MATURE CONTENT!
The exhaustion struck so hard that I felt like my body no longer belonged to me. Every muscle in my body was so relaxed that every inch of my skin could still feel the residual warmth that had just filled the space between us.I drowned in the sensation, letting sleepiness pull me deeper and deeper into a formless world where the only thing that existed was the warmth surrounding me.There was a big, solid body behind me, his burly arms curled around my waist, locking me in an embrace that felt more secure than it should. His chest rose and fell in a deep rhythm, his breath warm against my nape.Pascha.I squirmed slightly, not to move away, but to better acclimatize myself to his body. Unconsciously, I leaned closer, letting my back rest tightly against his chest, letting his arms tighten their embrace around me.I don't know how long I slept so soundly. There was only warm darkness, and I could only realize that my body was drowning in contentment and exhaustion, letting time pass w
Max was still busy playing with his expensive robots on the dining room. I started tidying up the dirty dishes.I tied my hair up carelessly, then picked up the empty glass in front of Pascha, who was still sitting on the dining table chair, busy with his phone."Mommy, I want to stay here again!" he said, like he’s afraid I would force him to go home."Oh? Not going home?"Max shook his head vigorously, holding up his Transformers robot excitedly. "I still want to play with my robots!"I narrowed my eyes. "And you don’t want playing with Mommy?"Max bit his lip, seeming to consider something, then finally said, "But you have to work. I want to play!""Okay, then." I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest. "But if you don't shower by afternoon, I'll drag you home, Maxime."He immediately wrinkled his nose. "Don't call me Maxime! You know I like Maximus better!"I chuckled, then ruffled his hair before turning to leave.My house was next door, so leaving him here all day was no big de
I sat on the sofa, staring at the suitcases that were already arranged near the door. I've finished packing all my things, Max's clothes, everything we need for this trip. But somehow, I still couldn't believe I had agreed to go.In front of me, Max was still in Pascha's arms, busy babbling endlessly about everything he wanted to do in the Alps. "I want to see cows with bells! And I want to ride the cable car! And then... and then I want to try the cheese with the holes! Daddy, did you know that cheese really has holes? I saw it in a cartoon, but I'm not sure it's real!"Pascha chuckled, stroking Max's hair. "It's real, Max. You can see and try it for yourself later."Max immediately gave a small cheer, his hands waving in excitement. "YES! I want to eat cheese on a mountain!"I sighed, leaning back against the sofa. I still felt weird about this decision. It was because this trip was never in my plans, and it was the fact that I would be spending time in the same place as Pascha for
Max tiptoed on my lap when the car stopped before the hangar, almost making me lose my balance."Daddy, come on! I want to see the plane!" he exclaimed, his hands gripping my shoulders firmly. “UP!"Pascha turned off the car engine and turned to Max. "You can get off by yourself, right?"Max glared like Pascha had just said the most absurd thing in the world. "No! I want to be carried!"Before I could say anything, Pascha exited the car, walked to our side, and opened the passenger door. Max immediately raised both hands without hesitation towards his father, urging him like a spoiled child."Come on, carry me now!"Pascha easily lifted Max's tiny body into his arms. "All right, Little Master. What else do you want?"Max looked up at Pascha with sparkling eyes, resting his chin on his father's shoulder. "I want you to be my tour guide. I want a tour on your plane.""Max, that's not a tour plane." I said.Max ignored me, still staring enthusiastically at Pascha. "Come on, I want to see
I was still in between consciousness and sleep when faint voices began to piercing my mind."Daddy, Daddy, look at Mommy. She's sleeping so peacefully," I heard Max whisper. "She's like a Sleeping Beauty."Pascha chuckled lowly. "That's true. But, you know what's more interesting?" he also whispered.Max was silent for a moment. "What?"I could feel them both looking at me."When she wakes up, she turns into a dragon."Max let out a small laugh. "You mean, Mommy's grumpy, daddy?""No," Pascha sighed dramatically, "it's worse. Mommy is a perfectionist. She can nag longer than you can talk about Transformers."Max snorted. "I never stop talking about Transformers.""Exactly."I wanted to glare and say that I could hear them, but my eyes felt too comfortable to open."Daddy, have you ever seen Mommy get really mad?""Hmm... a lot." He replied.Max chuckled, his voice getting farther away. "I think I know. Mommy will get mad if we don't wake her up.""Oh no, Maximus," Pascha whispered, hi
After a hearty lunch, Max couldn't keep still. He ran outside onto the wooden terrace that overlooked the vast and breathtaking view of the Alps."Daddy, look at that!" Max pointed to a small lake glistening in the afternoon sun. "Can we go down there? I want to touch the water!"Pascha, who stood beside him with his hands in his pants pockets, just smiled. "You know the water must be really cold, right?""But I can wear gloves!" Max insisted.I sat on a patio chair, enjoying the cool breeze that carried the scent of the pine forest. From here, the view was perfect. Mountains with snowy peaks looming in the distance, green valleys sprawling across the landscape, and small cabins scattered across the foothills. The clear blue sky was cloudless, making everything feel like a living painting.Max runs around the terrace, jumping between the wooden chairs and occasionally climbing onto the guardrail to peer further. Pascha stayed nearby, his eyes alert whenever Max got too excited.I let
