35 - Confession

"Believe me when I tell you that being on bad terms with Grupo Sol has been the best thing that could have happened to your family," Erik exclaimed with confidence.

"I must say that Mr. White has disappointed me. Sending his son to reconcile things between both families and humiliating me in that way?" The Italian said furiously, remembering how Ivan had left him with words in his mouth in the gala a few nights ago to go away with a young girl- That boy is not the material of a boss.

-No way to say it…- Erik smiled- That's why I came to propose a deal.

The Italian looked at him with a raised eyebrow and suspicion in his eyes.

-I'm not going to lie to you, the Blacks have never given me a good feeling, people don't say good things about you, you don't have a good reputation in my country.

Erik leaned back in his leather chair and took a sip of whiskey without feeling offended by the comment.

-I am sure that the Whites have gone to great lengths to defame my family to prevent us from reconciling with you. A little more? - He asked, pouring the golden drink into the Italiano's glass - He's from Russia, we have a good relationship with the most important whiskey company in that country, you can be sure that they will say that the Sol group is losing power. It's not a good time to ally with them, you know?

"What do you propose?" He asked, feeling more convinced than before. "You know that I no longer have as much patience as before...

-Don't worry, your alliance with the Luna group is going to give good results. What would you say to me if I told you that there is only very little left for your reign full of betrayals to collapse forever?

-I would say that would be great news, with them out of power everything would be easier- the Italian smiled.

-So? What do you say, good man? - Erik exclaimed, stretching out his open hand towards the man.

"You have a deal, Mr. Black," the man shook tightly. "I hope you don't disappoint me."

Erik smiled victoriously.

-Trust me sir, you have made the right decision.

---

The new couple in love was oblivious to Erik's plans from the Luna Group. Ivan seemed absorbed in the strong feelings that his beloved made him feel, as if he were alive, as if he were an ordinary young man hopelessly in love. He made him feel in the clouds and the young gangster did not want to come down from that dream.

After Helena recovered from her fainting, Ivan had meticulously ensured that his beloved ate each meal well. With a wide dimpled smile he had noticed that Helena's cheeks had regained color and she had gained a little weight.

Although the brunette had complained on a few occasions that she was losing her fitness figure, Ivan couldn't be more in love with those soft, perfect curves of hers when he undressed her once again to make her his.

Ivan had banned her from the gym for a while; he knew how obsessive her lover could be and he didn't want a second faint from overexerting herself. Surprisingly, the young woman had accepted without arguing. What the black man did not know is that there was a reason behind her, and that is that Helena had to be careful with her little 4-week-old child who was growing inside her.

At the first check-up with the doctor everything had gone wonderfully, he had only told her that she should have a healthy and abundant diet and not to make any extra effort for the next two months.

The young woman had left the consultation relieved but a little sad for lying to her lover's face when she asked:

-And good? Everything is alright?

-Yes... the whole order, he told me to continue eating the same and not to make too much effort.

Ivan smiled widely and kissed his hand lovingly.

"I don't understand why you didn't let me in, I wanted to be there with you," he said with a pout.

"I'm an adult Ivan, I don't need you to accompany me," she growled in an adorable way.

-What are you saying? "If you are my little princess," she exclaimed, squeezing her cheeks, making her pink lips purse.

"Stop it!" She screamed, red as a tomato.

Ivan laughed and they both left the hospital.

---

The following weeks Ivan made sure that the brilliant smile of his beloved was never erased from her face. He had taken her to the most expensive and exclusive places that only people with a lot of money could enter and something that Ivan could clearly afford for her without it hurting her pocket.

He had taken her to elegant restaurants, to the best theaters, to the best hotels, all top-notch for his beautiful beloved.

They were both lying on a king-size bed with silk sheets in a five-star hotel breathing exhausted when Ivan spoke:

-How about after showering we go to eat at the restaurant we went to the other day? "I remember you liked the food there," he exclaimed as he ran his index finger across Helena's upturned nose.

-What if this time I choose?

-Oh?

-Well, we have always gone to the places you wanted….

"You didn't like where I took you?" He said worriedly.

-No! It's not that! "I loved it," he exclaimed, sitting on the bed. "I never thought I would enter places like that," he said sincerely. "Only... there is a place I wanted to go with you."

Ivan sat next to her lover and brought her closer to lean on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you, I just took you from here to there without even asking your opinion," he said guiltily.

Helena laughed amused, Ivan looked so adorable when he lowered her shields and looked like that, vulnerable and worried with her.

-Don't worry, the place where we are going beats all of yours together, so we would be even.

-Oh yes? -He said amused- I don't think so, princess...

"Take a bath and you'll see," he said defiantly.

"Not if my princess doesn't come with me," he said, lifting her in a bridal manner with one skillful movement.

-Ivan!-She squealed in surprise.

"My princess needs to be taken care of by her prince," the young man purred, leading her to the bathroom.

---

-Is seriously? An amusement park? - Ivan exclaimed with his mouth open when he saw so many people, so many colors and worse still, so much noise.

Helena jumped with excitement, took Ivan's hand and ran with him through the entrance. Behind them, and keeping their distance, two of her bodyguards followed him.

-Yeah! It had been years since I had come to one, not since… - Helena was thoughtful.

Ivan did not want to see the sadness on Helena's face.

"I... I've never been to one," he said sincerely, but wanting to distract himself from her.

Helena's eyes widened and an expression of disbelief appeared in her eyes.

