The room remained silent for a long while. Nobody seemed capable of responding immediately as the weight of the revelation slowly settled over them.
Ulyana sat frozen beside Ivan's hospital bed while Hak remained near the windows, completely unreadable. Even Vadim, who usually reacted first to everything, looked stunned into silence.
Surprisingly, the one who finally broke the tension was Graham.
"You must understand," he said smoothly in his thick English accent, "this decision was not made carelessly."
The younger generation looked toward him.
"A great deal of thought and preparation went into this," Graham continued calmly. "Far more than you realise."
Vadim frowned deeply. "He's ten years older than her though."
"Respectfully…" Ivan added carefully, looking between Rowan and Nikolai, "why him specifically?"
Rowan remained composed, though he didn't answer immediately.
Instead, Ulyana quietly spoke first.
"Guys," she said softly, "they wouldn't say something like this lightly."
Everyone looked at her now.
She swallowed slightly before continuing. "I mean… try to think of another way to make the alliance undeniable."
Silence.
"You can't."
Her voice remained calm, though the reality of what she was saying was clearly affecting her too.
A public engagement between the Vasily heir and the Volkov leader would permanently unite the two most powerful factions in Silvercrown overnight.
No family would dare misunderstand the message.
No enemy could mistake where loyalties stood anymore.
Ivan leaned back slowly against his pillows, finally beginning to understand the scale of it.
"It's political," he muttered.
"It's survival," Nikolai corrected calmly.
Hak's eyes flickered briefly toward Ulyana then away again.
And Rowan, for the first time since the discussion began, looked directly at her with genuine attentiveness.
Not cold.
Not transactional, but almost as though he was silently trying to gauge whether she truly understood what this decision would mean for her life moving forward.
"Think about it," Ulyana said quietly as she tried to reason through the situation herself. "If they suddenly announced a secret nephew and then immediately announced our engagement, it would look far too convenient."
Vadim grimaced slightly. "Fair point."
"Besides," Ulyana added, glancing toward Rowan briefly, "he honestly seems young for thirty four anyway."
A low chuckle escaped Rowan at that comment, softening the tension in the room slightly.
"I appreciate that," he said amusedly.
Then his expression became more serious as he looked toward the twins.
"But boys," Rowan continued calmly, "you can trust that she would be protected."
His gaze briefly shifted toward Nikolai before returning to them.
"You know I avoided marriage for years," he admitted. "I never wanted to drag an innocent woman into this life."
The room quieted again.
"But Ulyana is already part of this world," Rowan said honestly. "Which removes that concern entirely."
His voice remained calm and composed, yet there was sincerity behind it.
"Besides," he added, "I am a loyal man. I would never damage her reputation, her image, or her safety in any way."
Ulyana listened quietly, surprised by how reassuring his words felt.
Meanwhile, Hak looked completely stunned.
Not angry.
Not cold.
Just genuinely blindsided by the reality unfolding in front of him. His composure had visibly cracked because this was no longer a hypothetical discussion.
This was actually happening.
Ulyana remained exceptionally calm throughout the entire discussion. Too calm.
Ivan and Vadim exchanged a subtle look from across the room, both immediately suspicious.
Usually when Ulyana became this composed, it meant she was either deeply upset or already plotting something.
Neither option was particularly comforting.
While Graham continued explaining logistics and media strategy, Ulyana simply sat quietly beside Ivan's bed listening attentively, her expression unreadable.
Vadim narrowed his eyes at her. "You're being weirdly calm about this."
Ulyana slowly looked toward him. "Am I supposed to be screaming?"
"A little, yes," Ivan answered honestly.
She sighed softly and leaned back in her chair. "I already understand why this has to happen," she said simply. "Panicking won't change anything."
That response only worried the twins more, because normally Ulyana would at least complain dramatically first. Instead, she looked thoughtful.
Dangerously thoughtful.
Hak noticed it too. His eyes lingered on her briefly before narrowing slightly, like he was trying to figure out what exactly was going on inside her head.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Ulyana Vasily was at her most unpredictable when she appeared calm.
Rowan calmly cut through the ongoing discussion. "Ulyana."
The room quieted slightly at the sound of his voice.
Ulyana turned toward him. "Yes?"
Rowan held her gaze steadily, his expression composed but serious. "I need you to understand something clearly," he said. "There is no option for divorce in this arrangement."
