Chapter Text
The rain clouds filled the sky, and the whole of London looked like they had been rendered through a grey filter. Fortunately, Yelizaveta had a chance to look at the droplets of water from the warmth of the cafe with a warm drink in her hand and a slice of strawberry cake on her plate. She heard the raindrops as they hit the roof, and despite the depressing weather, she was happier than she had been in a long time. Whether she was facing the hailstorm or the most beautiful summer day didn't matter as long as she could rest her legs on the lap of a man sitting across from her. Yelizaveta's brain thought of all of the possibilities of how everything would come crashing down and how she would get bored in a matter of weeks, and she shook her head to get rid of the idea before it took any more head space. Maybe this once she could trust in another person and allow herself a bit of happiness.
As she sipped her coffee, her eyes trailed occasionally towards the counter where Julie handled the morning rush. She looked at Samuel and saw how a small, almost imperceptible smile flickered across his face every time Julie laughed or managed a problematic customer with ease. Ordering a coffee and croissant had been much easier for him this time, unlike a couple of days ago.
"You seem thoughtful," Samuel finally said, breaking the silence between them. "Is there something on your mind?"
Yelizaveta placed her cup down and looked out of the window. It was a miracle that Samuel hadn't asked about her and Julie's conversation earlier, but then again, Samuel had learned quickly not to ask too many personal questions about her. Still, a small part of Yelizaveta wanted him to do so, and this time, she wouldn't have minded talking about that.
"I spoke with Julie after you left yesterday," she said. "She's many things I like in a person: intelligent, fiery, and not easily intimidated. It's rare to find that combination, and I still hate that I didn't take her with me earlier."
"And? What did you talk about?"
"We discussed her future. The good thing in my position is that I can make decisions others can't," Yelizaveta said. "I believe she could become something great if given the right tools."
When she said that, Yelizaveta saw a glimpse of uncertainty in Samuel's eyes. She could've been direct, but doing so would've ripped her from all of the pleasure she was getting from the conversation as dull as this one.
"Tools?" he asked.
Yelizaveta leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Let's just say that loyalty can be very rewarding under my management. Julie understands the great opportunity when she sees one. She can adapt to new situations, Samuel, much like someone else I know."
"And you think she's ready for whatever you're planning?"
"There's potential in her," Yelizaveta replied. "Think of it as a gift from me to you for everything you've done so far. She won't have to think about how and where to finish her education after that, as long as she doesn't slack off."
She saw a slight annoyance rise to Samuel's face.
"Bloody hell, Vera, what have you done now?" Samuel sighed.
Compared to how he had been a week ago, she hadn't ever anticipated hearing that kind of sentence from his lips, but instead of annoyance, Yelizaveta felt more comfortable around this version of Samuel than the one who was afraid of every one of his moves. She hadn't given it much thought, but maybe there was some kind of a bond that had formed between them already. It would be a joy to see how he would end up when given a month or a year and if he would still bring her as much enjoyment as he did now.
"I made some calls and talked with a person or two. Gave quite a significant donation by their standards to a certain prestigious university so they would take an extra student next year," Yelizaveta grinned.
"I doubt you did that out of kindness," Samuel answered, looking at Julie.
Yelizaveta gazed through the rain-streaked window of the cafe and counted raindrops on the window. She had offered Julie a choice yesterday, and although there had been an illusion of free will, Yelizaveta had known even before asking what she would choose. If the options were to work under her, get a significant raise, and be allowed to leave whenever she wanted or get the future she had yearned for but bind her to Yelizaveta, there wasn't a choice. The idea of letting Julie choose amused Yelizaveta. She hadn't forced anything upon her, but when comparing the options of working at a casino or graduating from university against each other, Yelizaveta had guessed that Julie didn't need time to decide. In the same way, Samuel had stayed by her side willingly, and Julie did precisely the same, although for a different reason.
The donation to Harvard wasn't big enough to make a dent in her pocket, but it was undoubtedly significant enough to ensure that Julie had a place in any degree she wanted to pursue. Having Julie there, among the people who might've become valuable and relevant later, while also moulding her to become someone who, in the best possible scenario, would help many years to come. It was saddening to Yelizaveta how rarely she had time to find people who could be beneficial to her, and after making clear to Julie that failure was not an option and any signs of struggle would be met with immediate consequences, Yelizaveta ensured that Julie wouldn't take advantage of her. Yelizaveta thought she wasn't heartless, but if Julie ended up spending her time at parties and not following through with what she had agreed upon, she would find herself in an even worse place than Yelizaveta had threatened to send Samuel. It was a fact that there wasn't a single altruistic bone in Yelizaveta's body, but instead, she didn't want to let go of a fine investment.
