Shadows of Destiny

160 One Day To Go

-Amelia-

For six days, we dedicated ourselves to preparing for the blue moon. Tamia took charge of all the

arrangements, ensuring everything was in order. Almost everyone was present except for Vino,

Claudia, and the triplets. They had been away in Lucland, only returning this morning. Little did we

know, Vino had specifically asked Kappa Levi to send the triplets to his home in Lucland, where he and

Claudia later joined them after Tamia's lounge party.

That explained why we didn't see the triplets when Bryce brought the children. It would have been nice

if Vino had allowed us to meet them, but I'm sure he had his reasons for sending them away. I

understood that they needed some time alone after their recent ordeal. Now, they were back and

getting ready for the wedding scheduled for tomorrow.

Leo and Susan's parents had been flown in for the wedding, and at that moment, it struck me with a

sudden realisation.

I excused myself from the bustling banquet hall where Tamia, Linda, and Nicole diligently arranged the

seating. Unbeknownst to me, my nerves quietly crept up until I entered my bedroom.

As I settled down, I took a few deep breaths, seeking solace and attempting to calm my jitters. This

was it-the moment I had been eagerly awaiting. I counted my blessings and felt profound gratitude

welling up within me. If someone had told me this extraordinary life would be mine, I would have

dismissed it as a fanciful lie. I could have never imagined such a marvellous outcome for myself.

My mind wandered back to the serendipitous way Leo and I had met and all the remarkable events that

had unfolded to bring us to this point.

Indeed, I was blessed beyond measure. Not only had I found my soulmate in Leo, I had also gained a

loving family and found my rightful place in this vast world. Every fibre of my being overflowed with

gratitude as I eagerly anticipated the future with a renewed sense of hope.

Lost in my contemplation, a gentle knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Curiosity piqued, I rose

from my seat and approached the door to discover who sought my attention.

"Who is it?' I asked, and my mother's voice responded. She had been absent for two days, so I was

relieved to see her return. Welcoming her inside, I could tell from her appearance that she had just

arrived. My curiosity was piqued about her activities with Erik. Still, I chose to withhold my inquiries and

respect her need for privacy. Perhaps one day, she would willingly share the details.

I ushered her in and offered her a seat.

"Where is Leo?" she inquired, to which I shrugged.

Since the lounge party, he had been occupied with the sentencing and execution of punishments. It

wasn't solely his responsibility; all the men were busy. He had left early in the morning and was yet to

come home.

"Somewhere," I replied, and she chuckled.

"Erik and I travelled to Gad to reclaim the properties and wealth Yuri stole from me," she explained, and

I felt genuinely happy for her.

"So you have everything now?" I asked, elated on her behalf.

She nodded, smiling.

"I have what remains of it," she admitted, but her nonchalant demeanour assured me she was content.

"I'm glad for you. You no longer have to dwell in the shadows," I conveyed, and she acknowledged my

words with misty eyes.

"Amelia," she began, holding my hand and gazing at me intently.

"I'm proud of you," she stated.

"I'm proud of the woman you've become. I know it hasn't been easy for you, and I admire your strength.

Please know that there hasn't been a day when you weren't on my mind,” she confessed, her voice

trembling with the threat of tears. Wanting to spare her further emotional strain, I intervened.

"Let's leave the past behind, Mother, and focus on the future," I reassured her, and she nodded,

attempting to blink away her tears.

She withdrew her hand and produced a rectangular jewellery box from her bag. I wondered if she had

gone shopping on my behalf.

"Your father gave this to me on our wedding day. It belonged to his mother. He claimed he kept it for his

fated, but I knew he had given it to Alexei's mother, who returned it after their divorce. I never let on

that I knew so as not to spoil the moment," she explained, and we laughed. 2 "Anyway, tomorrow is the

night of the blue moon. Although you and Leo don't need it, you've chosen to commemorate it together.

I want you to have this so you can pass it on to your daughter as a family heirloom,' she disclosed, and

I opened the box. i

Inside was a beautiful silver charm bracelet adorned with delicate charms shaped like the Stepanov

family crest. However, when I touched the metal, it didn't have the typical silver feel.

"Mother, what kind of metal is this?' I inquired, realising my initial assumption of it being silver was

incorrect.

"Palladium. It is a charm bracelet." She said, and I admired the jewellery, took it out, and wore it on my

wrist.

The metal was beautiful; seeing it in the sunlight, I knew it wasn't silver. The metal was truly

mesmerising. It gleamed in the sunlight, emanating an ethereal radiance that instantly captivated me.

Its surface sparkled with an otherworldly brilliance, the kind only precious metals possess. The sunlight

danced upon it, creating a dazzling spectacle of glimmers and reflections.

Each ray of light seemed to wrap around the palladium, caressing it like a gentle lover. Its pristine shine

was an invitation to delve into a world of wonder. As I touched the palladium, I was astonished by its

smoothness. The metal's cool, silky surface felt like liquid silk under my fingertips. I was awestruck by

the craftsmanship that had transformed this raw material into a work of art. Its lustrous beauty seemed

to transcend the boundaries of mere metal.

"It is beautiful,' I said and looked at my mother.

"It looks perfect on your wrist," she said.

Leaving it on, I put aside the box and looked at her.

"So, will you be moving to Gad?" I asked her, and her eyes showed a bit of difficulty. I knew she

believed the answer she would give would make me uncomfortable, but she was wrong. As long as she

is alive and well, it is fine by me.

"I plan to move between Gad and Mountain if you do not mind. I do not want to lose touch with you and

your brothers. I also want to be a part of my grandchildren's lives. Your children, Alexei's and hopefully

Clay's,' she said, and I beamed at her.

"I can share," I said, and she laughed.