-I don't believe you…

"It's the truth," she said with her cheeks flushed. "When I was little, my father couldn't bring me to these places. You know it's dangerous, right?" There are a lot of people here, could one of those be…

-I can't believe you've never been to an amusement park! -She exclaimed with her eyes full of excitement and ignoring Ivan- There's so much I want to show you! The little cars, the mirror maze... The house of terror!

-The House of Terror?

-Yeah! Come, let's go! -She pulled him and started running. Ivan followed her as best he could, surprised by Helena's energy.

The brunette turned for a second towards her beloved and smiled at her with so much happiness that she felt her heart beat hard against her chest.

“It's like she's a little girl,” he thought, amused. He didn't want to prick her balloon and tell her that she didn't really like places like that. Because... What did it matter? What Ivan wanted was to make her happy at all costs. And if he had to endure the harsh sun on her head, the screaming children everywhere, and the roller coasters that made him nauseous, he would do it for her.

-Go Go! Before there is a long line! - Helena exclaimed without stopping running.

---

Ivan had never had so much fun in his life.

They had done everything, he had even suggested several games to play. They had gone on several roller coasters, they had entered the house of terror and they had even played gambling games where he had won a large teddy bear for his beloved with her great shooting skills.

They both sat on a bench under a leafy tree to enjoy some snowflakes that were too sweet for their taste but that Helena seemed to love. The young woman placed the giant teddy bear next to her as if it were one of her family. They ate the large ball of sugar in silence, while they regained their energy.

-You were right.

"What?" Helena asked, coming out from behind the sugar snowball.

"That your outing would be better than all of mine combined, I really had a great time," she said timidly. "Oh, wait..." he whispered, wiping away some sugar that had remained on her lover's lips with his thumb. He tested it by licking her finger and looked at Helena, who was observing him in silence. Ivan could see that his honey-colored eyes were trembling, it seemed like he was about to cry. "What's wrong, princess?" I said something wrong?

Helena shook her head and blinked rapidly to prevent her tears from falling.

-No... it's just that, the last time she came was with my parents when she was just a little girl...

"Oh... honey, I'm sorry," he exclaimed worriedly.

"It's okay," she smiled melancholy, "I thought I would never set foot in this park again... It hurt so much that it was impossible for me to enter without them. How was I going to smile and have fun knowing that they were no longer there?" But then you… And I laughed…-

A tear was caught by Ivan on Helena's cheek.

-We can come as many times as you want, princess... I could reserve the park for just the two of us too. "I want to see you always smile," he said lovingly.

-Ivan…

"Yes, darling?" the young man exclaimed, feeling himself floating in a giant cloud of pink sugar.

"I have something to tell you..." he said with his voice almost inaudible.

"I have something to tell you too," Ivan exclaimed, puffing out his chest bravely.

Helena looked up from her and felt more tears burst.

"You first then," she exclaimed nervously.

Ivan nodded, feeling the nerves run through his body. He took her lover's hands in his and moved closer to her.

-These months with you have been the most wonderful of my life, before you I could count on my fingers the times I truly laughed without it being a lie. Nick has always been the only person in my heart, but I have suffered more for him and for his well-being, keeping him as far away from me as possible," he said, swallowing hard, as if trying to submerge his anguish. "But then you came, with your arrogant attitude and your flying kicks.

Helena laughed amused but at the same time crying with emotion.

-And you changed my world... -She said with a lump in her throat- I never thought I could love...

-Ivan…

-Let me say this please, I don't know when I'll be able to open up like that again. Is it hard for me, you know?

Helena nodded her head, feeling her heart jump with excitement.

-Helena... I love you, you are the most valuable thing I have had in all these years of loneliness, death and violence, you are like a light of hope in my life and... -he squeezed his beloved's hands- I want to always have you with me, without you. nothing would make sense, I don't want to be that heartless monster again-

"You never were," the young woman came forward to say.

Ivan sighed heavily.

-I tell the truth when I tell you that I love you, maybe now it won't be easy, dark moments are coming, I'm not going to lie to you, but maybe when everything calms down and we are at peace, we can form a beautiful family. What are you saying?

The black eyes of her lover were filled with desperation and pleading. But Ivan didn't have to beg her, Helena already knew her answer.

"I love you too, Ivan," she said from her heart. The young man felt thick tears of happiness falling down his face - I never thought I had time to love and I never thought anyone would notice me... I still feel that this is just a silly dream from which I am going to wake up.

Ivan gently pinched the cheek of his beloved.

-It's not a dream, you see?

Helena laughed through her tears.

"Do you promise to stay with me even if things are difficult?" She asked with fear.

"I promise, my princess, you will never escape from me, you are my prisoner," he joked, kissing her on the lips.

Helena reciprocated and they kept the seal of love until they needed to breathe.

-What did you want to tell me princess?

Helena froze in place of her. She was going to tell him that she was expecting her baby, the euphoria of the departure and how happy she had felt with Ivan that day had given her the courage to tell him the truth, because she was sure that she wouldn't tell him. would reject. But then her words echoed in her mind.

“Dark times are coming” “maybe when everything calms down and we are at peace, we can form a beautiful family.”

“Shit,” she thought to herself. It was the worst time to be parents, she knew that Ivan wasn't telling her some things to protect her. What would it change if she told him she was pregnant? That would worry him even more, because she would have two lives to protect.

"You beat me to the punch," she lied. "I was going to tell you the same thing."

"But my speech was better, right?" He exclaimed proudly.

"Yes, this time you won," he joked, letting himself be hugged by her lover.

When she hid her face in the young man's chest she couldn't help but erase her smile and give way to an expression of worry for the future.

“Are you really going to let the three of us be happy?”