Conversation flowed more easily now.
The tension Maya had felt upon arriving at the estate had softened enough that she no longer felt like an outsider standing at the edge of someone else's world.
Yet every now and then she still caught glimpses of things she couldn't explain.
A glance.
A silence.
A hesitation.
Small things.
Tiny things.
But they lingered.
The kind of things people only noticed when they spent their lives observing others.
And Maya had always been an observer.
The elegant sitting room glowed beneath the late afternoon light spilling through the enormous windows overlooking the estate gardens.
Gold accents reflected softly against polished surfaces.
Fresh lilies sat arranged throughout the room.
The scent mixed faintly with expensive wood polish and the aroma of food drifting from somewhere deeper inside the mansion.
Everyone appeared comfortable.
Or at least they appeared to be.
Then footsteps echoed from the entrance hallway.
Not the family hallway.
The main entrance.
The sound immediately drew attention.
Olga's face brightened before the men even appeared.
Roman looked up.
Andrei glanced toward the doorway.
Nadia lowered her phone.
Even Ivan lifted his eyes briefly.
A moment later—
two men entered.
And Maya nearly blinked twice.
Because they looked unmistakably related to Rege.
The resemblance was impossible to miss.
The same height.
The same sharp bone structure.
The same powerful presence.
The same intimidating masculinity that seemed genetically embedded into every Hastings male.
Yet they were different too.
Both possessed dark eyes rather than Rege's striking aquamarine ones.
One was broader.
Built like someone who could walk through walls if necessary.
The other carried himself with effortless confidence.
Dangerously charming.
Dangerously aware of it.
Olga immediately stood.
"Maxim."
"Nikolai."
The warmth in her voice transformed her entire face.
For a brief moment Maya saw something she hadn't fully understood before.
Olga wasn't merely the center of the family.
She was the heart.
The anchor.
The thread somehow holding everyone together.
Both men crossed the room toward her.
The broader one reached her first.
Olga wrapped her arms around him immediately.
The embrace lasted only a few seconds.
But Maya noticed something important.
He relaxed.
Only slightly.
Only briefly.
Yet it happened.
The same thing happened with the second brother.
And suddenly Maya understood.
No matter how powerful they became.
No matter how old they got.
They were still Olga's sons.
When the embraces ended, Olga returned to Roman's side.
The broader brother turned toward Roman.
His jaw visibly tightened.
The shift was immediate.
Noticeable.
Sharp.
"Father."
The single word sounded controlled.
Almost cold.
Roman nodded once.
Nothing more.
No smile.
No embrace.
No warmth.
Just a nod.
Something uncomfortable passed through the room.
Only for a second.
Then vanished.
But Maya noticed.
She always noticed.
The two brothers moved toward the seating area.
Taking seats opposite Rege and Maya.
Olga immediately resumed her role as proud mother.
"Maya dearest."
Her voice brightened.
"This is my third son, Maxim."
She gestured toward the broader brother.
Maxim.
The man inclined his head once.
A faint smile appeared.
So faint it barely existed.
Maya immediately responded with a much brighter smile.
"It's nice to meet you."
Maxim nodded once again.
Andrei chuckled softly.
The contrast was impossible to ignore.
Maya smiled at everyone like she had known them for years.
The Hastings men behaved like smiles cost money.
Olga continued.
"And this is my fourth son, Nikolai."
Maya turned.
Prepared to greet him.
Prepared to offer another polite smile.
Prepared for literally anything except what happened next.
Because Nikolai moved before she could speak.
One second he was sitting.
The next he had reached for her hand.
Maya blinked.
Then froze.
Because he lifted her hand.
And pressed a kiss against her knuckles.
The room collectively sighed.
Not audibly.
But Maya somehow felt it.
"Such a beauty."
His voice flowed smoothly.
Effortlessly.
The kind of voice that had probably talked countless women into poor decisions.
"It is my utmost pleasure to finally meet you."
Maya stared.
Still trying to process what was happening.
Nikolai continued smiling.
Entirely unashamed.
"You brighten the world simply by existing."
Maya nearly choked.
Nadia groaned immediately.
"Oh God."
Everyone laughed.
Everyone except Rege.
And Eleanor.
"Always the charmer."
Nadia rolled her eyes.
Andrei looked seconds away from losing control completely.
Even Olga appeared amused.
Meanwhile Nikolai still hadn't released Maya's hand.
Which was becoming increasingly problematic.
Because Maya was trying to politely retrieve it.
And failing.
The man held on with impressive determination.
"Mr. Nikolai—"
"Nikolai."
His smile widened.
"Just Nikolai."
Maya opened her mouth.
Closed it again.
Then smiled awkwardly.
