Chapter 132: Hating You Is The Only Way It Doesn’t Hurt

[FROLO]

Seeing his name on the lawn had surprised Katya, and he hadn’t even managed to process it yet, and now he had to deal with this, too.

"He is the devil of Frolo," Katya insisted, and his friends just hugged him.

It was the only thing they could do, because this was a lot to take in. It was one thing to live in fear for six whole months and more.

But it was another to realize there had never been a true reason to live in fear in the first place.

He just couldn’t take this shit anymore.

"Yes, he is," Svet said as she gently pulled Katya from their embrace and forced him to look at her.

"He told you to be free, Romanov. You are free. Doesn’t matter what he did or what he is going to do next. Men like that barbarian don’t go back on their words.

"Their words are their honor," Svet said, like that was supposed to make it better.

Only that it made Katya cry even more.

He didn’t know what to do. Truly.

He had expected negativity, yet he had been met with someone who gave his family relief.

Someone who took care of his greatest problem and didn’t ask for shit.

Someone who promised him freedom and gave it that very day.

And for some reason, it hurt even more because Katya didn’t know how to feel.

What to feel.

"Can I please have your phone for a moment?" Katya suddenly said to Andre, who didn’t hesitate in handing it over.

Whatever Katya wanted, Katya would get. Right now, it seemed like the right distraction.

But would it work?

"Who are you calling?" Svet asked, and Katya just sighed as he dialed a contact and then put the phone on speaker.

His hands were shaking. His heart was hammering in his chest.

And his head was splitting.

It didn’t even ring once before the person on the other end picked up...

"Andre, is something wrong with Michka? I haven’t gotten any updates from you since you left earlier," Mr. Romanov’s voice came on the other side of the phone.

Katya stared at his friend like he was about to swat him with a broom at that moment for being a snitch.

But then again, to be fair, Katya had been unreachable because the trolls were busy with their phones more than Katya was busy with hers.

"Papa," Katya breathed, the comfort of hearing his father’s voice, a relief he never knew he needed.

Maybe this was what would make it all easier, right?

"Michka... oh my sweet child... are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you? Do you want to come home? You know we’d never lock you out. You’re our child.

"Home will always be open for you, my sweet son. Always," Mr. Romanov rambled, and Katya felt his eyes pricking with tears again. Oh, but this conversation hurt even before he could ask what he was about to.

"Papa... I’m fine. I’m a Romanov, remember?" Katya laughed, but his eyes were filled with tears even as he sniffled.

Everything was taking a toll on him.

"Do you want me to go and confront Mr. Moskowsky? Or that cheating husband of yours?" Mr. Romanov asked, the spite in his tone for Yaroslav more than obvious.

"No, papa. I had a question, though."

"Sure, what is it?"

"The investment papers from seven months ago..."

"You mean the anonymous investor who invested triple our company value?"

"Uhm... yes..."

"What about it, Michka... is he bothering you? I can throw a punch on that Moskowsky’s face if you want me to," Mr. Romanov said as they stiffened.

How did the man know that it had been Sergei’s doing?

What had been the giveaway?

But then again, Mr. Romanov had been suspicious from the first day at the hospital. Surely Katya needed to give his father more credit, right?

"What?" the omega asked weakly.

"You were going to ask what name the investments came in, right?" Mr. Romanov said, and Katya didn’t know what to say.

So, his father continued.

"They were anonymous for the first month... your husband’s cheating scandal hit the airwaves, and the name was suddenly visible to everyone," Mr. Romanov said disappointedly.

And Katya felt his heart about to explode in his chest.

He had all the hope in the world that he was right about Sergei being a monster.

He needed to be right about the man.

For his sanity.

"Wh... what was the name?" Katya asked, scared of what this could be for him.

The truth was not something that he would never be ready for, yet a part of him dared to hold on and hope. Because without hope, what did Katya even have?

"Solnyshka R. Moya," Mr. Romanov said, and Svet snorted really hard in the background.

It was almost typical of Sergei to pull that shit. The man had money to waste and power that he didn’t even know what to do with.

"What?"

"I know, right? That foolish man didn’t want anyone to know he invested with us, so he gave a stupid name."

But was the name stupid?

Was it so stupid that it spelled out, "my little sunray," the same thing Sergei always called him?

The name that Sergei called him the first time when Katya was sure Sergei had come with divorce papers? He didn’t even need to ask more to know that the abbreviated R was for Romanov.

Gods, he had been wrong about the man.

And Katya could feel his anger rising even more.

"Oh... Thank you papa. I’ll call you back," Katya said, staring at the phone when he hung up.

This was some sick game Sergei was playing with him.

What the fuck was wrong with the man?

"I told you, he is insane," Svet laughed, but Katya just stared into the emptiness.

What was ever going on?

"He is Sergei Moskowsky. I’m going to find me a bed," Katya said, not giving his friends the chance to talk to him. But even if they did have a chat, what would it be about?

The possibility that Katya had been wrong the whole time?

The fact that there was probably nothing to worry about?

"What the fuck is wrong with Sergei Moskowsky?" Andre asked as Katya disappeared down the hall.