I could explain why she would also want to be there for Alexei and Clay. She had taken them as hers

even before I was born, even though they were not with her and our father. I was glad she would fill

that void for Alexei and Clay.

We talked about my dress and our honeymoon plans. My mother was excited about the wedding, and

she was elated too.

We had yet to decide who would give me away at the altar, but hopefully, that would be solved before

the wedding.

Linda wanted something loud, but we had decided we wanted the wedding to be private, with only

friends, family, and well-wishers. Nothing on the big screen, so we ensured the press won't be present

at the wedding.

Above all, I knew it was going to be exquisite.

My mother left, and I decided to check on Susan and Claudia. On my way to their rooms, I bumped into

Andrew.

I was surprised to see him because he was supposed to be with the men, but here he was in front of

me.

"Did you not go to the execution ground today?" I inquired, noticing his unease. His demeanour

suggested he was privy to something he wished to keep hidden.

"What's the matter?" I pressed, and he hesitated before shaking his head.

"You should inform me," I probed further, and eventually, he relented.

"But please, don't mention to Leo that I divulged this to you," he pleaded earnestly. Understanding the

urgency, I nodded, urging him to swiftly get to the crux of the matter.

"Sylvester is throwing a party for the men in Lucland.' He said, and I laughed. It explained why Leo

hurriedly dressed and was out the door before I could ask questions. They had been through a lot. It

was good for them to unwind and have fun before the wedding.

"So why are you here?" I asked him.

"Mirabel is on her way to the estate,' he said, and my eyes widened.

"Are you two...' I started, and he shook his head.

"We will be having a wedding next month. We are fated, so we do not need the Blue Moon ceremony,"

he said, and I nodded. I wasn't going to ask him if they were getting married, but he answered.

"I am happy for you," I said, and he nodded.

Realising he was in a hurry, I let him go.

He seemed too eager to see her.

It made me wonder why Leo wasn't that way with me when we met, and it took him a while to come

around. I guess Andrew isn't bruised like Leo was. 2

I arrived at Susan's room, and she let me in. She was energised and high- spirited. I could see the joy

in her eyes.

"Are you nervous?’ She asked me, and there was no point lying, so I nodded and said yes.

"Me too. My mother said it will be worse tomorrow, but then it will be okay after," she said, and I smiled

in response. I had nothing to say. I did not want to sit in my room and worry about the wedding.

My bracelet caught Susan's eyes, and she lifted my hand to admire my wrist.xo.com fast update

"Palladium, Leo has taste," She said, and I smiled and pulled my hand away from her.

"My mother gave it to me. It was a gift to her from my father," I said, and she smiled at me.

"You two are connecting," she said, and I nodded.

"I am happy for you," she said, and I thanked her.

"So what will we be doing tonight?" She asked.

"Tamia has organised a spa treatment party for us at the pool bath,' I said, and she squealed. I could

see her eagerness and was happy for her. She talked a lot about her dress. Susan had never been the

chatty kind, but she seemed to be talking suddenly; I guess that was how she handled nervousness.

One thing was sure. She was very happy and could not wait to share her life with Devin.

I spent a bit with her and decided to see Claudia.

"Where are you?' I linked Claudia.

"In the playroom with the children." She said, and I hurried towards the playroom.

I saw Avery, Claudia, Katya and the nannies when I got there. The others were busy with the wedding

plans.

"Amelia, you finally joined us," Avery said, smiling and playing with Marvin.

"Yes, I finally did," I said and went to where Claudia was with the girls playing with dolls. Lilly and

Harper were with them too. While Liam, Oliver, and Miles were running around the place. I knew

Nicole's children won't be in the playroom because they were older. They were probably playing in the

garden-turned-playground on the western side of the estate.

"When did you guys come in?" I asked Claudia, even though I knew when they returned.

"This morning,' Claudia said, and Harper handed me a doll, making me sit with them.

I collected the doll from her and thanked her. She was kind like her mother but looked a lot like her

grandmother.

"So, are you nervous about tomorrow?" I managed, picking up a tiny comb to comb the doll's hair.

"She has been going on and on about it," Katya said with her eyes fixed on the boys.

"Vino wants us to live in Lucland because of my work," Claudia said.

I was surprised that Vino would be that considerate because he seemed attached to his brothers.

"Wow, he is considerate," I said, and Claudia smiled and nodded.

"Yes, but I said no. I would rather be here than live in Lucland. So I tendered my resignation yesterday.

Besides, the girls did not seem to like it in that place. They seem more relaxed here with Harper and

Lilly around," Claudia said, and it was amazing to see how she had quickly assumed the motherly role

for them. The triplets were blessed.

"So, what are your honeymoon plans?” Claudia asked me, and I shrugged.

"Leo said it's a surprise," I said, and she laughed.

"I am sure you will like it," She said.

We spent a while playing with the children.

When it was time for their meal, we excused them.

We headed towards the pool bath in the building for the spa treatment her Majesty, Queen Tamia, had

organised for us.

On getting there, we found Tamia, Nicole, Susan and Linda receiving the spa treatment; even

Stephanie was there.

"It seems we are late for this party," Avery said, taking off her clothes to get into the warm pool with

rose petals.

"Planning that event was killing. We needed the treatment," Linda complained, and Tamia laughed.

"And you wanted something grande,' She said, letting Linda realise the magnitude of the work that

needed to be done.

"Well, we would have had more than two wedding planners and would not need to be on the ground for

anything,’ Linda said, and Tamia ignored her and continued to laugh.

"Lovely bracelet, Amelia," Nicole said, noticing my bracelet, and I thanked her for it. The women

admired the jewellery.

Following Avery's example, we stripped and got into the hot bath. It was soothing and relaxing. I could

understand why this was necessary; all my anxiety was gone, and I looked forward to the wedding.