The bluntness of his words caused the twins to straighten slightly.
"If you have doubts," Rowan continued evenly, "or if there is something you are questioning, speak now. We will find another solution if necessary."
The room fell silent again.
Unlike the others, Rowan did not seem interested in forcing her into agreement simply because the strategy was effective. He was giving her an out.
A genuine one.
Ulyana remained quiet for a moment, processing his words carefully.
Then she finally answered. "Same."
Everyone looked toward her.
"Once I marry," she said softly but firmly, "that's it for me too."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
No uncertainty.
Just conviction.
Rowan seemed genuinely surprised by her answer.
And near the windows, Hak lowered his eyes quietly, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.
-
Ulyana had little else to say for the remainder of the meeting.
While Graham continued outlining schedules, media strategy, security concerns, and contingency plans, she mostly listened in silence.
Occasionally she would nod or ask a brief question, but for the most part she remained unusually quiet, deep in thought as the reality of everything slowly settled around her.
The meeting ultimately lasted close to two hours.
By the time it ended, the morning sunlight had fully overtaken the skyline outside Ivan's VIP hospital suite.
One by one, everyone began filtering out of the room.
Giuseppe left first alongside Graham to coordinate preparations. Vadim stayed behind briefly to annoy Ivan before Nikolai forced him to leave so his brother could properly rest.
As Ulyana stood to follow after them, Rowan's voice stopped her.
"Ulyana."
She turned toward him.
"If you have the time," Rowan said calmly, "I'd like to speak with you privately."
Her brows lifted slightly in surprise.
"A one on one meeting," he clarified.
Ulyana glanced instinctively toward her grandfather.
Nikolai simply nodded once, entirely unsurprised.
She then looked toward Vadim. "I'll come home later," she told him softly. "You and Deda head back first."
Vadim looked suspicious for approximately three seconds before sighing dramatically.
"Fine," he muttered. "But if he tries to recruit you into becoming terrifyingly organised like Graham, call me immediately."
Graham looked mildly offended.
Rowan ignored the comment entirely.
Eventually the others departed, leaving only Rowan, Hak, and Ulyana remaining in the quiet hospital corridor.
Without another word, Rowan personally led her downstairs toward the VIP private parking level beneath the hospital.
The underground area was silent and heavily secured, luxury vehicles lined neatly beneath the dim lighting.
Hak walked silently a few steps behind them the entire way.
Ulyana could feel his presence without even looking.
And somehow, despite Rowan being beside her, it was Hak's silence that made her chest feel heavy.
The three of them entered the vehicle together in silence.
Hak moved into the driver's seat while Rowan and Ulyana sat in the back; Shortly after Graham joined them entering the front passenger side.
The luxury car pulled smoothly out of the VIP parking area and onto the quiet streets of Silvercrown.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Hak remained focused on the road ahead, his expression unreadable in the reflection of the rearview mirror.
Eventually, Rowan broke the silence. "How are you really feeling about all of this?"
Ulyana looked toward him. Surprisingly, she smiled softly.
"Honestly," she admitted, "I'm glad things went this route."
Rowan seemed slightly surprised by that answer.
She continued quietly. "And I'm honoured that it's the Volkov family."
The sincerity in her voice made Rowan visibly relax.
For all the political strategy surrounding this arrangement, he had genuinely wanted her consent.
Still, after a moment, he asked carefully, "Did you mean what you said earlier?"
Ulyana tilted her head slightly. "About marriage?"
Rowan nodded. "That once you marry," he said calmly, "you intend to remain married."
Her answer came without hesitation. "I did mean it."
She looked out the window briefly before continuing softly.
"That's always been my mindset."
Rowan studied her quietly for a moment before leaning back slightly in his seat.
"I'll be honest with you, Ulyana," he said. "There's very little I can offer materially."
That caught her attention.
"You already possess wealth, influence, freedom, luxury…" he continued calmly. "Anything you could ever want is already within your reach."
His voice remained composed and sincere.
"But what I can offer you," he said, "is safety."
Ulyana listened quietly.
"Liberty," Rowan continued. "Stability. And loyalty."
His gaze softened slightly. "You would have a loyal husband in me."
The words settled heavily in the quiet car.
