Page 65 of The Bratva King's Twins

Chapter 30 - Vivian

After everything went down with my brothers, Ari followed through with his word and had a nurse come by the house nearly as soon as we got there. To our relief, no harm had come to the twins, and they were still just as happy despite the spike in my blood pressure I had endured.

Ari did everything he could to make me feel safe and comfortable moving forward, including staying home from work for a week to make sure I was doing all right. Even in wake of what happened, that time for just us was everything I needed to feel better again. Everything I needed to feel so completely adored and appreciated by him.

Behind the scenes, Lara and some of their cousins worked together to plan a baby shower for us, and on that beautiful day, the back yard was full of Levovs as they gathered to celebrate our little ones.

By then, I was more noticeably pregnant, much to Ari’s delight, and there was no doubting just how big my belly was getting. It made it easier for me to hold my bump lovingly, and to offer our babies as much comfort as I could.

Of course, Ari was never too shy to do the same. Every night, he’d caress my stomach and whisper his feelings, letting them know how much he loved them already. Those words would be directed to me afterward, affirming the work I was putting into growing our sweet twins.

With most of his family there, I spent the first part of the afternoon getting to know everyone, finally able to place the names I heard in passing to faces.

It was easy to see just how much they all cared for each other, with that sentiment going beyond just Ari and his siblings. Regardless of how intimidating most of them seemed, I came to realize they were all just hardened masks used while they did business. But underneath it all, they were rambunctious and caring, and they took pride in teasing one another.

There were endless streams of congratulations for the two of us, along with a sea of more gifts than we could ever use.

“You’ve impressed me, Vivian,” Anastasia said as she stood with her slice of cake in hand. “I never thought anyone could get through Ari’s macho exterior, but you’ve done the impossible.”

“Eh, we’ve all known he’s soft under there, he’s just too embarrassed to show it,” Lukyan teased with a knowing grin.

As he and the others laughed, Yaro came up from behind and hooked an arm around his neck playfully, ruffling his hair. “Says the softest one here, kid.”

“You’ve got me all wrong,” he said in defense of himself. “I’m just hoping that if I follow Ari’s lead, I’ll snag a wife of my own.”

“It doesn’t get softer than that,” Ari said with a chuckle, putting an affectionate hand against my waist. “But I’m waiting to see who manages to whip Benedikt into shape. Any luck at the clubs yet?”

With a scoff, Benedikt rolled his eyes. “It might be your day today, but you’re still not allowed to say ‘I told you so.’”

Amused by how they always seemed to end up in a constant roll of banter, I was glad to witness it for myself.

Despite everything we went through, I finally felt at ease. That lingering dread in my stomach went away after our worries were taken care of, and all that remained was the chance to truly explore our connection.

Ari had been dedicated before, but after it was all said and done, he became the best husband I could ever ask for.

We were closer than ever, and there was no doubt in my mind that we would be just fine.

He was everything I wanted and needed, and I could put my complete faith in him.

Making the deal even sweeter, I felt like I had a place in his family, as his siblings and cousins accepted me without hesitation. Even if I had been a reluctant outsider before, I felt like one of them, and I never got sick of being around them.

While they had made me nervous initially, that hesitation went away as I warmed up to them and realized they weren’t as intimidating as they seemed.

“All of that aside,” Lara began, throwing her brothers a warning look as she steered everyone back on track. “I just want to say to Vivian that I’m still so glad to have you here with us. Not only do you give me a break from these idiots, but you bring out the best in Ari, and I know you two will make incredible parents.”

My heart swelled at the acceptance as the others smiled.

“A toast to Ari, Vivian, and the twins,” Benedikt proposed, lifting his glass flute full of punch in the air.

Everyone joined in, offering us another wave of congratulations. Even the children who had spent the whole time running around and playing joined in with their enthusiastic cheers.

My cheeks started to ache from smiling as Ari held me close to his side and gently clinked his glass against mine, mirroring his happiness back to me.

“So where to?” Lara asked, looking at us through her stylish sunglasses.

“I found a great place for us in Costa Rica. We’ll be there for a week before heading to the Keys,” Ari said, sounding just as excited as I felt for our baby moon.

“Don’t tempt me into booking a flight,” she added, smiling at the idea.

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