The walk toward the family gathering felt far longer than it actually was.
Not because the mansion was enormous—although it certainly was.
But because Maya kept getting distracted.
By Rege.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The grand staircase curved elegantly through the center of the mansion like something taken from an old European palace. Sunlight streamed through towering windows that stretched across two floors, illuminating crystal chandeliers and casting shimmering reflections across polished marble.
Everything inside the Hastings estate felt expensive.
Carefully designed.
Impossibly beautiful.
Maya still wasn't entirely convinced she wasn't going to get lost.
"I would really get lost in here."
The laughter escaped before she could stop it.
Her gaze traveled upward toward yet another corridor branching off somewhere above.
Rege glanced down at her.
The corners of his mouth lifted.
His faint smile remained.
"I'll give you a proper tour later."
The words sounded simple.
Casual.
Yet something about them made warmth spread through Maya's chest.
Later.
Not if.
Not someday.
Later.
Like there would naturally be another day.
Another opportunity.
Another reason for her to remain here.
The thought made her smile.
She nodded immediately.
Then, acting entirely on impulse, she rose onto her toes again and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek.
The contact lasted barely a second.
Yet the effect was immediate.
Maya pulled away first.
Trying unsuccessfully to hide her grin.
Meanwhile Rege stopped walking.
Only briefly.
The faintest trace of color appeared along the tips of his ears.
Almost invisible.
Almost.
Maya saw it anyway.
And nearly laughed.
Because watching Rege Hastings become embarrassed might be one of the rarest sights on earth.
His eyes softened immediately afterward.
The look he gave her nearly made her forget how to breathe.
Then they continued walking.
Hand in hand.
As though it had always been that way.
As though neither of them had ever done anything else.
—
The gazebo sat behind the mansion overlooking the gardens.
It was larger than most outdoor pavilions Maya had ever seen.
White stone columns supported a sprawling roof draped with climbing roses and ivy. Fresh flowers decorated nearly every surface while soft afternoon sunlight filtered through the surrounding greenery.
The fountains sparkled nearby.
Birdsong drifted lazily through the warm air.
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
Comfortable.
Family.
The moment they appeared, however, every conversation paused.
Every head turned.
Every single person noticed them.
Or more specifically—
Noticed their joined hands.
Maya immediately became aware of it.
Again.
The impossible visibility of whatever this was becoming.
Before she could overthink herself into oblivion—
Olga stood.
Her entire face lit up.
"Oh!"
The delighted sound escaped her instantly.
"Maya dearest."
Before Maya could react, Olga crossed the space and wrapped her into a warm embrace.
The older woman smelled faintly of expensive perfume and fresh flowers.
"Mum—"
"Maya."
Olga pulled back only enough to examine her properly.
Then immediately gasped.
"Oh my goodness."
Maya blinked.
"What?"
"Look at you."
Olga touched her cheek affectionately.
"You are absolutely glowing, dearest."
Heat flooded Maya's face.
Instantly.
Her blush only seemed to confirm Olga's observation.
The older woman looked entirely too pleased by that.
"You are beautiful as always."
Another kiss landed against Maya's cheek.
"And somehow even prettier today."
"Mum."
Maya laughed helplessly.
"Good day."
Olga's smile widened.
"Good day, sweetheart."
The exchange might have continued indefinitely.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—
Nadia intervened.
Immediately.
"Leave her alone."
Nadia appeared beside them.
Took Maya's hand.
And began pulling.
"Maya, come here."
"Nadia—"
"Now."
Maya didn't even have time to resist.
Within seconds Nadia had stolen her away from Olga entirely.
The older woman laughed.
Completely unbothered.
Meanwhile Nadia deposited Maya into the seat beside her.
Then leaned closer.
Lowering her voice dramatically.
"This dress was made for you."
Maya groaned.
"Nadia."
"I'm serious."
"I don't think it's that serious."
Nadia stared.
Then looked at the dress again.
Then back at Maya.
"You're wrong."
Maya laughed.
The sound mingled with Nadia's.
Soft.
Easy.
Comfortable.
The kind of laughter that felt completely natural.
Across the gazebo, Olga had already reached Rege.
Unlike her enthusiastic treatment of Maya, her embrace with her son was gentler.
Quieter.
Yet no less affectionate.
Olga studied him carefully.
Her smile slowly softened.
"You look well."
Three simple words.
Yet everyone who knew Rege understood their significance.
Because he rarely did.
Not truly.
Not in recent years.
Not before Maya.
Rege returned the embrace briefly.
"Mmm."
The response was typically Rege.
Minimal.
Yet Olga's smile somehow widened anyway.
Because she understood him better than most people ever would.
When she finally returned to her seat beside Roman, Rege immediately moved toward Maya.
