"I asked if the bad news was related to the Todorov family." Damon looked at her.

"Todorov have tried to attack on one of our stations in Chicago. It was a secret one. We weren't paying a share for it. Now everyone knows about it." Nancy narrowed her eyes.

"Was it a huge loss?" Nancy seemed worried but Damon held her close and told her. "I am sure they have to do this to convey the message of their power. We don't have to do it. We have already shown how we got away from their main city after killing their sister and brother-in-law. So, relax."

Damon hugged her to him and Nancy inhaled his scent all the while recalling that day filled with horror and uncertainty. "I still can't believe you made me jump from a window. You should have arranged another way." Damon smiled.

"The other way went through five hundred gunmen at least. And, it is not about this. They would have enough time to get arranged more. And, get help more. It would have been a fight with the whole city then." Even imagining the situation, that could have gone completely south Nancy shivered a little.

Nancy gulped hard before she asked. "Was it the bad news you were talking about?" But Damon shook his head. "No, it is not the bad news I am trying to keep from you. Just know that something so worse has happened..." When Nancy didn't falter and seemed ambitious Damon slowly added, "...Dario had a cousin of his in Chicago. He died during the altercation. He was one of our great men." Nancy realized it was indeed the bad news. And, the only reason for calamity was herself. "Oh God, it is such a sad news. I must call Dario and pay my regards. Shouldn't I?" Nancy said and was about to walk toward the phone but Damon stopped her pulling her to him. "No, you shouldn't." Nancy narrowed her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because then he will pay his regards to you too." Nancy narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Todorov reached Ken before we could," Nancy gulped and tried to decipher of what had happened. "He is no more," Damon said the words but Nancy raised her finger telling him. "I get it," Nancy slowly turned around before she said,

"It all happened because of my stupidity. I should have told you earlier. I should have been cautious and decided against showing up in such an elite bidding and parties in Italy." Nancy was trying to find a reason where she could blame herself but Damon held her elbow but when Nancy didn't turn around, Damon came to hug her back.

"No, nothing happened because of you. I decided to kill Fyodor and Raya. I am the one who started it with the Todorov family." Damon tried to calm her down.

"You didn't," Nancy sobbed.

"No, it was my reason. He shouldn't have his eye on my wife." Nancy couldn't help but turn around and hug Damon. She broke into loud hiccups and Damon smiled getting his hand on the back of her head. He believed it was better for his wife to let all the sorrow out.

"I am no strong woman, Damon. I am not strong anymore. I am tired. And, I want it all to end. To tell you the truth I am very scared for our future. I wonder how all of this would end." Nancy sobbed harder and sniffed in his neck.

Damon moved his hand on her hair and told her. "Don't say the word end. It has just started. And, it would be better if it keeps going. You never know if the peace you are depending on will be honoured or not. But at war, you know you are at a fight and won't rest." Nancy pulled away and had fat tears in her eyes. "This is all because of me. Your men don't deserve to die because of me. This isn't your war. You aren't supposed to do any of it. I am not worth it, Damon. I am not."

"Stop saying it already. You are worth every bit of it and even more." Damon told her and leaned his head to hers.

Nancy gulped when Damon hugged her again and asked her. "Promise me you will never play me like this ever again. You will keep no secrets from now on." Nancy shook her head at once and told him. "I think I am the one who killed my brother." Damon pulled away instantly and tried to look at her face. But there was nothing different. "...if I had told you about me. You could have handled it without getting it messier like this..."

"Don't think about it. Please, take care of yourself. For my sake. For my child's sake. We both need you."

"I feel so scared, Damon. They have killed my brother already. They would be coming for you because they know you are standing for me." Damon rubbed the tear off her cheek with his thumb.

Nancy hugged him again and Damon smiled holding her to him. His fragile doll was scared for him more than she wanted to grieve her brother. "No, you are my strong girl." Damon looked at the window and smiled. She perfectly fits his arms.

"I understand now what you meant with accepting the peace treaty..." Damon shook his head and told her. "I was never going to accept the peace treaty. I couldn't say it at that time because I suspect they would be listening to us,"

"Really?" Nancy asked and Damon smiled, "Yes,"

"And, I said such mean things to you that night. I am sorry." Nancy apologized.

"You don't have to be sorry," Damon told her.

"You know what. You can decide what to do with my father's inheritance and family name. It would be our boys' anyway. You are doing everything that it is taking to protect me. You deserve all of it." Nancy told him but Damon couldn't help his laugh before telling her.

"I don't want want any of it. Robert? Maybe." Damon told her.

"I know you don't need it. But you and Robert can run it far better than me. I am giving it to you. You have to appreciate it." Nancy said and Damon smiled,

"I will take care of it all. Only because all of it is yours."

"Thank you," Nancy said before she hugged Damon again. Damon smiled looking at Nancy's hair that have grown a little more. Soon, he knew she would be nothing but his woman in every definition.

Earlier when Robert came to tell him that he located a hidden station of the Todorov family in Chicago. Damon arranged an attack on it. If they weren't paying the due share of running a station on U.S. soil Damon had every right to eliminate it.

