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CVII : Flashback : Splash
Last Updated:
2025-02-28 22:44:21
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His Son, Her Secret CVIII : Flashback : Handle it with Care
I knew this would happen.I knew it the moment my body hit the near-freezing lake water. Since the first shiver crawled into my bones, since my lips started to tremble, since my breath felt heavier by the time we finally got back to the penthouse.And now, I was sprawled on Pascha’s bed, my head feeling like it was being crushed by a massive rock.My nose was stuffed, my throat burned, and every breath I took felt like inhaling air through wet cotton. I curled up under the thick blanket, my body hotter than usual, yet somehow, I was still shivering.Pascha stood beside the bed, arms crossed over his chest, his expression filled with guilt.I narrowed my eyes at him. “This is your fault.”He raised his hands in surrender. “You started it.”I scoffed, my voice raspier than I expected. “I pushed your head. That was a small punishment. You dragged me into the water.”Pascha ran a hand down his face. “Okay, okay, that was on me.”I tried to take a breath to reply but ended up in a fit of h
Last Updated : 2025-02-28His Son, Her Secret CIX : Falling Asleep, Falling Apart
A few minutes later, the medicine's effects started to work. My eyelids were heavy, and my body relaxed even more under the thick blanket. I let out a long breath, letting my body sink slightly into Pascha's soft bed.But then, I felt the other side beside me move.I opened my eyes, only to find Pascha lying next to me, his face only inches from mine.I frowned, my voice half sleepy. “What are you doing?”He grinned, one arm resting on the pillow while his other hand rested casually on my waist. “I'm sleeping.”I chuckled, blinking my still-heavy eyes. “You'll get infected.”Pascha smiled, then leaned a little closer, “If it means I can feel your concern like this, maybe I should be sick more often.” his voice low and deep.I stared at him, incredulously, my cheeks warming even though my body was still shivering. “Asshole ...”He laughed, but before he could get any more annoying, I immediately pushed his head away with my hand. “Stay away, you asshole.”But he stayed still next to m
Last Updated : 2025-03-02His Son, Her Secret CX : Mommy Always Wins
Max squirmed in Pascha's arms, he’s struggling violently. “Daddy! Let me go, I want to go to Mommy!”Pascha just grunted lazily, his eyes still heavy from just waking up. “You can be with Mommy later. Now, can you be quiet for a while?”Max pursed his lips and immediately punched Pascha's upper arm with his small fist. “No! Mommy is still sick, and you made Mommy sick! It's your fault!”I held back a laugh at Max's seriousness with his 'demands.' Meanwhile, Pascha just let out a long sigh, finally opening his eyes fully. With a relaxed movement, he sat on the bed and turned to me.He looked at me with an assessing expression, and then, without hesitation, his hand reached out and touched my forehead. His fingers were large and warm, contrasting with my slightly hot skin.I remained silent, letting him do that without comment, although a slightly strange feeling crept into my chest.Pascha murmured, “Your fever has dropped.”I gave a small nod. “I feel better.”Meanwhile, Max, who had
Last Updated : 2025-03-03His Son, Her Secret CXI : The Road Home
The trip home from the Alps felt faster than when we arrived.Blue skies spread out over the mountains, and the air was still cool even after we left the cabin. The winding road stretches before us, passing green fields and typical Swiss country houses that look like pictures on a postcard.I thought Max would be sad to leave this place, perhaps whining about staying longer like usual. But I was wrong.The boy sat confidently in the back seat, his hands resting on his small thighs while his feet swayed casually in the air.“I'll be back here,” he said confidently.I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”Max nodded, his wide smile full of pride. “Yes! I'll be back here with all my robots. Optimus, Bumblebee, Megatron. All of them...”I let out a long breath, rolling my eyes. “Max, your robots can't enjoy the view of the Alps.”Max looked at me like I had just said something really stupid. “Mommy, they're Autobots. They like to explore.”From the seat next to him, Clara, busy
Last Updated : 2025-03-04His Son, Her Secret CXII : Valeria
