Chapter 158

• Serena
• I sauntered almost aimlessly around the house, going nowhere but enjoying the feel of everywhere at the same time. With one hand placed protectively over my small baby bump, I stretched the other one out to caress a monochrome painting hanging up on the wall. The artwork depicted a serene but dark landscape, a withering tree at its center with gnarled branches stretched toward the sky, its dead leaves shimmering in coated black and silver. Surrounding the tree, rolling hills met a horizon of silver moonlight. It was sad and beautiful but looked out of place in the midst of nothing else but a vast, empty wall. And being drawn to the masterpiece, there was an instant connection.
• Years ago, I never would have thought I’d be the girl with the complicated life story, where her own brother would kidnap her to save her, or where she’d be married to one of the leaders of the Russian mob and be expecting his child. Undoubtedly, it was still a hard truth to digest, but even as I moved past the painting and wandered down the hallway, I knew I’d come to terms with my current reality. And the scarier part was that I didn’t want to change it.