Free?

Laura tried to follow the rhythm of the music, but her movements were clumsy; she felt humiliated. Dimitri sat across from her, remaining silent and unmoving, his gaze fixed on her body.

The redhead did her best to grab the attention of the Russian, but he seemed to have eyes only for Laura. While crying with frustration and rage, she began to slowly remove her clothes.

A loud bang on the front door, caused by its forceful closure, caught the attention of those in the room. Dimitri immediately stood up, surprised to see Boris in front of him. He hadn't shared the address of this house with him.

"I imagine you're surprised to see me. I know you're wondering how I got here without an invitation. But your father isn't a fool, son. He's got more than two brain cells. Sorry to interrupt your party. Now tell me, does your wife approve of these kinds of parties?"

Boris immediately fixed his gaze on Laura, who was crying. The visibly embarrassed girl hurried to pick up the clothes she had taken off to cover herself with them.

"You shouldn't be here; it's a private gathering," Dimitri replied curtly.

"Your father doesn't need an invitation to come to your house. So, I hope at this moment your guests leave this house," Boris felt upset, sensing that something strange was happening, seeing Laura cry.

Dimitri asked his guests to leave, and they hurriedly exited, not wanting to be involved in family problems.

Seeing that Laura didn't leave, Boris guessed she was his son's wife. She was very beautiful, but he could see the suffering on her face.

"Now tell me, young lady, are you Dimitri's wife?"

Laura nodded slightly, immediately lowering her gaze. Boris felt furious. He approached his son without a second thought and slapped him across the face.

"Is this the education I've given you? Look at the state of your wife. How dare you force her to dance in skimpy clothes in front of others? Because I'm sure you forced her.”

"It's none of your business; this is just between us two. You don't have to get involved."

His response only infuriated Boris even more. He couldn't understand what was happening with his son; he felt like he didn't know him at all.

Dimitri had always been of a serious nature, raised under Boris's strict upbringing. His father always demanded top grades and impeccable behavior, and the punishments he inflicted on his son were severe.

When Dimitri remained in a coma, Boris regretted how he had treated him. He hoped those memories hadn't resurfaced, especially not the memories of what had truly happened with Dimitri's mother.

"Girl, I don't know who you are, but from the moment you married my son, you became this family's responsibility. I won't lie to you; Dimitri has been engaged to Yulia for years, and she deserves the position of my daughter-in-law. Still, I won't allow him to treat you this way. Go change; I'll take you with me if that's what you want."

Laura was caught between a rock and a hard place. Of course, she wanted to get away from Dimitri, but she feared for her son. In that moment, she decided to seize the opportunity she had.

"I want to leave, but I need to find my son."

Dimitri shot her a furious look; he wasn't respecting the deal they had made.

"If you leave, you know perfectly well what will happen to your son. Or you could give me back my money, and he'll be safe."

Boris couldn't believe his son had stooped so low, threatening a mother with her child. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling like he would explode at any moment.

"What money are you talking about?" he asked Dimitri.

"That's between her and me. Don't interfere."

"I don't know what has happened to you. You've never spoken to me like this before. Go get your clothes, girl. Whatever amount you owe him, I'll pay it. Come on, we'll pass by your son."

Laura felt deeply grateful to this man. She immediately went upstairs to change and gather some belongings. Finally, she would be with her son again.

Boris observed Laura closely when she returned. She had only brought a small bag with a few things, but she had changed, and now she looked different. Even in just jeans and a simple blouse, he realized she had class. She surely belonged to a good family. Her face seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it before.

"She's my wife, and as such, she should stay by my side," said Dimitri, who had tried to go upstairs after Laura, but Boris had not allowed it.

"If that's the case, you know you are welcome in the Petrov mansion. Come on, girl, let's find your son."

Boris turned slowly towards the exit, and Laura followed, avoiding looking back at Dimitri. She knew he was furious; she could feel it. When she walked out of the mansion without him stopping her, she took a deep breath and felt free.

She knew her son had been discharged that afternoon. The housekeeper had looked into it, so he must be in the small house with his grandmother. She was soon on her way there.

"Mr. Petrov, I would like to stay at home with my son and my grandmother. She's older, and I wouldn't want to leave her alone," she said nervously.

"The Petrov mansion is big enough. Your grandmother is welcome. You can stay there until you divorce my son. We'll just let some time pass, they'll get divorced, and my son will marry Yulia."

The small house on the outskirts of the south side of the city was lit outside by two streetlights that slightly diminished the gloominess of the street.

Laura got off immediately, knocked on the door, and soon heard her grandmother's voice asking who it was. She was glad to hear her granddaughter's voice.

"Daughter, you've returned; I'm glad. Your boss told me you'd be out of town for a while."

"I managed to free up much sooner. Now we need to gather some things; we'll be staying somewhere else for a while. It will be safer for you and my son."

The grandmother didn't ask questions; she just hastened to do what her granddaughter asked, while Laura held her little son in her arms, hugging him tightly to her chest. He was what she loved the most, and for a moment, she feared she might lose him.

In the car, Petrov sat in the front next to the driver, leaving space in the back for Laura and her family.

The grandmother courteously bid farewell, and Boris responded in kind. Laura immediately recognized the path when they were close to the Petrov mansion; it was where she had interviewed Dimitri.

When they arrived, they quickly got out of the car. Upon entering the mansion, she was surprised to see Dimitri already there. For a moment, she had hoped to be rid of him.

"Son, I'm glad to see you accepted my invitation. I need to talk to you alone. Meet me in the library. As for you, the butler will show you to your rooms."

Old Petrov walked away at a slow pace. The butler looked at the newcomers haughtily; he did not like them. He was unconditionally loyal to Yulia.

In the office, Boris patiently waited for his son to enter.

"Here I am. What do you want to talk about?" Dimitri asked as he entered.

"You will divorce that girl. She will be given enough money to leave the country with her family. She seems like a classy girl; I can sense it. But you are already engaged to Yulia, who, though not to my liking, I believe you know well why you can't break that engagement."

"I won't divorce Laura. It's my decision, and I won't allow you to interfere in my life."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, holding the gaze. Dimitri then turned to leave immediately; he had to talk to Laura, so he headed towards the guest room.

He entered without knocking, finding the girl seated with her little son drowsy in her arms—a very tender sight, even if that child were not his own.

He was about to ask her to leave her son, that he needed to talk to her to clarify things, when someone burst into the room unexpectedly. It was Yulia, who, annoyed, saw her fiancé in the company of another woman and that child—was it his son?

Furious, Yulia glared at Laura, then fixed her gaze on the little one, trying to find any resemblance to her fiancé.

Laura shielded her son from Yulia's enraged gaze. Dimitri placed a hand on his forehead, resigned; he knew there would be trouble.

"Who is this woman, and what is she doing here with you?" Yulia shouted.