"Harvard should be sufficient, right Sam? It's a simple equation: she gets the education, and I get a loyal, highly capable ally taught by the best, provided she keeps her grades up."
Samuel would be clever enough to see where she was going with the idea.
"It's not enough for you to have me, isn't it?" he looked into her eyes. "You really got to drag her to this as well? It's like there is no limit to how you want to control others."
"I didn't force you into staying, that was all you. There was an option, right, Sam?"
If Samuel ever thought that he was a victim or if there hadn't been options, he would be wrong. Yelizaveta thought of everything that had happened so far and how she clearly had given him chances to leave, from Monaco to Berlin and London, yet it had been his choice to stay. She was just simply always the better option as she had been to every other person who stayed beside her.
"My options left the moment the jet left England for the first time," Samuel mumbled.
Yelizaveta looked back at Samuel. "Then leave. The door is right there, go."
Samuel's grip on her coffee cup tightened as he lowered his gaze. Yelizaveta didn't leave him alone for a second, and she would look at him as long as it would take to get the answer out of him. If Samuel had been willing to announce his eternal loyalty to her, he would have been enough of a man to keep his word for more than a few days.
"You know I can't," Samuel whispered.
"Say it," Yelizaveta answered firmly.
She wouldn't drop the conversation before hearing what she wanted. They could sit there until the end of the times for what Yelizaveta cared.
Samuel sighed. "I don't want to go, not even if I had a chance. I want to stay by your side."
It was beautiful to hear Samuel telling that to her time and time again, and Yelizaveta doubted she was ever going to get tired of it. She brushed Samuel's chin with her finger and felt his hand on the back of her hand.
"Exactly, and Julie's decision to stay was also her choice. I merely gave her two alternatives, and she chose to stay like you did. She'll have access to the best resources, tutors, whatever she needs. In return, she will eventually assist with my operations if I deem her capable enough."
"I'm afraid she will be," Samuel answered. "Do I want to know about your plan for her?"
Yelizaveta grinned. "The saddest part of the world is that I can only be in one place at once and live only one time. From what I understood from Mr Petrov's message yesterday, I will not be particularly welcomed in Russia or Monaco for about six months, so I have time to set everything up here. However, after that, who knows? I can't stay in England indefinitely."
"Six months seems like a long time for you."
"It's merely a slap to the wrist from what I did to Aleksandr. And I want to see personally that everything I'm setting up for that pretty little place I acquired starts to work as intended."
Having the casino for just money laundering as it had been so far would've been enough for Mr Glass, but Yelizaveta could do much more with said space when given a chance. She would need to find someone to run the place after half a year, but now, she would have plenty of time to implement everything she wanted. Integrating advanced data-tracking technology would transform the casino from a small place where people gambled, and money was transferred from one person to another to an untrackable form into a sophisticated control centre capable of collecting massive amounts of customer data. Yelizaveta smiled not only for the thought of capturing the filth of unassuming people but also because she had just gotten a reason to see her friend after a long while. She could operate one phone alone, but setting up a more extensive network would require her friend's assistance, which Yelizaveta didn't mind.
Yelizaveta explained the main points to Samuel, whose face turned into an expression that was hard to read. She wasn't sure if he was approving or judging her, or possibly both at the same time.
"Few people will even realise when you ask them to connect their device to anything on the casino's network. And well, you already know what happens when they do," she said.
"You're saying for the next six months you're going to blackmail people because you can't do your usual business," Samuel's question was more of a statement.
"Doesn't it sound fun? Sitting at a cosy home and thinking about it like a vacation?"
In reality, Yelizaveta was slightly annoyed that she couldn't operate as she usually did, but if keeping a low profile for a moment meant keeping hers and Aleksandr's father's terms sound, she was willing to make sacrifices. In theory, she could go back to Albania or Kosovo at some point, but she didn't want to think of it as of now. She already had enough to do with everything going on in London.
"I wouldn't say that my home is much of a cosy type," Samuel answered.
Before Samuel could say more, Yelizaveta got up and grabbed his hand. She waved goodbye to Julie and dragged Samuel across the room, not giving him a chance to protest or disagree. He could talk more with Julie after her shift ended, and there was one more thing she wanted to show to him.
Yelizaveta's lips turned to a smile when she looked at Samuel. "I never said I would agree to move to your place."