After running around for a while and frolicking in the water, Max and Clara finally agreed to return to the cabin. Max, who never seems to get tired, jumps up and down while holding Clara's hand, happy with his wet feet."Mommy! Daddy! Look, I can outrun you guys!" shouted Max, running ahead, with Clara chasing after him with joyful laughter.I just shook my head, smiling at their antics. I mean, how could a kid that little has so much energy? Sometimes, Max can run endlessly, as if his battery never runs out.Pascha walked beside me, silent, yet his presence felt so real with every step.We walked in Max and Clara's footsteps, but my pace slowed as I tried to restrain myself from feeling out of place. Something tickled in my stomach, a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time when I was close to him.Silently, Pascha stepped closer, his eyes occasionally glancing at me, but I tried to remain calm, staring ahead with focus. "Who called earlier?" his asked low yet precise enough in my ear
As the night wore on, the cold wind from the Alps blew gently through the slightly open window. The lights were dim, creating a warm atmosphere in the spacious wooden room.I leaned against the headboard, watching Pascha, who sat on the edge of the bed, holding Max, who was already half asleep. His body rested comfortably on his Daddy chest, his head resting on Pascha's shoulder, but his lips still moved as if his mind wasn't ready to rest."So, if Bumblebee could turn into a T-Rex, it would be cool..." Max mumbled, his voice starting to slow down, his eyes getting heavy, but he still forced himself to speak. "Just imagine, Daddy. Transformers... but dinosaurs..."Pascha chuckled softly, rubbing the Max's back gently. "Transformer dinosaurs, huh?" he asked in a low, soothing voice. "That's a good idea. Maybe you can become a robot engineer and make your own later."Max nodded slowly, his eyes almost completely closed. "Yeah... I'll build it... and I'll name it..." He was silent for a
I came down the stairs at seven a.m., my steps slow on the oak wood that felt too expensive—and far too quiet—for the storm inside my chest. The sound of waves drifted in from afar through a slightly cracked window, filling the air with sea salt and cool mist. Morning light slipped softly into the living room, brushing over thick rugs and cream velvet couches that looked like they belonged in an architecture magazine.The Romanov villa in Carmel… was too perfect.Too still.And for the first time since last night, I was thankful for that.No heavy footsteps on the floor.No clinking glasses.No low voice saying my name in that way that short-circuited my entire nervous system.No Pascha.I let out a quiet sigh—half relief, half disbelief. I wasn’t ready this morning. Not for his stare. Too honest. Too lit. Too full of history.I made my way to the kitchen. The interior looked like something out of another world—gray marble counters veined with white like paintings, dark wood cabinets
His embrace felt like the world I almost left behind—warm, stubborn, and heavy with the shadows of our past.But I couldn’t breathe.Not because he was holding me too tightly, but because my mind was too full. Too loud. Too much to process all at once.I pressed my hand gently against his chest. One small push. Then another, firmer.Pascha let go slowly, but his gray eyes stayed locked on me like he was afraid I’d vanish if he blinked.I took two steps back, holding in a breath that burned like embers in my chest.“I need some time alone,” I said softly.Pascha frowned but didn’t speak.“Another room. In this villa. I know this place is huge—too huge. You can sleep wherever you want. But I need space. I need… somewhere that isn’t you.”My voice nearly cracked, but I forced it to hold.He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me, and I could see something stirring inside him. Not anger. Not guilt.But love—raw and unsure of what shape to take in a moment like this.Then he steppe
I fell silent.The only sound was the faucet still running, water hitting the metal sink like a downpour in the middle of silence.That sentence echoed in my head."You're my wife, Bee."I blinked.Once.Twice.Then the world started to spin.Not the usual kind of dizziness, not a migraine from lack of sleep or too much caffeine. This was... like my logic was twisted, crushed, and thrown off the highest cliff without warning.My heart started pounding—not from emotion, but because my brain couldn’t process something this big… this absurd… this Pascha.I took a step back.Then another.My hand reached for the cold edge of the kitchen counter, gripping it just to stay upright.“What... did you just say?” I whispered, even though I’d heard him. Too clearly.He just looked at me, eyes steady, shoulders still slightly leaning forward like a man who just dropped a bomb in the middle of a city and was waiting to see if there’d be an explosion.I laughed.It was dry. Empty. The laugh of someo