Not consciously.
Not intentionally.
Instinctively.
As though his body simply knew where it belonged.
He sat beside her.
Directly between Maya and Nikolai.
The moment he settled into his chair, his hand found hers.
Natural.
Automatic.
Their fingers intertwined beneath the table.
Like breathing.
Like habit.
Like home.
Maya's pulse immediately betrayed her.
Across from them—
Eleanor noticed.
Of course she noticed.
Her eyes lingered briefly on their joined hands.
Long enough.
Too long.
A quiet ache settled heavily inside her chest.
She swallowed.
Looked away.
Beside her, Ivan tightened his fingers around hers.
The movement was subtle.
Almost invisible.
Yet Eleanor felt it.
The silent reminder.
The silent reassurance.
The silent understanding.
Her eyes softened briefly before she squeezed his hand back.
Across the table, Nikolai was watching the entire thing unfold with obvious amusement.
Eventually he leaned back.
Smirking.
"How was your night, Beautiful?"
The question immediately drew several reactions.
Maxim rolled his eyes.
Andrei smirked.
Nadia groaned dramatically.
Maya laughed.
"It was peaceful."
The answer came honestly.
And perhaps that honesty showed.
Because something softened across several faces immediately.
Peaceful.
It sounded simple.
Yet for Maya, it meant everything.
Nikolai nodded.
Apparently satisfied.
Maxim offered her a single nod afterward.
Brief.
Reserved.
Yet undeniably warm.
Maya returned it immediately.
Smiling politely.
Andrei followed next.
His grin appeared far friendlier.
Maya's smile widened automatically.
The exchange was small.
Yet meaningful.
Because little by little, the family no longer felt like strangers.
Then Gregory spoke.
"How are you doing, dear?"
His voice carried genuine concern.
Not curiosity.
Concern.
The difference mattered.
Maya smiled immediately.
"I am doing better, Uncle."
And she meant it.
For once.
She genuinely meant it.
Gregory studied her for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Good."
Relief flickered briefly across his expression.
"Very good."
Nearby, Julia remained quiet.
Watching.
Observing.
As she often did.
Roman's attention never wandered far from Olga.
And Ivan remained quietly focused on Eleanor and their intertwined fingers.
Meanwhile Rege's thumb brushed lightly across Maya's knuckles beneath the table.
A tiny gesture.
One nobody else would notice.
Yet Maya felt it immediately.
And despite the family surrounding them—
Despite the conversations.
Despite the noise.
Despite everything—
She smiled.
Because somehow, surrounded by all these people, she still felt anchored by him.
And Rege, seated beside her, couldn't stop watching that smile.
Eleanor was just beginning to speak when movement at the edge of the garden caught everyone's attention.
The conversation paused naturally.
Several heads turned.
And for a brief moment, even the birdsong seemed to fade into the background.
A woman was approaching the gazebo.
Tall.
Elegant.
Striking.
She moved with the confidence of someone entirely accustomed to being noticed.
The afternoon sunlight caught against her jet-black hair, revealing subtle blue undertones beneath the dark waves that cascaded over one shoulder. The exposed shoulder only emphasized the dramatic contrast between her pale skin and the fitted black dress she wore.
Everything about her looked deliberate.
The dress.
The heels.
The flawless makeup.
The blood-red lipstick.
Even the way she carried herself.
She was beautiful.
Undeniably.
The sort of beauty that turned heads without effort.
The sort of beauty people remembered.
As she stepped fully into the gazebo, several family members visibly recognized her.
Nadia immediately closed her eyes.
"Oh no."
The words escaped beneath her breath.
Too late.
Tanya had already arrived.
She smiled easily.
Politely.
Then walked directly toward Rege.
Not Maya.
Not Olga.
Not anyone else.
Rege.
The purposefulness of it wasn't lost on anybody.
Maya felt it immediately.
Not jealousy.
Not yet.
Just awareness.
The awareness that this woman clearly knew him.
Tanya stopped in front of Rege.
Leaning slightly forward.
Offering air kisses near both cheeks without ever actually touching him.
A greeting that suggested familiarity.
History.
Comfort.
Rege remained exactly as he always was.
Calm.
Unreadable.
Completely stoic.
Not cold.
Not welcoming.
Simply Rege.
The contrast between them couldn't have been sharper.
Tanya eventually straightened.
Smiling toward the rest of the family.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
Her voice was smooth.
Confident.
Pleasant.
Then her gaze shifted.
Landed directly on Maya.
A pause followed.
Small.
Almost imperceptible.
Yet everyone felt it.
Especially Nadia.
Especially Eleanor.
Especially Tanya herself.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"I see we've gained a new addition to the family."