Summer in Zürich is much different than in tropical countries. There is no scorching heat that burns the skin, no humid air that makes the body sticky. Instead, a cool breeze blows gently along the city streets, creating the perfect balance between warm and fresh.I smoothed the sleeves of my denim jacket as I walked beside Pascha. We were dressed casually. I was still wearing a white t-shirt wrapped in a denim jacket and paired with jeans and sneakers. Meanwhile, Pascha was also relaxed in a black sweater and jeans, which felt too casual for business. “We're really going to a business meeting like this?” I glanced at him with raised eyebrows.Pascha just shrugged, not seeming to care at all. “I'm lazy.”I narrowed my eyes. “Lazy?”He turned to me, his flat expression slightly lifted by a small grin. “I don't plan on staying long, so why bother?”We finally arrived at a skyscraper with a very familiar logo stamped on the front. I paused momentarily, staring at the writing with a surp
Last Updated : 2025-03-05His Son, Her Secret CXIII : Lake Zürich
I let my mind go back to that time—to the year when Pascha was not yet the Pascha Romanov he is now.I remember how he was still a young man trying to prove himself in his father's shadow. He spent long nights in the office, sitting behind a large desk with an endless stack of documents, occasionally throwing his pen in the air in frustration before finally looking up at me with a tired grin.“Bee, I'm not made for this.”And I would lean closer to him, rest my chin on his shoulder, then reply in a light tone, “It’s okay.”I was there when he was strategizing his first business and when he argued with senior executives who doubted his decisions. I saw him grow from an impatient young man to someone more dangerous.And then there was Mikaela.She came into the company a year after Pascha started taking over. I still remember how I first introduced her to Pascha.“She's smart,” I said at the time. “And I trust her.”And Pascha, with ease, accepted her.Mikaela became a manager in one of
Last Updated : 2025-03-07His Son, Her Secret CXIV : Not a Step Closer, Romanov
I close my eyes, letting the cool breeze from Lake Zürich brush my face.The air here felt different and fresher than San Francisco's. For a few moments, I let my mind wander.I didn't care what Pascha was doing next to me. It didn't matter if he was looking at me or busy with his thoughts. I just wanted to enjoy the Zürich air cool down all of the things spinning in my head."Do you remember?" he asked, his voice a soft murmur, laced with an unusual calm.I opened my eyes slowly, turning my head towards him. "What?"Pascha stared at the lake, his expression unreadable, but the corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly.“You once said you wanted to leave,” he mused. “Switzerland. Sheep. A simple life. Do you still dream about it?"I was silent, letting his words sink into my head.Then, I smiled a little.Oh. That.I remember that.Pascha and I—still young, still full of dreams and reckless plans—lay on his bed, talking about the future. I laughed, saying how much I wanted to run
Last Updated : 2025-03-08His Son, Her Secret CXV : Laughter & Looming Danger
I woke up to the morning light streaming in through my window blinds.The air in San Francisco felt much different from Zürich. warmer, more humid, with the sound of the waves clearly audible.I let out a long breath, rubbing my face before stretching. I thought there would be silence this morning, but there wasn't.From outside my bedroom, Max's laughter could be heard, mixed with the all-too-familiar heavy grumbling.I blinked, frowning.Pascha.I snorted softly, pulling my blanket higher before finally remembering that Pascha really seemed to be living in this house now.Without an invitation.Without permission.Without realizing that this house is mine, not his.I let out a long sigh, finally giving up on staying in bed and getting up.When I opened the door and walked out, the smell of something burnt immediately greeted me.I refrained from groaning.I walked into the kitchen and immediately saw a sight that no longer surprised me.Max was standing on a small stool with an over
Last Updated : 2025-03-09
Latest chapter
His Son, Her Secret CLXIX : she grew where my goodbye bled
Two days after Pascha went back to Russia too, my house was quiet again.Or... almost quiet.I was sitting at the kitchen table, still in pajamas, my hair pulled back in a lazy ponytail, a half-finished cup of coffee in my hand. Morning sunlight streamed through the big windows, warming the wooden table with a slow, sleepy glow. Max sat with one leg crossed over the other, one hand holding a spoonful of cereal, the other clutching my phone.Pascha’s face filled the screen.“I told you not too much milk in the cereal,” he commented through the video call, his voice faint through the speaker.Max raised an eyebrow. “But I like it when the cereal sinks. The milk’s like a battlefield.”I sipped my coffee, trying not to laugh.“Where’s Mischa?” Max asked, popping a spoonful into his mouth while staring at the screen.“She’s at her house. My house and her house are in different cities, Maximus Prime,” Pascha answered.“Hmm,” Max mumbled, chewing while glancing sideways. “So... that means yo
His Son, Her Secret CLXVIII : we were just tired, weren’t we?
