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When our evening ended, long past midnight, Victor walked me out of the dining room like I was his princess. Farewells were bid in the foyer of our home, and his family used the elevator to get to their room floor while we walked Charlotte to the front door.
Outside, she turned to me with a pleasant smile and held both my hands.
“What’s next, Amy?”
“What do you mean, Charlotte?”
“You are a force of nature, my dear. My son has changed immeasurably since the two of you met, much for the better, to be honest.”
“Your son has had the same effect on me. I feel more balanced and in tune with myself since we met.”
“Well, Amy… I liked you more than the other possible surrogates when we first met at Victor’s office, and now I like you a lot. I’m sure you’ve managed me carefully, and for that, I am grateful.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
I grinned at her, pleased to have won over such an important chess piece on the family board that I was playing on. My mind had already turned to my studies and the period I expected that had not yet materialized. If that wasn’t enough to think about, I was concerned about the deal Artyom must do with his Russian masters to find peace.
Charlotte squeezed my hands, bringing me back to the moment.