Essence sat on a sofa nestled between her mother and sister while Iwan sat across from them glowering.
He was back to being the belligerent scary beast of a grandfather she’d known her entire life and it had everything to do with the two women on either side of her, their accompanying security, and the fact Eliska was supposed to be coming home today.
She was reminded of how Vadim said the look on Iwan’s face was his poker face. He really, well and truly did not want her mother or sisters to know how much he cared for her. The question remained why? Surely, they weren’t all jealous of her, but she couldn’t come up with any other plausible explanation other than her mother wanted what she was blessed with, a life away from Iwan.
“Daddy, I think Essence deserves a large church wedding. Wh