The expression looked remarkably similar to a deer caught in headlights.
Which only encouraged him.
Unfortunately for Nikolai—
someone else had finally reached his limit.
A quiet throat clearing cut through the room.
Instantly.
Every person present recognized it.
Including Maya.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Nikolai released her hand.
Only because Rege physically removed it.
The movement happened so calmly that it almost looked polite.
Almost.
Rege's hand closed around hers immediately.
Firmly.
Possessively.
His jaw remained visibly clenched.
Maya blinked.
The room watched.
Andrei covered his mouth.
Nadia sighed dramatically.
Olga looked moments away from celebrating something.
Roman remained completely unaffected.
Ivan barely glanced up.
Maxim lowered his head.
Attempting—and failing miserably—to hide a smile.
Eleanor noticed everything.
Every detail.
Especially the way Rege instinctively held Maya's hand afterward.
Especially the way his eyes softened.
Especially the fact he hadn't even realized he'd done it.
Something flickered across Eleanor's face.
Gone before anyone else could notice.
But not before Maya saw the slight tightening of her jaw.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Nikolai leaned back comfortably.
Completely unbothered.
Maya smiled politely.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr—"
"Nikolai."
He interrupted immediately.
"Mister sounds awful."
The grin returned.
"Doubly awful coming from someone as beautiful as you."
Maya laughed softly.
And somehow that only encouraged him further.
Beside her—
Rege finally spoke.
His voice remained calm.
Dangerously calm.
The kind of calm that felt colder than shouting.
"Derzhis' ot neyo podal'she, ona moya krasota."
Silence.
Actual silence.
The temperature inside the room seemed to drop several degrees.
Maya didn't understand a single word.
Not one.
But she definitely understood the tone.
And she definitely didn't like it.
Nikolai rolled his eyes immediately.
Maxim looked away.
Clearly trying not to laugh.
Nadia smiled.
Andrei outright grinned.
Olga appeared delighted.
Roman remained focused on Olga.
Ivan's attention returned to his intertwined fingers with Eleanor.
While Eleanor's jaw tightened again.
This time slightly harder.
Maya turned toward Rege.
Her eyebrows narrowed.
Then she nudged him with her elbow.
A warning.
A very Maya warning.
Rege looked at her.
The irritation vanished instantly.
Like it had never existed.
Then—
he laughed.
A quiet laugh.
Warm.
Real.
And Maya immediately forgot what she was trying to scold him about.
Again.
The man was entirely unfair.
Her smile widened automatically.
His eyes softened.
The rest of the room disappeared.
For both of them.
But unknown to either Maya or Rege, the room had gone strangely quiet.
Not the uncomfortable kind of silence.
The observant kind.
The kind that happened when people witnessed something unexpected.
Something important.
Maya and Rege remained completely absorbed in one another for several seconds longer.
Long enough for everyone else to notice.
Long enough for everyone to form their own conclusions.
Nikolai's brows slowly lifted.
Maxim looked equally surprised, though he concealed it better.
Because neither brother had ever seen Rege like this before.
Not truly.
Not openly.
Not in front of other people.
Certainly not with a woman.
Yet here he was.
Looking at Maya as though nothing else inside the room existed.
As though every conversation, every person, every distraction had simply disappeared.
Andrei's grin became almost painful to look at.
The man looked seconds away from bursting into laughter.
Meanwhile Nadia simply watched quietly.
A small smile lingered on her lips.
Not teasing.
Not amused.
Just... happy.
Genuinely happy.
Because for the first time in years, her brother looked peaceful.
Not controlled.
Not composed.
Not pretending.
Peaceful.
Across the room, Roman's gaze briefly shifted toward the younger pair.
His eyes lingered there for only a moment before returning to his wife.
As always.
Olga, however, looked completely incapable of hiding her delight.
Her smile widened.
Then widened further.
Then somehow widened again.
The woman looked ready to personally organize a wedding before dessert.
And in that moment, a very dangerous thought crossed her mind.
Maya.
The thought settled firmly inside her heart.
She must keep Maya.
Not for the Hastings name.
Not for appearances.
Not because of expectations.
But because she had never seen Rege look at anyone the way he looked at this girl.
Never.
And Olga trusted what she saw.
A mother always knew.
Nearby, Ivan's attention lifted briefly.
Only briefly.
His eyes moved from Maya to Rege.
Then back again.
A faint glimmer appeared somewhere beneath his usually unreadable expression.
Gone almost immediately.
As though it had never existed.
His attention eventually returned to the hand resting inside his own.
Yet someone else hadn't looked away.
Someone else couldn't.
Eleanor.
Her gaze remained fixed on Maya and Rege.
Unmoving.
