Get You Back [Completed]

Epilogue

Katerina slowly opened her eyes to see blinding light and hear a humming noise. She was back in the resort with the curtains drawn to reveal the sun and the beach view outside her suite. She  saw an IV catheter on her arm linked to an IV fluid and some medical machine on her side. 

How long has it been? Wasn't she kidnapped?

Upon realizing that she was, indeed, kidnapped, she hurriedly looked around the room and sat-up in fear. 

That was when she saw a sleeping Pavel rousing from his sleep on the couch. He also sat up immediately as soon as he saw her awake and rushed to her bedside.

"Katerina," he greeted and kissed her firmly on the forehead. "You're awake! You're alright, I'm here. You're safe." 

"I... I... where?" she stammered, obviously unsure of the man in front of her. Hannah has confirmed that Katerina's stepfather left her a huge amount of wealth which she never saw. Hannah also revealed that this man in front of her once wanted her dead. She knew the truth then and now. And that caused mixed emotions in her heart for this man. She feared him and wanted him at the same time.

"We're safe now. Hannah's gone. No one's out to get us anymore. You were in shock so I had a doctor check up on you last night. But you're okay now. Don't worry. I'll protect you and Paulo better from now on," he said.

"But... you tried to... kill me before...," she whispered, without looking into his eyes in fear of drowning in those black depths again. She can't let him fool her again for the third time.

"Whatever she told you was a lie, Katerina," Pavel defended himself. "I can never want that... I would never want you killed. I... I love you! I really do."

That stunned her. She never expected to hear that from him. "But I heard you. You threw me away and had your men kill me. I heard you!" she blamed him.

"I... I know there are no words for what I've done. I would understand it if you won't ever forgive me. But I never wanted you killed, Katerina. I would never order it. I have loved you... ever since. I just pretended to throw you out because I knew you didn't want this life and I don't want this life for you either. My enemies, then, knew you were my weakness. This is exactly what I feared the most!" Pavel held both of her arms firmly.

And then, he continued. "Believe me. You are my weakness, Katerina. My enemies especially Hannah knew that. And that endangered your life. I threw you out of Europe before because I didn't want my enemies to know you or see you or lay a hand at you! I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt. I knew then that it was better to have you guarded away. It was all planned. I had you thrown out of Europe but I never once stopped loving you. You know I've had you provided for despite me pushing you away but  you never touched the money I've set aside for you. You were so stubborn."

Katerina was stunned. She never once thought that he loved her. How could it be? She has lived her life in silence for the past four years without his intervention. 

Her face softened but she tried to stop herself from reaching out to him just yet. "I didn't want anything from you so I never touched the cash and the money you anonymously send to my bank accounts."

"I had your wealth taken cared of, Katerina. It is all under your name. You just never bothered checking any of it," he revealed to her. "If you only bothered to care and check, you would have known you were rich. All the properties under your name are yours and I've never once touched the income of those properties. Yes, I might have ill feelings towards you when we met. But that was because I knew my father treated you more like family that he ever did treat me. Yes, I might have hated you before. But I fell for you eventually, Katerina."

She signed deeply and stared at his face, wondering how such a beautiful man could look so hurt and devastated.

"I thought I'd lose you... yesterday when the guns went firing. I thought I'll never see you again. I just wanted to die right then and there. I cursed myself so many times after that. I should have checked up on you four years ago rather than let you go. I thought it's what you wanted or needed. But I don't care now. I don't care anymore. I want to stay by your side. If I have to leave Europe altogether, then, I will. Just so I can stay with you and my son..."

Tears filled her eyes after the realization that the man she has always loved was now ready to give up everything for her, to answer to her wishes.

"Do you want to elope with me?" he asked, now caressing her face.

And then, she laughed a gorgeous laugh. 

"I never knew that the day I'd ask the woman I love to elope with me, she'll just laugh at my face."

"Probably because of the whole circumstance we're in. Pavel, I... I love you. I've loved you for a long time now. But I chose to hate you and believe that you were bad so I could escape and get as far away as I could from you. I never thought that this would happen and that you would give up everything... for me."

"I don't want anything else, Katerina. But you. You and our little family." 

She smiled. "I just want a simple life with you. I want a simple and a quiet life. I will never wish for you to leave your dearest friends and your Family's legacy. But I hope when you're with me and with Paulo, you'll just be yourself. Just you. I don't need a rich, wealthy Don or consigliere. I just want you, Pavel. Just you."

He quickly captured her lips for a tender kiss. The kiss deepened and his arms snaked around her to trap her into his chest. "I love you," he whispered in between those kisses. "I will never let you go."

"Never let me go..."

****

Three months later....

"Mama, Papa!" sigaw ni Paulo habang nakatingin sa mga magulang na magkahawak-kamay at nakatingin sa lahat ng mga bisita nila sa kasal. 

Pavel picked up Paulo and carried him in his right arm. Habang naka-akbay ang kabilang braso kay Katerina.

"We have exciting news!" Pavel announced in front of everyone. They were now on the beach shore with a stage set up for their wedding. The sunset was beautiful as their dinner course was starting.

The wedding was intimate, only their relatives and friends of the Family.

"Aside from Katerina and I setting down here for good, we are also... expanding our family." And he looked at his wife with such tenderness and happiness. "We're going to have another baby!"

The crowd roared and applauded with joy. 

"To my wife, I owe you this happiness that I never knew I'd experience in this lifetime. Thank you and I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she declared back and sealed it with a kiss.

The crowd went cheering louder than before.

*****

A/N:  Thank you for tuning in the last two years. Alam kong natagalan ang pagsusulat ng nobela na ito pero sana naman ay nakapagpakilig at nakapagpasaya sa inyo sina KATERINA at PAVEL. <3 

Love is, indeed, a mysterious thing. But if there's one thing I learned from Katerina and Pavel, love doesn't go away. It stands the test of time if it is TRUE and REAL. We never stop loving the people we truly love.

Ito na po ang pagtatapos. Comment kayo below kung anong magandang ipangalan sa magiging anak nila. Hehehe!