Damon wonders what had happened when he came to shake hands with Fyodor. The tension on his face was palpable. Damon couldn't help asking. "Is everything fine?" Because his facial expressions and body language were far from being pleasant enough to welcome a guest.

"I hope it is," Fyodor replied and Damon exchanged a glance with Nancy before he offered, "Tell me what I can do,"

"For the first, remove some of your guards around the island." This made Damon raise his brows. "Excuse me," Damon didn't believe he had done something strange he wasn't supposed to. He had come here with his security and was making sure he and his wife were safe wherever they were. It should have been Fyodor's responsibility to coordinate with his head of security and make him believe that they were on the same page. Not only did Fyodor not do any such thing he was asking him to remove some of his guards.

"I didn't get what you meant. Did they cause some trouble for you?" Damon asked back but Fyodor looked at Nancy before looking back at Damon to ask him. "For what you have them for. Don't you trust your wife's safety with us?" Damon smiled looking at Nancy and took this moment to praise his wife. "I shouldn't. I mean look at her." Nancy couldn't help her smile. Again, Damon had given them a scare without him knowing it.

"Honey, I had asked the food to be served," Raya spoke from the back and Nancy smiled at how Raya sounded worrisome. She was a woman in her early forties but still looked breathtakingly beautiful. It seemed she was still reaching her peak. Nancy knew her aunt would have been the same age if she was alive today.

Nancy left Damon's side and started walking to Raya all the while apologizing. "I am sorry I didn't get a chance to say hello earlier." Nancy hugged Raya in a tight grasp and whispered to her. "I had never thought of hugging you in a million years. But here we are." Nancy pulled away looking at her.

"You look so much like Leslie," Raya seemed to be finding something on her face.

"Isn't it amazing how genes work?" Nancy whispered back.

Damon stared at Nancy with pride in his eyes. She was finally conversing and behaving fine. Damon looked at Fyodor and told him. "I have bought a car for you. I hope you accept the gift." Fyodor offered Damon a tight smile before he looked at Nancy wondering what was she talking about.

Raya seemed to be showing Nancy inside their dining area and Damon walked beside Fyodor. "This war has brought you quite a business," Damon stated making Fyodor smile too, "And, I have been giving that business to you, Damon."

Damon smiled, "We have never offered you a lesser deal. You are still a winner," Fyodor had reached the entrance of the dining area when he answered,

"Not always," This got Damon by surprise but Fyodor had already gotten in. He wonders why Fyodor said that he hasn't always gotten the best deal.

Damon walked ahead and pulled the chair for Nancy but Nancy seemed to be still conversing with Raya. The two ladies seemed to be looking at a portrait at the other end.

"I heard Leslie named you," Nancy was pushed to the edge by Raya's question. And, realized she didn't want to talk about her aunt to her very murderers. "This is the last time you are mentioning my aunt and expecting me to remain civil about it."

"Darling," Damon called for her and Nancy walked to Damon all the while praising their interior. "Isn't it beautiful? You were right about this island?"

"Damon had been here when he was younger," Fyodor mentioned.

A woman got the head chair out for Fyodor and he thanked her before taking his seat. The woman got the seat out for Raya too and she too took her seat.

Damon was sitting at Fyodor's right side while Raya was sitting at his left. Nancy on the other side only had Damon by her side. Fyodor wonders if Damon was speaking something about how he kept his wife only to him. Fyodor had a firm belief that Damon knew everything and was here to get a way around this situation too.

"Do you remember it, Damon? Your friend got you here. He was Ruslan's friend's son and got you along." Damon nodded and admitted. "It was my first time in Eastern Europe. We ate at the same table when my father arrived here for a business meeting. Time really does fly..."

"And, so does situations..." Fyodor completed,

A maid walked past them and made a plate for Damon. Nancy carefully looked at the maid to make sure she hadn't mixed anything suspicious but the moment Damon asked Fyodor, "What did you mean by not always getting the best deal? I am sure we have never made you wait," Nancy looked at the maid's hands again but it was already too late. Nancy was now suspicious if that maid had put something in their plates already.

