Reminiscing about the past, Elsa's heart ached a little. Though everything was better now, she would never forget the pain all the three of them had been through. It was the darkest phase of their lives that would stay with them forever.
The dark shadows of the past would never leave them, it would always be a part of them.
"Was Andrew already there when your dad brought you and Owen ho?"
"No, Andrew ca later," Elsa answered. "We had been staying a little over a year when grandpa and dad brought him ho."
Rachael opened her mouth to say sothing but she quickly held herself back. She wanted to ask Elsa about Andrew's parents and if she knew what had happened to them.
Since his parents death was a very sensitive topic for Andrew, she always refrained from ntioning it in front of him. Asking Elsa was the only option in front of her.
But she was feeling very hesitant as she thought it would be a little inappropriate to ask her about it.
"What happened? Do you wanna ask sothing?" When Rachael hesitated, Elsa said, "It's okay, you can ask anything."
"I—"
"Mama—" Edward ran inside the room. "Look what grandpa gave ."
"Oh, what is it?" Elsa took the toy from his hand and exclaid, "Wow, it's a beautiful car. Will Edward take for a drive in this?"
"Yes," he vigorously nodded. "I will take mama to the park."
Elsa smiled and pinched his cheeks. "Oh my baby is so cute." She then picked him up and placed him in her lap. "Did you thank grandpa?"
"Yes, I gave grandpa a kiss," he exclaid.
"Good boy, you are becoming smarter day by day," Elsa gently patted his back.
She then looked at Rachael. "It must be too troubleso for uncle and aunt—"
"Oh not at all—" Rachael interrupted her. Since the day Andrew and I ca here, they had been asking when Edward would visit again."
"Trust , they love it more than Edward does. In fact, I am worried he will get exhausted because of them," she added.
"I highly doubt that," Elsa remarked. "Edward loves it here too. I brought him here because he said he missed them."
…..
[Downstairs]
When Andrew arrived ho, Joshua was sitting on the couch, munching an apple.
"Hey—" Joshua greeted him. "You are ho."
Looking around, Andrew inquired, "Is Rachael ho?"
"She is in her room," he answered. "I think soone is with her."
Without saying anything, Andrew made his way towards the stairs. But he suddenly stopped and approached Joshua.
"Why did Samuel go back?"
Joshua widened his eyes in shock and coughed vigorously. He patted his chest vigorously.
"W….water…" he muttered.
Without saying anything, Andrew grabbed a bottle of water and gave it to him.
After taking a few sips, Joshua sighed. He then looked at Andrew curiously. "How did you find out? Do you have spies on us?"
"Spies?" Andrew scoffed. "What makes you think I will waste money spying on you both? I would rather give it to soone who is in need and get their blessings."
Without waiting for his reply, he questioned him again. "Why did he go back?"
"I don't know,." When Andrew scoffed, Joshua defended himself. "I really don't know."
"I think I know."
"Huh?"
"Maybe he went back to bring Katherine here."
Joshua awkwardly cleared his throat. "M-Maybe, I don't know."
Andrew smirked at him and walked away without saying a word.
"Wait—" Joshua stopped him.
When Andrew looked at him, he hesitantly asked, "Y-You know?"
"Know what?" He raised his brows. "About you and Katherine Petrov? Yes, I might know sothing."
Pinching the space between his brows, Joshua sighed, "Owen told you didn't he?" He still clearly rembered how Owen had bumped into him and Katherine while they were in the middle of their intimate activity. Though their half-naked bodies were hidden behind the door, it wouldn't have been hard for Owen to figure out what they were doing.
Considering the high amount of hate Owen harboured for him, Joshua had assud he would definitely spread the news of his affair with Katherine everywhere. But to his surprise, that never happened. This made him wonder if Owen had really seen them together.
"Does it matter who told ?" Pausing for a while, Andrew remarked, "So let get this straight—You left Igor's side because you are in love with his sister?"
"It's not that simple," Joshua answered. There were many other things involved.
"Well, to be honest, I don't really care." Joshua being in love with the daughter of the Petrov family had nothing to do with Andrew or Owen. Their motive for joining hands with Samuel was nothing personal but a beneficial professional deal.
"You don't care about what?" George inquired as he approached them.
When the two n didn't say anything, he looked at them simultaneously. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah everything is fine." Struggling to co up with sothing to cover the situation, Joshua hesitated for a while before saying, "I want to give Andrew and Rachael a wedding gift so I was asking him if there is sothing he wants."
"Oh—" George looked at Andrew. "To think about that, I also haven't given you both a wedding gift yet."
"It's alright, you don't have to." Before George could say anything, he added, "But if you really want to give sothing, I am sure Rachael will have a long list."
He then looked at Joshua. "You can also ask her what she wants, she will be able to give you a better answer."
"When are you and Rachael leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Andrew answered.
"You both are going sowhere?" When he nodded, Joshua asked, "Where?"
"London."
"Dada—" Edward rushed down the stairs towards Andrew.
"Edward, slow down—" Rachael frowned and quickly followed him. She was worried he would trip or fall down.
"Oh you are here today—" Andrew smiled and picked up the little one in his arms. "You are growing up so fast, it's getting difficult to carry you."
In response, Edward giggled and hugged his neck.
"Is this the reason why you always want to co here?" Elsa gently pinched the little one's butt. "You are pampered by everyone here."
"We can't really bla him, can we?" George remarked. "He is too cute and handso."
"That is—" Elsa stopped midway when her eyes landed on soone. She raised her brows but did not say anything. Instead she continued talking to George and others.
Joshua on the other hand was breaking a cold sweat as he continued to nervously munch on his snacks. The calr Elsa looked, the more nervous he felt.
"Joshua, eat slowly?" Rachael quickly approached him when he started coughing vigorously.
With his mouth stuffed with food, Joshua took a few sips of the water.
Rachael patted his back and sighed, "Seriously, how old are you? Don't you know how to eat?"
Elsa shifted her gaze from Joshua to Andrew who had a light smirk on his face.
"Surprising, isn't it?" he muttered in a relatively lower voice, making sure only Elsa hears him.
"Do Owen and Justin know?" she asked, using the sa tone.
"Not yet."
"Don't tell them." She looked at Joshua and smirked, "Let them find out on their own."
"That is the plan," he smiled.
"How is he related to Rach?"
"Cousin."
Keeping quiet for a while, she inquired, "She doesn't know, does she?" When he shook his head, she chuckled, "How do you plan on telling her?"
When he did not say anything, she looked at him. "When are you planning to tell her about us?"
"Never." When Elsa scoffed, Andrew added, "Not until she is ready."
"She will be ready only if you prepare her, Andrew," she stated. "You can't expect her to ever be ready if you keep hiding the truth from her."
When he did not say anything, she added, "If you think keeping her away from them is enough then you are wrong and you know that too. There are other things, many things—" She pursed her lips and frowned, "I don't have to tell you what they are."
"It took years to get used to it, she will need a lot of ti too." Elsa looked at Rachael who was busy talking to Joshua and George. "Sotis I am worried for her."
At first, when she heard Andrew had married soone, she had assud it would be soone from a similar background but when she t Rachael, she was quite surprised. The more she spent ti with her, the more anxious she felt.
Growing up, Elsa had experienced things one could only imagine. Being a part of the Volkov family wasn't an easy task. Danger always lurked around them. And since she was the only daughter of the family, things were extra hard for her.
If not for the influence and power they possessed, the entire Volkov family would have been wiped off by now.
….
Author's note:
A new privilege tier of ten advance chapters has been added.
Regular updates will start from today. (2 chapter/day)
I will do a mass release soon :)
Thank you
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