Steady.
Silent.
The expression on her face remained flawless.
Elegant.
Composed.
Perfectly pleasant.
The expression of a woman entirely unaffected by what she was witnessing.
Yet the slight tightening of her jaw betrayed her.
Only slightly.
Barely noticeable.
But enough.
Enough to reveal that something underneath her composure had shifted.
Something unpleasant.
Something sharp.
Something she clearly had no intention of showing anyone.
Maya finally became aware of the room around her again.
Her smile faltered slightly.
Heat immediately rushed into her face.
Oh God.
Everyone was staring.
She cleared her throat softly and looked away.
Anything to escape the embarrassment.
Unfortunately her gaze collided directly with Eleanor's.
And immediately—
a cold shiver ran down her spine.
The sensation startled her.
Not because Eleanor looked angry.
She didn't.
Quite the opposite.
The woman was smiling.
Softly.
Politely.
Gracefully.
The exact same smile she'd been wearing all afternoon.
Yet something about it felt wrong.
The smile never reached her eyes.
And her eyes...
Maya couldn't explain them.
Couldn't define what she saw there.
But something inside her immediately whispered—
Careful.
The warning came so suddenly that it almost made her uncomfortable.
Maya had learned long ago to trust those instincts.
They rarely failed her.
Still, she offered Eleanor a polite smile.
Eleanor returned it perfectly.
Then smoothly shifted her attention elsewhere.
As though nothing unusual had happened at all.
"As lovely as ever," Eleanor said sweetly, turning toward the newly arrived brothers. "It's nice to see you both again."
Nadia immediately rolled her eyes.
The movement was so dramatic Maya almost laughed.
Nikolai noticed.
And looked completely unsurprised.
"How have you been?" Eleanor continued.
Her voice remained smooth.
Refined.
Perfect.
Nikolai leaned back comfortably.
"Fine."
A pause.
Then—
"How have you been holding up as lady of the house?"
The question sounded innocent.
Almost.
Yet something beneath the words felt pointed.
Dry.
Dangerously close to sarcasm.
Maya noticed it immediately.
So did Nadia.
A faint smile appeared on Nadia's face as she lowered her eyes toward her phone.
Maxim rubbed his jaw.
Andrei suddenly looked interested.
Very interested.
Meanwhile Eleanor never missed a beat.
Not even slightly.
Her smile remained exactly the same.
Unchanged.
Untouched.
The woman could probably survive an earthquake without disturbing her makeup.
"I've been holding up quite well."
Elegant.
Measured.
Controlled.
"Thank you for your concern."
Maya stared.
Honestly amazed.
And slightly frightened.
Because Eleanor's composure felt unnatural.
The woman could probably witness a murder and calmly ask whether anyone wanted tea afterward.
Nothing seemed capable of disturbing her.
Or perhaps—
she simply refused to let anyone see when she was disturbed.
That possibility felt even more unsettling.
Eventually Eleanor turned back toward Olga.
"Mother."
The room immediately settled again.
"Since Maxim and Nikolai have arrived, perhaps we should proceed."
Olga nodded warmly.
"Yes."
She rose gracefully from her seat.
Roman immediately stood beside her.
Without being asked.
Without even thinking.
The movement looked practiced.
Natural.
The kind of thing that happened after decades together.
Olga smiled at everyone.
"The entire reason for today's gathering."
Her eyes sparkled.
"Dinner."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Chairs moved.
Conversations resumed.
People stood.
And just like that, the sitting room transformed into a moving collection of pairs and groups.
Maya found herself pulled naturally alongside Rege.
Their hands still linked.
Still intertwined.
Still refusing to separate.
On one side of them lingered Nikolai.
On the other, Maxim.
Neither brother seemed particularly interested in walking anywhere else.
Nadia moved closer to Maya as well, creating a surprisingly protective little circle around her.
Several steps ahead walked Olga and Roman.
Mostly Olga talking.
Mostly Roman listening.
Exactly as expected.
Farther ahead, Ivan and Eleanor moved together with effortless elegance.
Hand in hand.
Perfectly composed.
Perfectly polished.
And directly behind them followed Andrei.
Close enough to hear.
Close enough to observe.
Close enough to remain involved in whatever invisible dynamics existed between them.
As the group moved through the vast mansion corridors toward the dining hall, Maya glanced around quietly.
Crystal chandeliers glowed overhead.
Portraits lined the walls.
Soft golden light spilled across polished floors.
Everything looked beautiful.
Everything looked perfect.
Yet beneath the perfection—
beneath the wealth—
beneath the smiles—
Maya couldn't shake the feeling that every person walking these halls carried secrets.
And somehow...
she had only just begun discovering them.