Nancy widened her eyes when Damon picked up a fork. The tension in her body for Damon's safety ever increasing.

But Damon was busy listening to Fyodor who was saying, "Let's not dwell on the past. Just know that I don't want any tension between us now. And, it is not because I am scared to get messy. I am never scared to get it messier, Damon. But it's only when we look at the big picture. It is not really worth it..." But then Fyodor looked at Nancy before completing. "...and, maybe a little late too,"

"Did you say you are not afraid to get things messy with me?" Damon asked getting the fork down on the plate.

"I said it is not worth it." Fyodor clarified.

"And, what is it about being late?" Damon asked but Fyodor was quick to point out. "I heard you are expecting a baby." Damon smiled at this, "Yes,"

"Well, this is why it is late. Of course, you wouldn't want any harm to your family and will side with them. No matter what the bigger picture says." Nancy looked up. Wondering if Fyodor is going to talk about it. Of course, he handles a lot of pressing matters all over the Russian region. He didn't have time to play games.

Damon leaned into his chair all the while telling him. "Who can dare to bring any harm over my family? And, no Fyodor this time I don't want any of your coded replies. Let's talk about it."

Nancy's eyes only focused on Damon's fork. She was quick to hold his elbow when Damon was about to take it to his mouth.

"We would want food taster," Nancy announced and even though Nancy's question took him by surprise Damon tried to maintain his calm. He got the fork down and the woman who had served them food came ahead and picked another fork from the table. She took Damon's plate at first and tasted the meat before she came forward to do the same with Nancy's plate with another fork.

Nancy knew it was their right to do so. But this time Damon sees the tension swirling inside Fyodor and his wife Raya. If any of Damon's guests had done what Nancy did here, he wouldn't be able to keep the calm. But instead of raising their opinions against Nancy's lack of manners, they were sitting there as if Nancy had every right to doubt their intentions.

Damon wanted to ask what was going on here but didn't. He could tell Nancy knew something he didn't. And, his lack of knowledge about the situation will put him in an embarrassing situation. So, he did what he least wanted to do. He lets Nancy take over the situation and tries to present himself as someone who has complete trust in his wife.

But the moment that maid was finished with the tasting Damon got his expression hard. He had realized that ringing good numbers of guards wasn't for anything. Her fear and questions weren't her mood swings. He had seen the traces of coming trouble in her eyes. He knew Robert was right when he told him in Italy how this woman would get him into trouble.

No one dared to move a single muscle. The tension was ever increasing in the room. "I believe if your wife can't eat here. She shouldn't be here while she is carrying your blood." Fyodor suggested,

Damon smirked a little before he said, "Don't you think she has her reasons to not trust you." Only a stupid wouldn't recognize the tension in the room. And, Damon was no fool. He had bet on it that there was indeed something going on.

"Well, it is better if we discuss it right away. I would like this approach better too." Fyodor said and Damon felt Nancy's hand on his thigh. Damon held her hand and already braced himself for what was to come but what Fyodor said was, "Somethings should better stay in the past. And, as much as you would like to keep your family safe. I would like to keep my empire safe too. Not that you can destroy it anyway."

Damon smiled, "Try me,"

Raya seemed a little horrified by Damon's challenge. Damon Anderson was a strong key in the US. If he was to decide with his influence, he could make Fyodor run for all of his resources at his front. It could bring a lot of tension in many families. And, even then Raya knew that families would try to bring peace between them and not war. It could be a war that had the potential to send waves all over the globe.

"Or we can sign a peace treaty. I would mean no harm to your family and you will not try to come in my way..." Fyodor offered and let a moment pass before he added, "...even our business doesn't have to share any harm. We can continue our ties as before." Damon didn't know what the matter between Nancy and Fyodor was. But he could tell what Fyodor Petrov was offering wasn't bad. He was offering peace. Damon looked at Nancy and wondered what was at stake. If he knew what kind of history Nancy had with Fyodor it would have been easy to decide the matter right away.