***
A bit over a week ago, Yelizaveta hadn't even thought of staying in London for longer than a weekend, but now she stood in front of a tall apartment building in Kensington. Samuel stood beside her, holding a black umbrella and trying to block as much rain as possible, yet Yelizaveta saw how a thin line of water dripped to his shoulder. He had chosen to keep her dry rather than prioritise himself, and she commended him for it. Even though the rain wasn't too heavy, it was still something she would rather avoid if just possible.
The entrance to the apartment building was an impressive archway, and as they entered the building, they were greeted by a sleek, modern lobby that clarified what kind of clientele lived in the building. While the amount of money Yelizaveta had sent to Harvard hadn't been too significant to her, buying the apartment, especially on such short notice, had been troublesome. Everything from the fake identity to transferring money from one bank account to another without attracting too much interest had taken her longer than she cared to admit. Still, after talking, Elena Bennett convinced the seller that she was honest, had a real identity, and simply needed a place to move to. If she had been an older man, there wouldn't have been as much of an issue, but Yelizaveta had to admit that if the roles had been reversed, she would've been sceptical. It was a fortunate fact that money solved many problems in the world. She watched Samuel close the umbrella, and they ascended to the top floor via a private elevator that opened directly into the apartment. One small luxury amongst many that had made Yelizaveta choose this apartment as her home.
Stepping into the apartment, Yelizaveta led Samuel through a hallway into the living area that bathed in light, as much as there was light because of the gloomy weather outside. The house had the most vital furniture, from a sofa to a dining table, which all had matching neutral colour palettes, with splashes of colour here and there. There hadn't been time to make the area personal, but Yelizaveta believed she would eventually grow to call the house home. She could start with various suitcases and boxes on the floor, as she had asked to be delivered straight from her South-Eastern European home.
"Do you like it?" she asked and looked at Samuel.
"It looks so clean and clinical it's almost unreal. You could've gotten something simpler," Samuel answered.
"I could've, but inviting people would've been bothersome if I had. But you're right, and it doesn't feel like a home. Want to see the rest of it even though it won't have the same charm as your box?"
A small chuckle escaped Samuel's lips. "My box has served me well so far, thank you very much."
"Sure, Sam. However, it won't ever be something I'll live more than a night or two, but you do it however you please."
Yelizaveta wanted her own space, and Samuel's apartment wasn't something she looked forward to spending her six months in. She appreciated the bath and the walk-in closet, the large mirror on the wall and a separate kitchen that wasn't just crammed into the corner. And the bedroom with a window. Yelizaveta took Samuel's hand and guided him through the rooms: the master bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the London skyline, the bedroom, which she had asked to be converted into a home office, complete with a desk which overlooked Kensington Gardens, and the living room which had a glass wall that opened onto a private terrace. As Yelizaveta slid the glass doors open, the sounds of the city filled her ears as people lived their everyday lives on the streets under them. The terrace offered a full view of London, from the greenery of the nearby parks to the buildings that defined the city's skyline. Yelizaveta felt the raindrops on her hair, but for this once, they didn't bother her. Even in the rain, the view was spectacular, with the city's lights reflecting off the wet surfaces, creating a beautiful scenery before them.
"It's going to be liveable six months," Yelizaveta said. "And who knows, maybe I will return here occasionally after that. It's hard to imagine home being anywhere else but in the house where my parents lived and raised me."
She turned to Samuel, hoping the small part of her that felt fearful didn't show through. It would be the first time she wouldn't stay in her father's mansion while she wasn't flying around Europe. Even though Yelizaveta had seen her share of hotel rooms, staying in a new city was still a bit dreadful to her, even though she could return home whenever she wanted. She saw Samuel visibly impressed, his eyes looking at the horizon before returning to meet hers.
"It's even more than I expected from the outside," he admitted. "It's like a small castle."
"Exactly," she said. "A castle from which to watch over my empire. And perhaps, to build something new. It's nice to have a view when staying more than a few days in one place."
Yelizaveta looked at Samuel and saw how the water dripped from his curls, which pressed against his face. He looked positively tormented in the rain, unlike the man who had been sure of his inevitable doom when they had first met. Yelizaveta had to remind herself that there must've been a lot that she still didn't know of Samuel, but deep down, she hoped to find that out eventually, even if it would take time. If she could've chosen, they would've met differently, in a more usual way that didn't involve guns or threats. Showing the barrel of a gun to another person's temple didn't give exactly the best first impression. However, she couldn't deny the fact that crime was part of her life and would be until the day she died.
