Chapter 344: Like A Feather On The Sea

[FROLO]

When Sergei heard about Milan, he didn’t even need to ask Yaro to know that the boy sitting in front of him, the one who was staring at him like he needed the strategy for the next thing, was the reason for that.

He wasn’t even opposed to it, because Yaroslav was angry.

He had every right to be, especially with Milan. He had been very vocal to his father about his spite for the former Frolo head nurse, and Sergei hadn’t objected to it or even offered to help.

Because he knew that there were things his son needed to handle alone.

"Do you feel better?" Sergei asked as he poured coffee into Yaroslav’s cup.

They were currently at Moskowsky Holdings, inside the chairman’s office.

"I’m giving Erika up for adoption," Yaroslav said, and the kettle in Sergei’s hands slipped and fell to the floor.

"What?" Sergei breathed, unsure of what he was to even say to that.

"I don’t want her, father. She is the reminder of everything I will never get back. The result of something that was not even worth it in the end. Katya will never look at me the same way.

"Even if you tell me that you will let him go, that is not the problem," Yaroslav said as he picked up the kettle from the floor so casually and set it on the table. Then he looked around the room and stepped out.

Sergei was still trying to process the fact that his son did not like his child.

Yaroslav came back moments later with a mop stick and a bucket.

"Yaro..."

"I know you, father," Yaroslav said before he began cleaning the mess his father had made.

Sergei watched helplessly, as if this was not what he had imagined when the morning had begun.

They had all come from the gun range inside Basement Two and started their day well, but now he wasn’t even sure there was anything he could say to make his son change his mind.

Sergei really didn’t know what to do or say, and it wasn’t something he was used to. This was his son. And Erika was his grandchild regardless of what had happened along the way.

The child was innocent.

But would he condemn the child to live with a father who didn’t want her and who didn’t like her?

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sergei asked, as if his son wasn’t hunched over, cleaning coffee off his floor like this was their normal.

"I know you’d stop seeing Katya just to make me happy. That you’d sacrifice your happiness for me," Yaroslav said before adding, "Lift your leg; I need to clean up under there too."

And Sergei, still speechless, started helplessly as he followed what his son was saying.

"Anyway, you haven’t been this happy since Papa died. You always put me first. Always chose me over everything. That’s how I also know you’ve been preparing to start stepping away from Katya," Yaro said casually.

Sergei stiffened.

Damn his son and the skills his father had taught him. Now the little menace was using them against him.

"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about," Sergei said quietly.

"If I pull the second drawer on the left, are you sure I won’t find share transfer papers that give Katya thirty percent of your Moskowsky shares and me seventy percent?

"That I won’t find a change in leadership itinerary for you to blend Knox and the larger group?" Yaroslav asked.

Sergei glared at him.

"Yaa!" the alpha complained.

"I’m still your father, you brat," he grumbled like that was supposed to change his son’s mind. And yet Yaroslav just stared at him, leaning on the mop stick that was now in the bucket Yaro had come with.

"I’ve always wanted you to be happy, father. You even know how to use your phone these days. I was almost worried you’d die a fossil with no real connection to the worl—" Sergei threw a pen at his son.

Yaroslav ducked, but the pen wouldn’t have hit him anyway, given his father had aimed above Yaro’s head.

"You’re both happy with each other, father. It’s not exactly how I wished for your happiness, but fate did what fate does best.

"I’m angry, but not so angry that I would ask you to abandon your happiness with Katya," Yaroslav said before he stepped away from the bucket and went over to his father’s desk.

"What are yo—" the alpha began, only for Yaro to pull out his lighter and pull the papers from the second drawer on the left.

"You’ve been taking care of me my whole life. Let me do one thing for you too, father," Yaroslav said before he lit the papers, ignoring his father’s shocked face.

"You don’t have to take care of me just because I take care of you," Sergei tried to reason.

"You’re my father, and you deserve to be happy. Besides, I think I already burned all the bridges with Katya. He will never want me again. He will never look at me and think of me as someone he once loved.

"I ruined that throughout our marriage when I cheated. That’s on me. And you don’t get to carry that burden for me, father. Be happy, both of you," Yaroslav said as he watched the papers burn.

Sergei sighed defeatedly.

His son was right to be angry, but fuck if this wasn’t even more confusing for him.

He didn’t know if he was supposed to be glad his son had let him and Katya be or if he was supposed to be stressed because he didn’t know what his son was going to do next.

"Yaro..."

"I can’t be a good dad to Erika like you are to me, father," Yaroslav said, and Sergei stared.

"I’m not a good fa—"

"Oh, please. You don’t have to villainize yourself just because you found love again in an unexpected place, father. We both know you’ve been the world’s greatest dad.

"Whether you’re with Katya or you guys choose whatever, I will always be your son, just like you’ll always be my father," Yaroslav said earnestly, and Sergei felt tears prickling his eyes.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I already filed a death certificate for Erika. The city will soon be made to believe that my daughter died the day before her mother died.

"I made a new identity for her, one that makes sure she won’t be remembered for her crazy mother or her spineless father. She’ll get to live and experience life like every normal child out there," Yaroslav said.

He cleaned up the ashes from the papers, and then returned to his bucket and finalized the coffee stains.

"Are you sure about this?" Sergei asked, seeing as Yaroslav had made up his mind.

He didn’t want to pressure his son into keeping the girl, but damn, was it going to be a long and hard road if Yaro had decided this.

Sergei couldn’t even blame him, because Yaro was trying to be a good father even if it meant breaking his own heart by letting his daughter go.

"Rahim and Irina are listed as her godparents," Yaroslav added, and Sergei stared, even more confused.

"I’d put Anya, but she’s already busy parenting Moskowsky Holdings," Yaro explained like that was the most valid of explanations.

"Looks like you already have contingencies too, for her," Sergei said with pride for his son.

"I learned from my father. He’s an awesome father," Yaroslav said quietly, his eyes never leaving Sergei’s.

"I’m sorry, son."

"The only apology you can give that I will accept, father... is for you to be happy."

Sergei’s tear fell.