Morning slipped in through the thin curtains in Max’s room, carrying the scent of the sea and a cool breeze that brushed against my skin like the fading touch of a dream. I opened my eyes slowly, my breathing calm… too calm. Comfortable. Warm.And just as I moved to run my hand through Max’s hairl, who usually curled up in my arms every morning, I didn’t find the soft curls of a four-year-old.I felt a chest. Warm. Strong. Rising and falling gently behind me.And then it hit me.I wasn’t hugging Max. I was the one being hugged.My whole body stiffened.I swear, in that second, every nerve ending in my body went off like fireworks beneath my skin. A large hand rested across my waist, one leg draped casually over mine, and the calm breath against the back of my neck was too familiar to mistake.Pascha.Romanov.I held my breath, trying to piece together last night. All I remembered was: after snorkeling, Max wouldn’t let go of me, not even during dinner. Then we went up to his room beca
His Son, Her Secret CLXVII : Salt on My Skin
Max’s floatie was a little too tight, which I’d done on purpose because I knew my son. Give him space and he’d swim as far as possible until someone thought a new dolphin species had been discovered. But now that we were getting ready to snorkel, the floatie had to come off. “I still think this is a bad idea,” I muttered while fiddling with the clips on the side of Max’s floatie. “But it’s fun!” Max shouted as he squirmed, just trying to break free so he could dive in like some kind of sea ninja. “Hold still, Maximus Prime. You don’t want to snorkel with a floatie this tight. Trust me, it’ll make you look like a failed floating donut.” Mischa stood next to us, already geared up with her snorkel mask and little fins on her feet. She looked calm and efficient, like a tiny professional swimmer. Even her curly hair had been neatly tied back with a blue ribbon by Igor. “I took off my floatie a while ago,” she said flatly. “My mom’s not that protective.” I glanced at her and raised an
His Son, Her Secret CLXVI : Cruel Summer, Salty Shoulder
Pascha finally pulled over. Water sprayed out on both sides as his jet ski hit the last wave before reaching the shore. In one smooth motion, he turned off the engine, jumped off onto the sand without losing his balance, and walked toward us.I had just picked up a glass of cold coconut water from the little table beside my lounge chair when he arrived. And without saying a word, he took it.He sipped it like it was the most satisfying drink in the world.“Thanks,” he said shortly, not even looking at me as he drained what was very clearly my coconut water.“Pascha,” Natalia scolded softly from beside me, “get your own drink. That one’s Belva’s.”Pascha shrugged, then winked at his mom. “She likes to share.”“I like sharing permission, not drinks,” I shot back, pulling my towel tighter around my legs, trying to ignore the way his face still dripped with saltwater and sins from the past.He just gave a short laugh, then dropped onto the sand next to my chair. “Let’s go. Ride the jet sk
His Son, Her Secret CLXV : a boy, a boat, a bloodline
"Pass the pilaf, please!" Trisha was already shouting before she even sat down, grabbing the plate and then plopping into her seat.Igor sat at the head of the table with two small creatures flanking him. Max on the right, Mischa on the left. Both with eyes shining and hands ready to pounce. I sat in the middle, with Pascha—mysteriously—choosing to sit right beside me, even though plenty of other chairs were still empty.He sat too close. His left arm draped behind my chair, and his knee… well, his knee kept brushing against mine far more often than lunch table etiquette would allow. Every time I shifted, he shifted with me.And of course, his fingers occasionally played with the ends of my hair that fell over my shoulder.I refused to react. That would mean he won. So I focused all my attention on the plate of pilaf and the roast chicken coated in fragrant Middle Eastern spices made by Natalia herself."Uncle!" Max spoke through a mouthful. "Did you ever throw Daddy into the sea?"Ig
His Son, Her Secret CLXIV : small missiles and bigger hearts
