His Wicked Heart

Epilogue

limerence
(n.) the state of being obsessively infatuated with someone

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PRESENT

GENEVIEVE

It was the loud scream downstairs that nearly brought me to the brink of a heart attack as I hurriedly said my goodbyes to Val before abruptly ending the call.

I rushed downstairs, only to find my daughter crying in hushed tones while my husband tried to soothe her. Emi stood beside them with pursed lips, watching the scene unfold.

"What happened?" Hearing my frantic voice, both men turned their heads toward me, their gazes apologetic as I stared at them with annoyance. Aleksandr shot Emi a death glare, only for the other male to do the same.

"Nothing happened. Your husband just scared the kid by trying to beat me up," Emi grumbled, his voice defensive.

Oh God, I pray He either gives me patience or some sanity for the two of them.

"Papa." Inessa's soft voice drew my attention again. She extended her arms, wanting her father to pick her up. Aleksandr immediately obliged, lifting the girl whose emerald green eyes still glistened with unshed tears, pulling her close to his chest.

Then he glanced at me, his eyebrows furrowing in anger, and said, "Take care of him," before walking away with his daughter, never caring to look back at his brother.

"Chto ne tak s vami dvumya?" I asked with agitation as Aleksandr leaves my sight, clearly fed up with their antics.

Emi simply shrugged before plopping down on the couch, nonchalant about my query. "Leave it be."

"I cannot leave it be when my daughter was literally crying," I snapped, moving forward to take a seat across from him.

Emi had been behaving strangely for a while. When Aleksandr had asked what was going on, he continuously avoided the topic, shutting himself off.

There was one thing I was sure of about Emi after coping with him for two years: he never hid anything from his brother. But he had suddenly changed. Though his usual playful behavior remained intact, anyone who didn't know him too much would assume that nothing happened. But only us, his family, could tell that something was amiss.

"What are you hiding?" As much as I knew it wasn't my place to ask, his odd behavior bothered me as much.

He only stared at me in silence, until a devilish grin crossed his face. "Will you provide me some help?"

"I've been doing it paid-free for years," I said bluntly, unamused by his expression. He only gave me a sheepish grin before beginning to speak.

"So..."

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"You're using my wife for your advantage now?" Aleksandr asked over dinner that night, irritation evident in his voice as he glared at his brother. Emi, who was playing peekaboo with his niece, paid no heed to his brother's threat.

"Thank God you've noticed after two years," He responded, and Inessa's laughter followed right after as he tickled her. "Dyadya, dyadya!" She kept laughing as Emi made funny faces, bringing a smile to my face as well.

Who would have imagined that I'd have such a wholesome, complete family one day? Even two years ago, I never thought that a happy ending such like this was meant for me.