Chapter 426


    426


    Sephle


    Viktor and Ilya were both in the kitchen the next morning when Adrik and I walked out. The rest of the


    guys hadn’t made it upstairs yet. I caught. myself wondering if that was on purpose or just a


    coincidence.


    Viktor stood up, taking a step toward Adrik. “Boss, I need to apologize. I didn’t know what to do, so I


    ran. I was worried about Ilya too. I wanted to get him away from everything until…” he trailed off, like he


    didn’t want to finish the thought.


    Adrik, in his usual silent way, didn’t respond right away. Even though Viktor knew his tactic, it was still


    effective. He continued talking. “I also owe you an apology, Sephie. I’ve been avoiding you because I


    knew you’d force me to deal with things I wasn’t prepared to deal with. Turns out I didn’t need to worry


    about you,” he said, trying to smile at me.


    I looked at him for a few moments. He still looked troubled, but he looked better. I nced at Ilya, who


    looked nervous, but he actually looked much better than the first time I saw him. He caught me looking


    at him, but he looked away quickly, almost like he was embarrassed. I looked back to Viktor, asking,


    “you fixed him, didn’t you?” Viktor’s cheeks flushed, but he nodded his head. “Good. It would’ve killed


    him.” I looked at Ilya. “If you’d like to give me the name of the girl, I’ll happily kick her as s for you. And


    I’m going to say this, even though you’re probably going to think I’m crazy at first, but she wasn’t


    entirely human. Consider yourself lucky you got away from her when you did.” His eyes went wide as


    he nced to Viktor.


    Viktor justughed. “She could probably tell you your life story after she shook your hand the other


    night. I didn’t tell her anything.”


    Ilya looked at me again, saying, “I feel bad for the way we metst time. I didn’t mean to cause any


    problems.”


    You shouldn’t feel bad. You needed it to happen, so it did,” I said, leaning against the counter after


    putting the coffee on.


    Adrik walked to me, pulling me against him. “You’re going to have to decide, Viktor. You can’t keep


    running from the decision,” he said, matter-of- factly.


    “I know, Boss. No more running. I promise. I saw what it did for Ilya,” Viktor said.


    “You’ve technically seen it twice now. The question is, do you believe it now?” asked.


    Viktor chuckled. “I do.”


    “Have you talked to the guys yet? You know they’re irritated with you. Mostly because you lost your


    temper with Sephie,” Adrik asked.


    Viktor looked at me, obviously remorseful. “I know. I talked to them this morning before we came up


    here. They’re giving us time before theye up. I’m sorry I got angry, Sephie. I didn’t understand that


    you’d felt everything that Ilya was feeling. I just saw Boss and Ivan’s eyes and freaked out. when they


    locked in on Ilya.”


    “I mean, you wouldn’t have stood a chance against those two. No offense, lly I’m sure you can hold


    your own. Just not in that situation,” I said. “I


    understand.”


    I felt Adrik sigh. “I need to know that you’re all the way in on this, Viktor. Whatever this is. If you want


    out, that’s fine. You’re free to go and no hard feelings. But if you stay, then you’re all in.”


    I watched Viktor before he answered. There was still doubt there, but it was ich less than what it had


    been. I could still feel the sadness he’d been carrying around since his wife and child were killed


    though.


    “Don’t answer, Viktor. You’re not allowed to make a decision yet,” I said. He looked at me, surprised. “I


    need you to ask Kostya to fix you the same way you fixed Ilya before you decide. The sadness and the


    grief that you’ve been carrying around for years have be so integrated in who you are that you


    almost don’t know life without them now. You can’t make important decisions when everything is


    clouded by grief. I felt what you’ve been dealing with. i had to go to very extreme measures to be able


    to get rid of it. Ivan met not be able to see anything on you, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. You


    have a cloud you need to be rid of before you can decide and we all know there’s only one soul that


    can fix that.”


    Viktor was quiet for a moment Adrik said, “she’s right. From the morning after you left with Ivan until the


    night she met Ilya, her eyes stayed amber and we could all feel the sadness from you through her. She


    couldn’t shake it. She feels everything intensely, but she also has remarkable control. She


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    couldn’t shake this. She’d get mothents of relief, but they were just moments. You need to be rid of that


    too. It’s okay to let go. You don’t love them any less by moving on with your life. I think that’s what


    Kostya has been trying to help you with all along.”


    Ilya stood up, walking to Viktor. He quietly put his hand on Viktor’s shoulder. “They’re right, you know.”


    He nced to me and Adrik, trying to silently tell us he would take care of it. “Come on. I’ll be there the


    whole time,” he said as he pushed Viktor toward the door.


    Once I heard the door close behind them, I said, “it’s going to take a few more days. Apparently, that’s


    why they were gone. Ilya was out for almost two days after Viktor fixed him. I don’t know if everyone


    reacts that way, but somehow I think Viktor is going to need some extra sleep.”


    “How did you know?” Adrik asked.


    “I could still feel his sadness. He tries to push it to the background, which is why I didn’t pick up on it all


    the time before. But now that I knew what to look for, I could still feel it. He’s learned ways to contain it,


    if you will, but it’s still there and just as strong.”


    Adrik pulled me closer, kissing my temple. “We don’t always realize how lucky we are to have you.”


    The other four guys walked into the penthouse, looking very concerned when they didn’t see Viktor and


    Ilya there. I couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t worry. We talked to them. I made Viktor fix himself before he


    makes a decision on whether he stays or goes. Apparently, that’s why they were gone for so long. It


    knocked Ilya out for a couple of days. I expect the same to happen to Viktor, so nobody panic if we


    don’t see them for a few more days.”


    “He told you that?” Misha asked. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    “No. I might’ve snooped in Ilya’s head when no one was paying attention,” Ised, grinning at him.


    “Devious. I’ll allow it.”


    We didn’t see Viktor or Ilya the next morning when everyone came upstairs for breakfast. We were all


    hoping it meant he was recovering.


    “Princess, I’ve been thinking,” Ivan said, as we were cleaning up.


    “Me too, but I still don’t quite know how we’re going to get our hands on that many pancakes or if red


    pandas even like pancakes,” I said. There was silence as they all tried to figure out just what the f u ck I


    was talking about. I just grinned at them as I watched their confusion.


    “I’m so d you’re back to normal now, gazelle,” Misha said, his wide smile stretching across his face.


    I looked to Ivan, who still looked somewhat confused, but mostly amused. “What have you been


    thinking about, Squish?”


    “I think there’s a way to keep what happened with Ilya from ever happening again,” he said.