But the incident gave Damon an idea about how to make up the news of Ken's death to Nancy. Damon perfectly wrapped the death of her brother in a package that says Andersons have incurred a huge loss because of her identity reveal. And, it did work as Damon had predicted.

After two days, Robert told Nancy how their statement released to the other families got a huge backlash from the Todorov family and their alliance, which was mostly from Eastern Europe and some parts of Russia too. They refused a DNA test and blamed Damon for breaking the peace treaty for which the meeting was commenced.

Nancy absorbed the news but didn't seem like listening to it. She stood up from there and told Damon. "You can look into it."

Nancy got even more silent in the next few days. Damon noticed how she would behave better now. He wonders if Nancy will ever get to know about the manipulation, he played her with. But he was sure he would kill anyone who would even try to inform Nancy about any of it.

It was after a month of Fyodor's death. Nancy heard how the Todorov family were holding a family meeting to grieve their daughter Raya. For how close they had Fyodor's son Nancy was convinced it was Raya's son. The Todorov family was famous for not giving favours to the stepchildren. They were very known to harbour jealousy against the stepchildren or step-parents.

Even though Nancy has asked Damon to not leave her. He left her to see a Russian official who had come to see Damon in Alaska. She paced around praying hard that no harm reaches him. Even though she had heard Damon not wanting peace she wanted something closer to peace where her children could enjoy a few years of bliss. But she was also scared to bring up the word peace again in front of Damon when she was the reason Damon was thrown into this trouble.

Damon on the other hand was enjoying a drink with Robert and one of his representatives from Spain. After that representative left Robert asked about Nancy, "How's Miss Ivanov?"

"She is doing great. I am a generous host, you see." Damon said getting up from his chair. He could predict Nancy would be pacing around and praying for his safety. "And, how's our lady Anderson?" Robert asked getting a laugh from Damon. "Better than ever. You haven't seen her acting up and raising her voice. Have you?"

"She was a difficult one. She was almost there to give you a run for your life if her past hadn't caught her." Robert commented,

Damon agreed with a nod but then added. "But then she turns out to be a vulnerable princess."

Robert laughed a little but then had praise in his eyes for his patience when he asked. "I am still awed at the fact that you didn't hurt her when you got to know about her truth at Fyodor's residence."

"That was a difficult one. But I knew if I handled this situation graciously. She will be handled and around for life. And, I did that."

"For how long you are to keep it from her that the Russian government has already decided to give her back what she holds." Damon moved his mouth before telling him. "Not for a few years. Let my wife and children enjoy Miss Ivanov.

"You have played good," Robert told him.

"No, I am not playing. I am doing anything I can do to keep her more to me. I haven't even spoiled her well yet. She doesn't deserve to be caught up in this shit when she should be spending her days worrying about nothing but what's the weather today going to be." Robert smiled and agreed. "You haven't even spoiled her one per cent close to what you had done for your previous partners."

"I don't think we got any time. But now I would like to kill anyone who is trying to keep me away from her. And, that includes you too, Robert."

Damon raced his car to his driveway and walked inside his home to find Nancy walking around the main entrance hall. "What are you doing here? Did you have your lunch?" Damon asked,

"How did the meeting go with the Russian official?" Damon kissed her on his head before he said, "It did well,"

"You were doing it all because I messed up. I am so sorry," Damon held her in his arms and told her. "I am fine. And, the Todorov family has agreed." Nancy pulled away instantly,

"What? How?" Damon nodded, "Yes," Damon stopped to kiss her head and told her. "The weapon Fyodor was buying from us and selling to the Russian government. We proved it was us he was buying from. We will give them the weapons at the same price we were giving them to Fyodor. And, they will eventually give us complete control when you would give birth to a son." Nancy gulped asking him. "What if I had a daughter?"

"Then, she would take care of the Anderson business and you can start trying to make another baby."

"But how Todorov family..." Nancy questioned to which Damon calmed her down explaining to her. "Todorov family had to come around after losing their strong ally in the Russian government."

"You will soon get back to your home. But I will ask you to not do it for ten years. This will give us time to prepare our son for future responsibilities." Nancy nodded, "I like the sound of it."

Damon smiled holding her to him. He had planned not to tell any of it for a few years. But couldn't have the heart to keep her pacing around every day. She had to rest. Damon looked into her eyes and realized that it didn't suit her to have lines of worry on her head. So, he had to share everything with her and calm her down.

"You did it. You did all of it." Nancy told him and Damon chuckled. "Why do you sound surprised? I told you. You can't be anything I can't handle."

Nancy pulled away and told him. "Because no matter what I will be. It will always be for you, Damon. I am for you, I promise." Nancy rises herself up a little to reach his mouth and Damon is quick to hold his precious pearl in his arms.

"I will hold you down to this promise until my last breath. You know there is no getting away from me." Damon whispered in her ear but Nancy was more than ready to give herself up to him. Today and tomorrow.