“I promise, Rosebud. Arthur will beg for death, but he won’t get it. He will suffer for the rest of his life. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Where is he right now?”

“Behind the bars.”

My brows shot up in surprise.

“After the accident, he and Ivanov went to the spot to be sure we were dead. They wanted confirmation before they cheered over their success. That’s when Balakin got there with the cops and caught them in the act before providing the cops with the phone recordings.”

“Damn, I missed the look on Arthur’s face. It must have been worth watching,” I muttered.

That got a small chuckle from him. “So did I. I was waiting to see that look in his eyes. But I had much more important things to do than being there. I needed to bring my Rosebud back into my arms.”

Sighing, I snuggled against his chest again. “I’m glad he’s finally behind the bars, and out of our lives.”

“It’s just the start of his punishment, baby. A painful future is waiting for him.”

After a long time, I finally felt light. As if a huge burden had lifted off my chest. I no longer felt the suffocation of Arthur’s threat dangling over my neck. He was finally out of our lives.

Stroking my arm, he asked, “What are you thinking?”

“I’m relieved he’s finally out of our lives. I just hope he never returns.”

“He won’t. He’s going to rot in the jail for the rest of his life.”

“Good. That’s what I want. Make sure he suffers.”

“My queen’s wish is my command.”

I smiled, looking up at him. “I love you.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. “I love you more.”

Pulling away, he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Your family is waiting downstairs for you. Do you want to see them now? If not, I’ll just tell them to come see you later.”

I sat straight. “You mean Mom and Dad? When did they arrive?”

“The moment they heard what happened to you. Even Tess and Caleb returned from their honeymoon, cutting it short.”

“How did they know about it?”

“Tobias told them. He got your call this morning but couldn’t talk to you. He heard what happened. Those guards didn’t cut the call.” His voice hardened again.

Oh! I remembered calling him, hoping he could help me in some way.

“Wait, they’re already here? So soon? How long was I asleep?”

“It’s past eleven at night.”

I gasped. “I slept for that long? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He kissed my forehead. “You needed sleep. Don’t worry about it. If you need to rest more, I can tell them to come tomorrow morning.”

I shook my head. “No. I’m fine. Let’s go downstairs.”