"I have something to give you, Sam," she said.
Before Yelizaveta had time to do anything, Samuel took her hand in his and pulled her closer. It still took her a second to remember that she would be safe with him and not fight back the hand holding hers. It seemed like a part of her was afraid that something would happen to her, as much as she wanted to deny it.
"Can we do that inside? I don't want you to catch a cold as your first thing in London," Samuel said.
His voice was kind, almost too kind to Yelizaveta's taste. The voice made her think she would shatter to pieces when she heard it, and she didn't like that feeling. She wanted to be strong, not vulnerable. She wanted to be strong, not to depend on others. The idea of her relying on another person was even more dreadful to her than thinking about death because at least the pain wouldn't last indefinitely when she would die.
"This once, dear detective, I take an order from you," Yelizaveta answered with a smile.
Yelizaveta led Samuel through the rooms of her new apartment to the master bedroom. She heard the raindrops against the windowsill and the slight humming voice of the people of London, living their everyday lives without any idea of them. They didn't need to know about her as long as Samuel remembered her existence. Without hesitation, Yelizaveta pulled him to the edge of the bed and sat on his lap, her knees on both sides. The rain had soaked through to their clothes, leaving them damp and their hair slightly wet, and Yelizaveta brushed a loose strand behind Samuel's ear and away from his face.
"You're beautiful, Samuel Herrington," she breathed.
Her thumb brushed Samuel's cheek as she felt his hands wrapping behind her back. He pulled her closer, and Yelizaveta's fingers dug deeper into Samuel's hair as he did.
"Not even a tenth as beautiful as you, Yelizaveta Dragomirov," he answered.
Hearing her whole name from Samuel's lips felt alien and warm at the same time. She had told her to use her nickname, first to form an artificial bond with him, then to control him, but in the end, also to protect herself. Hearing someone call her by her nickname or being called darling or love was easier than the personal bond hearing one's name created. Hearing her whole name made everything feel like the person across her mattered. Samuel had become someone who mattered to her. The thought sent shivers down her spine, but not as much as his hands on the back of her did.
"Please don't leave, Sam," she whispered.
Before Samuel had time to answer, Yelizaveta pressed her lips to his. If he couldn't answer, nothing bad wouldn't happen. If he couldn't see the singular tear escaping the corner of her eye, he couldn't judge her. The kiss, which started as light as a touch, deepened quickly, like she wanted to devour him, her lips moving against Samuel's like she had never tasted him before. Her hand didn't want to let go of him like she was afraid he would disappear into thin air if she did, and even Samuel's hands that pulled her deeper into his embrace couldn't convince her otherwise. Each of the raindrops outside felt like a heartbeat, and Yelizaveta didn't ever want to let go of Samuel. He had become a crucial part of her life, and she didn't want to think of the alternative timeline where he would've been gone.
Samuel's hands roamed up her back, tracing the line of her spine through the damp fabric of her blouse, making her breathe heavily. It felt like electricity was coursing through her body, and his fingertips sent her mind into overdrive. In Yelizaveta's head, the world outside had faded away long ago, and the only person she wanted to focus on was Samuel. If there were just one thing she could feel, it would be how their bodies intertwined with each other, how his lips felt on hers, and how his hair curled under her fingertips.
"I'd never..." Samuel tried to say between his breaths.
"Not right now," she answered and pressed a finger to his lips.
With a quick push, Yelizaveta guided Samuel backwards until he was lying beneath her, their clothes pressing against each other and their breaths mixing together. Yelizaveta crippled the bedsheets under her fist, and she felt how they felt cool against her hand, unlike Samuel's body against hers. She heard his heart race and, for a second, wondered if it was because he wanted to run away or because he couldn't take his eyes off her. The longer Yelizaveta looked at them, the deeper she wanted to drown in those eyes. Her knees were on either side of his hips, her hands framed his face, and her thumbs caressed his cheekbones. Yelizaveta leaned down, her lips barely touching Samuel's as she spoke with a whisper almost lost beneath the sound of the rain.
"Stay with me," she murmured. "Not because I make you but because you want to. I need to hear you beg for me because you desperately want me."
Her lips met his again, but she allowed him to take his time and feel her softness rather than forcing anything on Samuel. Yelizaveta felt Samuel's hands moving to her hair, letting his fingers brush through them and keeping her close. No part of her wasn't touching him, and she heard her heart beating fiercely against his chest. Yet still, Yelizaveta wanted more. He would've been wrong if Samuel had thought this was all she wanted and would have been happy to leave it at it. As much as she loved how his lips felt on hers, she loved to hear his desperate voice even more.