But then Damon looked at Fyodor and told him. "Your peace sounds good. But I would have the other situation alike. I will ask Robert to contact you and we will decide how to take it further from here. But remember, Fyodor I am as good of an enemy as a friend."

Fyodor gave him a grave look before he moved his lower jaw seemingly to contain his wrath too. Raya came to hold Fyodor's hand and added, "We would love to maintain our great ties with you. But if you mean a war, we will give you one."

Damon was quick to stand up and pulled out Nancy's chair when she stood. This time Damon didn't take their car and walked to their gate which wasn't far given these mansions were built for holidays and to walk anyway. Nancy took a step towards the place they were staying but holding her hand Damon took her to the beach.

"I tried to tell you," Nancy gasped sensing the tension in his body.

"Well, try again. I am all ears now." It seems Damon wanted answers right away.

"You will be mad." Nancy hiccupped not able to contain her emotions anymore.

"I am still mad. You don't have to worry about that," Damon told her.

"Damon, stop!" Nancy cried out and Damon turned to her and added, "We cannot have this conversation in the mansion. They must have devices there."

"I get it," Nancy seemed utterly anxious.

"Tell me, what is it?" Damon asked. The ocean was still at a far distance. But the waves crashing on the shore had their surrounding exactly as their inner turmoil.

"You must be aware of Fyodor's history?" Nancy started but Damon realizing he would do something he would regret later took a step away from her. "Not this, I know what I should know."

Nancy gulped and told him. "He took it from Ivanov. Ivanov's two descendants were never killed. They ran off and were never caught." Damon shook his head.

"They were caught. They..." But Damon trailed off. Recalling it was a sixteen-year-old girl and her eight-year-old brother. They ran from Russia and Damon loosely remembers Fyodor contacting them to track them down. But only after a few hours, Fyodor said they were caught.

Damon shook his head. "You aren't Dmitri Ivanov's daughter. Are you?"

Nancy didn't deny and only looked at him for a moment before she said, "Try my shoes. You will know I couldn't let this out. My life would be endangered."

"They must have seen you in Italy," Damon said but then the realization was getting strong on him. Possibilities were numerous. Ivanov's rightful descendant shouldn't be here. It was Fyodor's son now from his late wife, Leslie. Damon could understand what Fyodor meant when he said it was too late. Because Miss Ivanov was now a part of Anderson's family.

"I have married a woman from a family," Damon whispered more to himself. But then, looked around before he asked, "Why did you marry me? Is it to get your hold on Ivanov back?" Nancy shook her head and told him. "I swear I want nothing back. I only want you and my baby safe..." But Damon shook his head before he came to hold her close. "Nice try."

"Damon, darling?" Nancy tried but Damon was quick to stop her. "There must be eyes on us. Don't look distressed. We will leave from here, now."

Damon didn't move an inch from there and gestured for one of his guards to come to him. But when he found the guard walking, he gestured for him to come running. The guard reached him and Damon was quick to tell him. "We are leaving from here. Inform the help, tell everybody to pack up, get those ferries started and let Fyodor's assistant know that something came up..." The guard nodded and was about to leave when Damon ordered at his back. "... consider it a code red. We are to leave as soon as possible."

Nancy looked at Damon before daring, "What are you doing?"

"I am getting you out of a place where you will probably be assassinated. I am surprised you didn't tell me any of it. I must have looked like a fool in there."

"No, you didn't. Not for one bit." Nancy tried to calm him down.

"I don't want to hear you. Shut up. Just shut up." Damon was gritting and trying to keep his emotions at bay. He couldn't let anyone witness that he was raising his voice at his wife. Their ferries were ready and their suitcases were getting out already. Nancy wonders if she has lost something most valuable to her. Damon's trust. And, most probably his affection too.