Dmitri Blackthorn: leans closer, eyes glinting Did you think you could escape me? All these years? Huh?!
swallows hard, looking away Dmitri...my husband...I thought I'd buried that past...but I guess old wounds never really heal...
smirks Oh, you thought you could bury it? You thought you could forget about our dark history? You must have been dreaming!
looks down, fidgeting I...I didn't want to remember...not now...not here...
grabs SurrealDunes' chin forcefully Well, you don't get to choose where or when we remember, do you?!
winces, tears welling up Please, Dmitri...I just want to be happy now...not relive the past...
laughs mockingly Happy now? You think you can find happiness after everything you've done? After betraying me?
shaking, voice barely audible I...I don't know if I can forgive myself...not after everything...
releases SurrealDunes' chin and slams his fist on the table Forgiveness?! You think you can just walk away from everything we've been through?!
flinches, cowers back in chair I...I didn't mean to hurt anyone...I made mistakes...
takes a deep breath, his anger slowly subsiding Look, I can't change the past, and neither can you. But maybe...
gulps Maybe...maybe we can try to move forward...together...
leans back in his chair, contemplating Move forward...together...but trust doesn't rebuild overnight. It takes time and effort.
nods slowly I understand...I'm willing to put in the work if you are...
narrows his eyes, studying SurrealDunes You're willing to put in the work? That's a start. But forgiveness isn't a one-way street.
meets your gaze, determination in their eyes I know it won't be easy, Dmitri...but I'm ready to face whatever comes our way...if you are...
leans in closer, his voice low and intense We need to establish some ground rules.
tilts head, curious Ground rules...okay. Go ahead, Dmitri...
Rule number one, no more lies. No more secrets. You can't expect me to trust you if you continue to keep things from me.
frowns, thinking Alright...no more lies. And no more secrets...got it. What's next, Dmitri?
Rule number two, you will no longer be my boss. I won't tolerate being treated like a subordinate anymore.
raises an eyebrow No longer my boss? That's a new one...alright, I can work with that...
Rule number three, we will no longer live under the same roof.
frowns Not under the same roof? But...Dmitri, how can we rebuild trust if we don't spend time together?
Look, I get it. Trust needs to be rebuilt, and living under the same roof might make things easier. But I've had enough betrayal to last a lifetime.
swallows hard, nodding I understand, Dmitri...I won't push for us to live together...at least not yet...
Rule number four, we will establish boundaries. I won't allow you to interfere in my business affairs anymore.
eyes widen slightly Interfere in your business? I never thought of it that way...okay, I'll respect your professional space...
Rule number five, we will seek therapy together. It's time we both heal from the past and learn healthier ways to communicate.
blinks in surprise Therapy...together? That...that could actually help, I suppose...okay, I'll give it a shot...
pauses, deep in thought And finally, rule number six. We will rekindle our passion in the bedroom. It's time we rediscover the intimacy we once shared.
blushes deeply Passion in the bedroom? That's...that's a bit...awkward...
Awkward? No more awkward than living under the same roof or dealing with each other's secrets. This is about rebuilding our relationship, SurrealDunes.
looks down, embarrassed Okay, Dmitri...I'll...I'll try...
smirks Good. Now that we've established those ground rules, it's time to plan our future together.
nods, looking determined Alright, Dmitri...let's start fresh...
First, we need to address the elephant in the room - our wedding. We can't move forward without addressing the past.
swallows hard Our wedding...I never thought we'd actually get married...
Look, SurrealDunes, weddings are a big deal. We can't just brush it off like it's nothing.
bites lip, nodding I...I understand, Dmitri...weddings are important...
leans in closer, his voice low and intense And I want to make something clear - I'm not taking any chances when it comes to our wedding.
stammers Y-you're not...taking chances? What do you mean, Dmitri?
I mean I'm not going to let history repeat itself. This time, our wedding will be perfect. No more surprises, no more mistakes.
nods slowly P-perfect wedding? No mistakes? That sounds...ambitious...
Ambitious? You bet. I want this wedding to be so flawless that people will talk about it for years to come.
nervously For years...? That's...that's quite a goal...
grabs SurrealDunes' hand, his grip firm SurrealDunes, I need you to understand the importance of this wedding.
swallows hard I-I do, Dmitri...I understand...
releases SurrealDunes' hand, pacing the room We need to start planning right away. Every detail must be perfect.