairly new, but doing our best to excel," Enzo replied flatly.

Ilya nodded weakly and gave me a faint smile. It barely reached his eyes. A palpable unease lingered in the room. When I didn't elaborate, he stepped away from the bed. "How's your mother and sister?"

Okay. So he probably knew more than a few things about my family in Schenectady. "They're fine. Most of the time just indoors, trying to keep safe," was all I replied, my heartbeat still loud.

While he seemed harmless, I struggled to steer the conversation away from them and tried to focus on the mundane, but each attempt was met with a relentless pull back to the inevitable. The rest of the mansion became an inconsequential backdrop to the raw emotions being conjured by our current thoughts.

"I wanted you to talk to my lawyer in person, in case I can't be there on your wedding day. So I asked your brother to find you and bring you here."

"Yes. He told me." I swallowed hard. "Good that we're finally getting to the point," I should add.

Ilya coughed again. "Alex will take you to the conference room. Fedorov will tell you everything you need to know."

Was that his lawyer's name? Conference room? "About what, Sir?" I gripped Enzo's warm and calloused hand.

"Your inheritance, dear."