Before anybody else could respond, Nadia shot to her feet.
Immediately.
She crossed the distance between them and grabbed Tanya's arm.
Not painfully.
But firmly enough to communicate several messages at once.
"Tanya."
Her smile looked entirely fake.
"I thought we agreed you weren't coming today."
The words sounded friendly.
The tone absolutely wasn't.
Tanya looked completely unbothered.
In fact, she seemed amused.
"I changed my mind."
"Nadia."
"Nadia."
The two women stared at one another.
A silent battle occurring right in front of everyone.
Then Tanya smiled.
Brightly.
Innocently.
Dangerously.
"I simply wanted to visit."
Nadia looked unconvinced.
So did several others.
"I wouldn't miss the opportunity to see everyone."
Her gaze drifted.
Naturally.
Effortlessly.
Back toward Rege.
Only for a second.
Yet that second was enough.
Maya noticed.
And unfortunately—
So did Eleanor.
Tanya's eyes moved lower.
Settling briefly upon the joined hands beneath the table.
Rege's hand.
Maya's hand.
Intertwined.
Secure.
Intimate.
Something flickered across Tanya's face.
Gone almost immediately.
Too quickly for most people to identify.
But not quickly enough.
Because Eleanor saw it.
The disappointment.
The surprise.
The hurt.
And for the first time all afternoon, something close to satisfaction stirred quietly inside Eleanor.
Not happiness.
Never happiness.
Just the bitter comfort of realizing she wasn't the only woman hurting.
The smallest upward curve touched her lips.
Then disappeared.
"Nadia, darling."
Eleanor's voice flowed smoothly into the silence.
Sweet.
Elegant.
Perfectly timed.
"You should introduce Maya to Tanya."
Nadia's eyes immediately narrowed.
Because she understood exactly why Eleanor was doing it.
And she hated it.
Still.
Social etiquette demanded compliance.
So Nadia sighed dramatically.
Then gestured toward Maya.
"Tanya."
Her voice lacked enthusiasm.
"This is Maya."
Maya offered a polite smile.
Warm.
Open.
Genuine.
Nadia continued.
"Maya, this is Tanya."
A pause.
Then—
"Tanya is one of my oldest friends."
The explanation sounded intentional.
Carefully chosen.
Deliberately vague.
Because Nadia had absolutely no intention of providing additional context.
Unfortunately Rege did.
Nadia opened her mouth again.
"Maya is Rege's—"
"We're together."
The interruption arrived calmly.
Effortlessly.
Completely without hesitation.
Silence followed.
Not because of what he said.
Because of how he said it.
There had been no embarrassment.
No discomfort.
No reluctance.
No need to think.
No need to explain.
Just certainty.
Simple.
Direct.
Absolute.
We're together.
The words settled heavily across the gazebo.
Maya felt her heart skip.
Heat immediately climbed into her cheeks.
She turned toward him instinctively.
Only to discover he wasn't even looking at anyone else.
His gaze remained entirely on her.
As though the declaration had been obvious.
As though there had never been another answer.
As though nothing about it required discussion.
Something warm unfurled inside Maya's chest.
Dangerously warm.
Across the table, several family members exchanged glances.
Olga looked delighted.
Nikolai looked entertained.
Andrei nearly smiled.
Maxim simply nodded once.
Roman didn't notice.
He was still watching Olga.
Ivan quietly squeezed Eleanor's hand.
Eleanor looked away.
Tanya remained still.
Very still.
Only now did Maya realize how beautiful her eyes truly were.
Green.
Bright.
Expressive.
And at this moment—
Hurt.
Not dramatically.
Not publicly.
Just enough.
Enough to understand.
Enough to realize this wasn't indifference.
Maya's smile softened immediately.
Because whatever history existed here, she hadn't intended to cause pain.
She extended her free hand politely.
"Tanya."
Her voice remained gentle.
"It's nice to meet you."
For a moment Tanya simply looked at her.
Studying her.
Perhaps searching for something.
Then finally she accepted the handshake.
Her grip remained steady.
Controlled.
Elegant.
Just like everything else about her.
"Congratulations."
The word came quietly.
Sincerely.
And somehow that sincerity hurt more than bitterness ever could.
Because Tanya wasn't angry.
She was disappointed.
And disappointment was harder to defend against.
The handshake ended.
Tanya withdrew gracefully.
Then moved toward the empty chair on Nadia's opposite side.
Taking her seat.
Composed.
Beautiful.
Perfectly controlled.
Yet beneath the polished exterior, something had shifted.
Everyone felt it.
Nobody commented.
The conversation eventually resumed.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Because Tanya had arrived.
And whether anyone acknowledged it or not—
She had walked into the gazebo carrying a story no one had yet heard.