Nora's POV
Romanov Estate – 10:27 a.m
Katarina's voice floated through the haze of sleep like warm honey.
"Dorogaya... the doctor is here."
I surfaced slowly, pain dragging me awake.
She helped me sit against the headboard, gentle fingers smoothing my hair.
The doctor worked in quiet efficiency: cold gel, tape, whispered Russian to Katarina, painkillers slipped into my palm.
When they left, sunlight poured through the tall windows, turning the room into a dark cathedral.
Midnight-blue walls, charcoal silk sheets, heavy oak furniture that looked centuries old.
A single silver frame on the nightstand held a black-and-white photo of a younger Mikhail and a woman who had to be his mother.
Everything screamed money, power, and him.
I was drowning i
