Aliana's POV

I walked towards the bar where Mercy was already pouring drinks.

“Let’s get this party started,” she announced, handing me a glass of champagne.

As I took a sip, I felt Freddy’s presence behind me before I even turned around. His hand slid along my waist, his lips brushing against my ear.

“Enjoying yourself?” he murmured.

I leaned into him slightly. “More than I expected.”

Across the room, Nikolai raised his glass. “To new beginnings.”

Everyone echoed the toast, raising their drinks high before taking a sip.

As I looked around the room—at the people who had become my family—I realized just how much had changed.

The wars,...