***
Samuel's lips trailed on Yelizaveta's body, kissing her neck, collarbones, and chest and moving down painfully slowly. If Yelizaveta wanted, she could've grabbed his hair and pushed him down in an instant, but if this were the kind of pain she would be in, she would gladly be called a masochist. She loved how Samuel's body weight pressed against her when she lay on the bed, how his scent lingered around her and how he touched her gently, not because he was afraid she would break but because that's what kind of a man he was. There was a fine line between whether he was too gentle or just what she wanted at that moment, but she could be sure she wouldn't get hurt for the same reason. Yelizaveta thought of how she had been used, manipulated and tossed aside so many times that she had learned to see when a man was simply there because she had something he wanted, be it wealth or sex. With Samuel, she saw none of that. He was there because of her. For a while, she had wanted to tell herself that it was because he had clouded her judgment, yet after time and time again, she had to admit that maybe, this once, there was none of that.
"Don't stop," Yelizaveta breathed as Samuel's hands grabbed her thigh.
Her back arched, and her words mixed with the moans. From the side of her eye, Yelizaveta saw the clothes, tossed to the floor and undoubtedly still wet from the rain. At that moment, the last thought of her head was deciding if they would ever be worn again or if they were ruined, as Samuel's fingertips traced her skin and lips moved ever so lower. It felt like electricity was shooting through her body, her fingertips gripping Samuel's hair harder than she cared even to admit as she pushed his head between her legs, breathing deeply with every passing moment. He didn't do this to gain something, he did that to her, and admitting it was hard. Yelizaveta wanted to say something, anything, yet the only thing leaving her lips as she felt Samuel kissing her inner thigh before moving even deeper was incoherent syllables at best. It was easier to show men who were leading when they were tied to the bed or lying under her, but in a situation like this, the line could blur, and that was something she didn't want. Yelizaveta wanted to feel like this whenever she could, but letting Samuel continue so freely was hard. In theory, he could do whatever he wanted, yet he chose to please her. The longer he continued, the more Yelizaveta's thoughts disappeared, and she admitted to herself that maybe she didn't need to think about every possible scenario right now. Samuel would obey her, but she could enjoy how he felt without pushing him further.
"Sam..." she whimpered.
Yelizaveta felt her body clenching, and the wave flushed over her. She whimpered as every muscle in her body tensed, from her toes to her spine, until she felt like she had disappeared somewhere. The only thing keeping her in reality was Samuel, and without touching him, she was sure she could've lost herself somewhere in nothingness. The feeling of pure joy filled her whole body, and nothing in the world would make her move faster than she wanted. Yelizaveta reached down, grasping Samuel's chin and tilted it up, only to see the blush on his face, his hair messy and a smile on his face.
"No, don't say anything," Yelizaveta said.
Whether Yelizaveta was blushing as much as him, she didn't want to know. Admitting that Samuel knew what he was doing was humiliating enough for her. She guided him up, feeling how Samuel's cock pressed against her as she kissed him, tasting herself from his lips. Yelizaveta was already sweaty from what he had done but yearned for more while not being sure if there ever was a point when she wanted less of Samuel. She hooked her leg around his waist, not allowing him to escape, although it seemed like he didn't want to leave anyway.
"Can I at least tell you how I adore you? How beautiful do you look?" Samuel asked.
"Hells, Samuel," she answered. "Haven't you learned not to disobey after all of this?"
Rather than being harsh or disapproval, there was a hint of laughter in Yelizaveta's voice. If Samuel could make her feel this good with his tongue, she could allow a bit of disobedience.
"Maybe I should keep you here until I can be sure you won't do that again?" she said and pushed Samuel even closer to herself.
Samuel's cock pressed against her, and Yelizaveta didn't allow him to move away. Her fingers trailed on his chest, feeling how hard his heart pounded on his chest as he parted her slowly, almost to the point where waiting became painful to her. In the world, Yelizaveta had one man whom she wanted every time more than last, and that man was Samuel Herrington.
"Gods, Sam..." Yelizaveta breathed as he buried deeper into her.
Every time Samuel moved inside her, Yelizaveta felt better than in the previous moment. Instead of thinking this was something to get done with, Yelizaveta felt her body didn't want to let go of him but wanted more and to stay with him until the end of times. Somehow, even the simplest things felt special with Samuel. His cock pressed against her inner walls, moving at a pace that made Yelizaveta whimper and wish the moment wouldn't end. Samuel's breaths became heavy, and tiny drops of sweat glistened on his skin when their bodies closed to each other. Yelizaveta's fingers moved to Samuel's back and traced small lines on their way, not deep enough to hurt him but still in a way that would remind him of what he had done tomorrow.