The cold air hit my skin like a slap of reality.I stared at my reflection in the villa’s bathroom mirror—cream marble walls too smooth to be real, warm lighting that made my swollen eyes look softer, and a wide sink with a bottle of liquid soap that probably cost more than my shoes.But my face... was still the same.Tired eyes. Cracked lips. Unsteady breath.I wiped my cheek with a white towel—clean, lavender-scented—then looked at myself again.“This is the end,” I said quietly.My own voice sounded unfamiliar. But steady.“It has to end. Tonight.”I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling the front pieces back and tying them at the back of my head with a small band I found in my bag. The rest of my short hair fell around my neck—light, out of the way. Practical. Sharp. Just like my intention for tonight.I looked down at my wrinkled sweater—sage green, a color I used to love, now feeling like a burden. My jeans itched too, dusty from the car ride and too much heat from earlier ang
“I hate you.”That was the first thing I said after the car crossed the gate and turned onto the main road. My voice cracked. My breathing was still uneven. One hand clutched the seatbelt, the other trembled in my lap.“You think this is funny? Bringing her into your house? Around Max?!”Pascha stayed silent. His left hand rested calmly on the wheel, the right on the gearshift. His eyes were locked on the road like there wasn’t a storm sitting right next to him.“You really don’t realize what a bastard you are, do you?”Still no response.“You’re insane. You’re.....you’re the most selfish person I’ve ever met! You showed up at my house bleeding, crawled into my bed. MY BED, and the next day you brought her to your house?!”Still nothing. The car kept rolling forward, eating up pavement in a steady rhythm.“And you let Max laugh with her? Sit next to her? What.....what’s next, he calls her ‘Mommy’? Is that it? That your plan? To replace me? Hand her the title?”No answer.I turned to h
The car hadn’t even come to a full stop in the carport when I opened the door."Bell—"I heard Kyara’s voice from behind me, but I didn’t look back. My steps were fast. Hot. Loud.Every heel strike against the stone path between my house and Pascha’s mansion felt like a tiny hammer, fueling my anger higher and higher. I knew he was there. I knew Max was there. And I knew that snake of a woman was there too, sitting pretty in the living room, playing a role so well even the devil would applaud her performance.Aurora was close behind me, her steps quick but cautious. I could feel her breath. Short and startled. But nothing could stop me now.The mansion door opened. Clara stood in the doorway, her expression confused and wary when she saw me. But I didn’t stop.“Where’s Max?” I asked flatly.“In the back room… playing with synthetic sand and Mischa,” Clara whispered.I didn’t say anything else. No need. I walked inside.And there she was.Her.Mikaela.Sitting on Pascha’s way-too-soft,
I tapped the green button on my phone and held it to my ear.Three rings.Four.No answer.I frowned, pulled the phone away, and stared at the name on the screen: Ben (my favorite idiot twin). I called again.Ringing.Still no answer. No message.He usually lets me know if there’s a change of plans. Even when he's stuck in a board meeting in L.A., he still manages to send me a photo of a whiteboard covered in scribbles with a caption like, “Does anyone understand this? 'Cause I don't.”But now?Silence.I sighed, slipped the phone into my bag, and pushed the office door open with my shoulder. My actual office—not Romanov International. I’d had enough of Russians playing dress-up as CEOs.This office lobby was nothing fancy. Modern, but human. No marble, no echoing high heels that felt like judgment. Just the smell of fresh coffee, soft lighting, and polite smiles from Ellie the receptionist who talked way too much about her cats.“Good morning, Ms. Belva,” Ellie greeted.I gave a quic
The digital clock beside the bed read 4:12 AM.I opened my eyes slowly, and for a moment, the world felt still.Moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting soft lines across the wooden floor and the white bedsheet I was lying on. The sheet Belva said she’d just washed yesterday.I turned my head slightly, feeling the dull throb in my left shoulder.And I just... smiled a little.Still fresh in my memory: her panicked voice, her trembling hands, her frustrated muttering while cleaning up my blood last night. Belva in her panic-anger mode was honestly one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.I reached for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, too bright at first. I opened the messaging app and typed quickly to Jacob.Pascha: Clean my wound again later.Barely two seconds and it showed a blue check.Then I switched to another contact and hit call without hesitation.Ronan.The dial tone rang.Once. Twice.“I swear on my wife and my dog, if this isn’t an emergen
The pain came in lazy pulses.Not the kind that made you scream or tear up a pillow, but more like a harsh whisper gnawing at the edges of your consciousness.I sat on a black leather chair in the back room of the mansion, my shirt torn, blood dripping onto the kind of expensive floor that would probably make my company accountant faint if he knew how much the carpet cost.Jacob was kneeling beside me, face tight, gloved hands steady, eyes filled with his usual annoyance. Christian stood in the corner, holding a basin of water and a clean towel, looking like he’d just seen a zombie walk into the living room.“Holy shit…” Christian muttered in panic, eyes wide. “Boss, we have to go to a hospital! This is serious! This is insane! This is—”I lazily raised an eyebrow. “If you can’t shut up, Christian, I’ll have Jacob stitch your mouth closed before he does my shoulder.”Christian froze. Literally.Jacob snorted, lifting a shiny pair of tweezers into the air, inspecting them under the des