Page 43 of Forced Bratva Bride

Chapter 15 - Maxim

Chiara and I arrive at Kiril’s home for the party he is hosting, specifically inviting all of our allies and deliberately organized so that Chiara and I can start the process of finding out what Stefano has been up to.

Chiara walks up the stairs towards the front door, and I watch the way her hips sway in the long, soft, white high-waisted pants she is wearing. The matching white top leaves a sliver of skin exposed at her waist, and I can’t stop looking at her. Her hair is pinned up in a gorgeous twisted bun with small diamonds pinned into it. I recognize them from our wedding, and I reflect back on the night we got married.

Then my mind drifts back to the night we first met, when I found her standing alone in the garden, after her father had announced our engagement to everyone.

It was a night that changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. I didn’t expect to fall for that girl, the feisty, temperamental girl I found in the garden.

I grin, following behind her and placing my hand on her lower back as we step inside.

The party is already in full swing, with waiters carrying silver trays of champagne between the guests and appetizers flowing from the kitchen.

Music is drifting through the house and out into the garden. Fairy lights are strung across the ceiling and outside beams. The place looks great. The vibe is amazing.

But my stomach is knotted as we weave through the people.

I hand Chiara a glass of champagne and lean down to kiss her gently. She smiles at me. “You and me,” she whispers. I nod.

“You and me, beautiful girl.”

Angelo comes waltzing across the garden towards us. “Oh, the love birds have arrived. Wonderful. How are you two doing?”

“Angelo, hi, we’re good. Just exhausted. It’s been a really long and difficult week.”

His mouth turns down at the corners. “I was so sad to hear about the incident at your warehouse. All those workers. All those lives lost. It is so senseless and brutal. My sympathy goes out to their families.”

“Thank you, we appreciate that. We have been doing everything we can to make things easier for their families, but nothing can bring back the people they lost.”

I pull Chiara closer to my side, holding her tightly, never wanting to lose her.

“And of course, I know it comes second, but the impact it must have had on your business must be something heavy to deal with as well,” Angelo sympathizes.

Stefano arrives, standing alongside Angelo, eyeing me up and down with a sour look on his face.

“The business took a hit, but nothing we can’t handle.” I nod toward Stefano. “Hello.”

“Hello.”

The stiffness of his greeting does not go unnoticed. Angelo elbows him in the side. “We were just talking about the incident at their warehouse. Isn’t it terrible?”

“Yes, terrible.” Stefano’s attention drifts around the room, his eyes wandering lazily over the crowd. “I am going to go and find something to eat,” he remarks, bored with our conversation before bothering to try and join it.

Angelo shoots him an angry glare, his eyes narrow and piercing.

Stefano stares back, unfazed by his own rudeness.

When he walks away, Angelo sighs. “I don’t know what his problem is.”

“It’s alright. There is no need for you to make apologies on someone else’s behalf.”

“What have you been up to, Dad?” Chiara asks.

“Oh, a little of this and a little of that. With Stefano handling most of the business, I find I have some free time. I might get back into golfing. Hell, I might even try fishing,” he chuckles.

As a waiter walks past, he hands them his empty glass.

“Let me get you another drink,” Chiara smiles at her father.

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