Yelizaveta leaned close to Samuel's ear and whispered to him. "You're such a good boy, and you're all mine."
"I am, Vera," Samuel breathed. "I'm yours. I need you so badly."
The last words leaving Samuel's lips were more of a whisper than actual words. Yelizaveta wanted them to be true, as she didn't want to let go of Samuel. As the cock pulsed in her, Yelizaveta felt like she was closing on her release again, and her nails dug tighter against Samuel. It was borderline painful to admit that she cared for him that much, not only physically but also because he made her feel safe even in the most vulnerable moments. Something in him made her feel like he was something special, something Yelizaveta wouldn't find again for a long time, if ever. She wasn't sure whether it was how he looked, felt, or followed her whatever she did. Yelizaveta was willing to do anything to keep him safe and by her side, even to kill for him.
Yelizaveta tried to say something as she came, tell Samuel how much she cared for him or how she didn't want to let go of him, but instead, the only thing she managed to do was to cling to him deeper. Samuel's cock pressed deep in her, making her vision blur and focus on every sensation she was feeling at that moment. Everything felt overwhelming to her. Samuel's hands took hers, but instead of pinning her down, he collapsed on top of her, like he didn't want to let go of her even after she felt how the warmth filled her from the inside. Yelizaveta wanted to tell him he was too warm and close, but maybe too much was exactly what she wanted.
"Can you please move?" Yelizaveta asked after a minute that felt like an eternity. "You don't have to go, I won't let you go, but please, you're crushing me."
There was a limit to how long she could lay under him, even if the man was Samuel. Without a word, but not before placing a kiss on her forehead, he moved beside her and took a few deep breaths as he covered his forehead with his arm. He had deserved a minute or two of rest after everything he had done. Yelizaveta reached down to the pile of clothes and eventually found her suit jacket lying at the bottom of the pile. Even though the fabric was lovely, it had still crumbled and wouldn't be usable for the rest of the day.
"Is something missing?" Samuel asked.
"Just stay where you are. If I can't manage this much, we have bigger problems."
After a bit of a struggle, Yelizaveta found a small pouch in the pocket. It was dark red, with yellow strings, and she wasn't sure where she had initially found it, but it didn't matter as much as what was inside.
"I said I have something for you," Yelizaveta said and moved back to lay beside Samuel.
Her hand rested on his chest. Yelizaveta thought of every possible scenario where things could go wrong, yet still, all of them resulted in the fact that she could always solve problems with a bullet in the worst-case scenario. She took Samuel's hand and slid the ring away from his finger. No matter how beautiful and expensive it was, it was also utterly fake, like their relationship had been so far. It had been something to tell others, but it hadn't meant anything to her. Now, when she had to admit that Samuel actually meant something, it felt wrong to make him wear a lie from day to day. Deep down, Yelizaveta knew she eventually wanted more than just a fake. She opened the pouch and pulled out a simple gold band, which undoubtedly looked worn but well-kept, simple yet something the wearer had cherished dearly.
"If I give you this, and I have to take it away, I'm taking your finger with it," Yelizaveta said as she looked at the jewellery.
"Whose is it?" Samuel asked.
Yelizaveta was almost sure he knew the answer, and the question was more out of formality than anything else.
"My fathers. He got it from the local goldsmith when he asked my mother to marry him," Yelizaveta answered. "He never took it off after my mom said yes."
"And I'm worthy of it?"
"I like to think that you are, Samuel Herrington."
Samuel didn't look like he was turning away or disagreeing with her, so Yelizaveta took his hand and slid the ring in the place of the old one.
"And I like to think that you are so much more than what people see you as," Samuel answered.
The ring was slightly too big, and it would've been a bit of a miracle if it had fit perfectly since Samuel wasn't a man like her father had been. That was one of the things why she loved him. If she had wanted a man who was like her father, willing to take a life like she was, she would've had plenty of options. The fact that Samuel was the complete opposite of her made him indefinitely more attractive to her. Yelizaveta looked at Samuel. The idea of even admitting that she was capable of something resembling love was a dreadful thing to think, and she didn't want to know if she was ever brave enough to say that out loud and mean it. It didn't matter because, for now, after a time that felt too long for her to accept, Yelizaveta was happy.