Then Rowan asked gently: "But is there someone else in your heart?"
Ulyana froze.
Her eyes instinctively flickered upward toward the rearview mirror.
Toward Hak.
For the briefest moment, their eyes met through the reflection. Hak's grip on the steering wheel tightened almost imperceptibly.
Ulyana quickly looked away again, and she never answered the question.
Rowan noticed immediately. A faint sigh escaped him as he leaned back slightly. "I see."
After a moment, Rowan spoke quietly.
"I'm sorry."
Ulyana looked toward him again in surprise.
"I wish things could be different," he admitted. "For your sake."
There was no mockery in his voice and no manipulation.
Only honesty.
Ulyana lowered her eyes toward her hands. Then after a long silence, she smiled faintly. "It's fine," she said softly.
Her voice sounding tired. "Because it was one sided anyway."
In the front seat, Hak's expression darkened silently as the car continued through the city.
"I'll say this," Rowan said calmly, "and I hope you understand what I mean by it."
Ulyana looked toward him attentively.
"I am a jealous man."
The blunt honesty of the statement caught her off guard.
For a second, the silence inside the car became almost awkward. Then unexpectedly, Ulyana laughed softly.
"I think it's probably best that you're in this line of business then," she replied amusedly.
Rowan looked genuinely speechless for perhaps the first time that day.
Even Hak's eyes briefly flickered upward toward the rearview mirror.
A faint smile slowly appeared on Rowan's face afterward. "You're surprisingly straightforward," he noted.
"So are you," Ulyana replied lightly.
The tension in the car eased slightly after that exchange.
Then Rowan adjusted his cufflinks casually before asking, "Would you join us for dinner tonight?"
Ulyana blinked. "Tonight?"
"A small dinner," Rowan clarified. "Just us."
He glanced briefly toward Hak in the mirror. "And Graham, unfortunately."
"That is deeply offensive, sir," Graham replied dryly through the front passenger seat.
Ulyana smiled faintly at their dynamic.
After everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours, strangely enough, the invitation did not feel uncomfortable.
"Sure," she answered softly.
Rowan nodded once, seemingly satisfied with that response.
Meanwhile, Hak remained silent behind the wheel.
But for some reason, the atmosphere inside the car had become far more complicated than before.
- -
The Volkov Estate
By the time they arrived at the Volkov estate, the sun had already begun setting over Silvercrown.
The estate itself was breathtaking in a darker, more refined way than the Vasily mansion. While Nikolai's home felt warm and regal, the Volkov estate carried a colder elegance. Black iron gates, stone architecture, and towering windows gave it an intimidating beauty.
As they entered, staff immediately greeted Rowan respectfully.
"The chef may leave for the evening," Rowan instructed calmly while removing his gloves.
The staff looked momentarily surprised but obeyed immediately.
Ulyana blinked. "You cook?"
Rowan looked at her with mild amusement.
"Occasionally."he asked softly, "Would you cook with me?"
To his surprise, Ulyana answered almost immediately. "Okay."
Graham quietly took Rowan's trench coat and suit jacket while Rowan rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
Somehow, even that looked unfairly elegant.
He retrieved two aprons from one of the kitchen drawers before handing one toward Ulyana. Hak moved toward the kitchen instinctively, clearly intending to help.
But Rowan stopped him smoothly. "Nephew," he said calmly, "help Graham set the table."
Hak paused.
Graham looked deeply entertained.
"Yes, nephew," Graham echoed politely.
Hak stared at both of them in silence before reluctantly moving toward the dining area.
Meanwhile, Rowan noticed Ulyana struggling slightly with the ties of her apron behind her back.
Without a word, he stepped closer. "Allow me."
Ulyana stiffened slightly as Rowan carefully tied the apron for her.
His hands brushed lightly against the fabric near her waist before he stepped back. "Better?"
Ulyana looked up at him and nodded softly. "Thank you."
For a brief moment, they simply looked at each other.
And unfortunately for Hak, that happened to be the exact moment he glanced back toward the kitchen while grabbing silverware.
The sight made his grip falter. Several pieces of cutlery clattered loudly onto the marble counter.
The sound snapped the moment instantly.
Hak stared at the utensils with visible irritation while Graham looked moments away from laughing. Neither Rowan nor Ulyana seemed to notice what had actually happened.