Tasha'sPOV

I hoped to be able to speak to Dimka and Rose at the graduate luncheon today, to talk to them about having requested each of them as my guardians. I also wanted to closely observe them to see if it was indeed Rose he'd given his heart to, Rose who'd stolen his heart from me. The fact that he was up for reassignment basically gave it away, but I wanted to see if they were going to cling to each other and be all obvious.

But they didn't show. Which was suspicious enough on its own. I hadn't seen either of them at Lissa and Christian's graduation, nor had I seen either of them on the plane to Court. I'd brushed that away as duty or shifts... until I'd noticed even Christian was panicking over her no-show, which told me she hadn't told anyone where she was.

"Lissa, Christian?" I tentatively approached a calmer pair of lovebirds. "Hi Adrian," I greeted when I noticed he was in the group.

"Aunt Tasha."

"Lady Ozera."

"Do you know where Rose is? I was hoping to talk to her about having requested her as my guardian- sorry to create competition, Lissa."

"All good, Tasha. I don't want to monopolise her."

"She's probably wherever the cradle robber is," bitterly muttered Adrian.

"Who?" we chorused.

"The cradle robber she's been sneaking around with all year."

"It wasn't all year!" exclaimed Lissa.

"She clearly didn't tell you everything, cousin. 'Cause as far as I'm aware, he's been monopolising her affection all year."

"Again, who?" I demanded calmly, pretty certain I knew.

Adrian looked us all levelly in the eye, "Belikov, of course."

I knew it! I felt my heart shatter all over again, my breathing became difficult and tears tingled in my eyes at the confirmation of my worst fear. The man I love was in love with his student, well... just barely ex-student, same difference.

"Then where are they?" I asked numbly, my voice devoid of emotion.

Lissa looked mildly guilty and knowing as they all stayed silent. "Lissa?"

"Russia," she whispered. "He's whisked her away to Russia for six weeks."

Our jaws dropped.

"What? Why?" asked Christian, still slack-jawed.

"I'm not sure. Rose said it was a graduation present, but I got a feel it was something different, something more."

"L-like a honeymoon?" my unsteady voice said the words before I could stop them.

"I don't know. Possibly, possibly not. At any rate, I'm certain they're not even close to engaged... well... not officially, maybe emotionally and behaviourally."

I stalked away, feeling the stinging tears ready to fall. With Lissa's high opinion of Dimka and the unreliable guardian she saw as a sister, I was sure I'd never hated Rose Hathaway more. Envy and jealousy fuelled that hate, made me despise her. She had taken everything from me, the man I loved and the children he could and would give me. That selfish bitch! I wanted to scream. In making my Dimka fall for her, choose her over me, she was taking away his future, his kids, his family.

Janine'sPOV

"Ibrahim," I greeted when he opened his door in guest housing.

A smile split his face and he pulled me inside. "Janine."

"Ibrahim, it's Rosemarie..."

His smile immediately dropped to a scowl. "What about her?"

"I haven't seen her since, well, since her trial."

A thoughtful look adorned his face while I fought to stay composed. Our only child was missing and she'd only just graduated. What trouble had she gotten herself into now? What trouble was she going to get into?

I sat on his bed cross legged, not even caring that the last time I'd done this around him was while carrying Rose.

"I might have an idea where she is if she isn't here," he commented slowly.

"Where?" I asked eagerly.

"She's not in the country, Janine."

I glared at him. "How do you know?!" I screeched. "Why do you know?"

"Belikov requested my assistance about two months ago regarding getting stakes through four different airports' security checks. The flights were timed in the 24 to 36 hours after her graduation."

I stared at him in utter disbelief. "And you didn't even Think to ask who he was taking?"

He shrugged. "I asked but didn't find an issue with helping Rose travel before being tied down with duty."

I jumped off the bed and threw my hands up. "You basically let Belikov kidnap our daughter!"

Abe dared to laugh. "I did not. She's eighteen and can take herself wherever she desires with whomever she likes."

"He's her mentor! And why didn't you tell me?"

Abe's face set into an expression I knew to mean he thought I was overreacting. "He was her mentor. And would you have let me let her go?" he asked knowingly.

"Well... no. Her loyalty lies here. She's tied to duty." I tried to regain my control. I wasn't too successful.

Abe smirked. "Precisely as I thought."

A silence befell us. Then a thought hit me. "Did you even ask Why he wanted to take our daughter on an overseas holiday?"

"Naturally," he replied loftily. I still didn't understand how anyone did business with him.

"And? Did you let on Rose is your daughter?" Why could I not get a straight answer out of him today?

"I may have," he said slyly, "but Belikov didn't register. And if he did he didn't ask."

"Argh! Abe! Why did Belikov take Rose away?" He was enjoying this way too much.

Abe'sPOV

"Because he likes her," I finally told Janine. I could not believe she'd not figured it out yet. I had been able to glean the fact simply from the tone of his voice.

"I guessed he liked her, Abe. There's nothing new there." Oh, she was so oblivious sometimes.

"No, Janine. Not like, but Like- as in fancy's."

Her jaw practically hit the floor. "No, no way," she shook her head in denial. "No he doesn't. Belikov Does Not fancy our daughter, Abe." Believe what you will. I watched on in amusement as she paced my guest room in small, powerful strides of denial. "I mean, I kinda guessed she may be crushing on him, and I got he favoured her, but he does not fancy her! She a child! I get she's got a figure that turns heads, but Belikov wouldn't fall victim to it and turn his head too! He's far too professional. He turned down Tasha Ozera, for Pete's sake!"

"Janine," I said firmly and blocked her next stride. "Just think logically for a minute."

She sent me a famous Hathaway glare.

I sighed and stepped back slightly, still blocking her path. "Janine, just think about why he turned Ozera down."

She reluctantly took a moment to do so. Horror crossed her features as realisation struck. "No," she whimpered desperately with a quivering lower lip and pleading eyes. "No. Not because of Rose..."

I nodded. "Most likely, Janine, it is most likely."

Janine'sPOV

I didn't want to believe him that Belikov was interested in Rose. But my mind was piecing it all together. From the way only he could break her from her haze in Spokane, to the 'Roza's. From the always getting her punishment lightened and his high regards of her. From the terrified and grief-stricken look in his eyes in Spokane until her first marking to the adoring and proud twinkle before she was let out onto the field for her trial. From the constant comfortable physical closeness to the protective closeness in the rescue mission. From the protective embrace in Spokane to the impromptu hug at the end of her trial. The overall big picture was much more worrisome than a case of Belikov simply fancying Rose, and Rose crushing on him.

"He doesn't fancy her, Abe," I looked Abe dead in the eye, standing still in shock, "he loves her."