We arrived at the Romanov villa gates nearly two hours after leaving San Francisco. With one emergency stop I’d rather not talk about, and a series of events that could only be explained as Pascha being Pascha.It started with me just needing to pee. A quick stop at a small, empty-looking rest area. But of course, Pascha decided to turn on the hazard lights and call out from the car window, “Don’t get lost, Miss Moguel. The woods can be cruel!”I shot him a glare.Naturally, he didn’t stop there. When I came back and reached for the car door, he locked it automatically and smiled at me through the window like he’d just won some twisted Olympic event.“Pascha Romanov, I swear to God, I will—”Click.The door unlocked. He laughed for the next ten minutes straight while I sat in silence, breathing slowly, seriously considering whether throwing my sandal at him would be too dramatic or way too soft.The moment we arrived at the villa, I understood why Max loved it here. The Romanov villa
His Son, Her Secret CLXIII : oh great, you’re charming again
BelvaMorning slipped in through the gap in the curtains like an old friend who knew how to arrive without making a sound. Warm light crept across the edge of my bed, slowly trailing up the wall and brushing my fingertips.I opened my eyes without the weight in my chest. The bad memories were still there, sure, but like shadows, they came and went, swallowed by something warmer. Something calmer.Maybe I was just too tired. Maybe my body had finally surrendered to a peace I had been refusing.I got up, letting my feet touch the cool wooden floor. The sheets were still messy, a pillow had fallen to the ground. This morning felt... light. I grabbed a towel and walked to the bathroom. Hot water washed over my body, and for a few minutes, I just stood under the shower, letting it rinse away the traces of last night.Afterward, I slipped into a loose white t-shirt and comfortable linen pants, my hair still damp as I stepped out of the room. My pace was slow and lazy, but the moment I reac
His Son, Her Secret CLXII : a thief in borrowed time [Pascha]
Night had fallen hours ago, but Max had no real understanding of the concept of "bedtime."“I think,” he said, rolling over to his left for the hundredth time in his bed facing the villa balcony, “if I fall asleep now, I’ll miss the golden hours to plan my next secret mission.”I sat at the edge of his bed. “What time do you think it is right now?”“Eight fifty-nine!” he said, then raised his index finger like he was teaching me something very serious. “And do you know what great spies do at times like this, Daddy?”“Sleep?”“No!” he said, clearly offended. “They practice foreign languages and memorize secret codes!”I sighed and rubbed my temples. “Max…”“Teach me Russian, Daddy. Right now. Hurry. Say, ‘I am a super robot from the planet Bumbleberia.’”I frowned. “Bumbleberia’s not a real place.”“Then teach me how to say it in Russian so it can be!”This kid…I looked at his little face, so expressive. His hair was still damp from his bath, his cheeks flushed from the warm night air
His Son, Her Secret CLXI: The Stage Was Never Yours Alone
My phone buzzed, screen lighting up with a name that had become familiar, and still somehow made my heartbeat skip half a note: Pascha Romanov.I tapped the screen to accept the video call while Clara and Jullian were still deep in debate over whether dinosaur-shaped pancakes were superior to star-shaped waffles.The call connected, and Max’s face instantly filled the screen, his grin wide, hair a little messy, and behind him, Trisha, still wearing her straw hat, waved while chewing on something.“Mommyyyy!” he shouted. “Why is everyone here speaking Russian?! I don’t understand anything! I feel like… like an alien on Mars!”I let out a soft laugh, about to reply when—“MAX!” Jullian called out.Max’s eyes lit up. “You’re there too?!”Jullian leaned closer, sharing the screen with me. “Hey, partner,” he greeted warmly. “Looks like you’ve been busy socializing with the high society crowd.”Max nodded enthusiastically. “I almost got to drive the golf cart by myself! But Grandpa said I d
