Page 27 of Between Power and Passion

My thought is shattered by the shrill beep of a timer, signaling that the test is complete. I reach for the small plastic stick, my heart in my throat.

Two pink lines.

Positive.

The room starts to spin, and I slide onto the cold tile floor. Sobs shake my body as the reality of the situation crashes over me in waves. I'm going to have Dmitri's baby—a new life.

I wake to the feel of cool hands on my forehead. As I blink slowly, my vision focuses on Dmitri's face hovering over me, his eyes filled with concern.

"Valentina?" he murmurs, gently brushing my hair back. "Are you alright?"

I swallow hard, my throat dry and constricted. Before I can respond, he leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead. The gesture is so tender, so at odds with the hardened man I've come to know, that it steals my breath away.

"Martha said you weren't feeling well," he says, his thumb tracing my cheekbone. "What's wrong?"

Thank God the cook didn't mention the pregnancy. I force a weak smile. "It's nothing serious, I promise. Just a bit of nausea."

His brow furrows, and he brushes the back of his hand against my forehead, checking for fever. "You don't feel warm. Did you eat something that didn't agree with you?"

I shake my head, carefully avoiding his probing gaze. "No, nothing like that. I'm sure it will pass."

Dmitri doesn't look convinced, but he nods and gently helps me sit up against the pillows. I take a moment to push away the dizziness that threatens to overwhelm me.

"Dmitri?" I start, my voice soft. "Can I ask you something?"

His expression softens, and he nods. "Of course. You can ask me anything."

"Dmitri, can we talk about stopping all of this? How about we leave town and go somewhere else, just the two of us?"

He stiffens, pulling back slightly as his eyes narrow. Slowly, he rises from the bed, towering over me. "What's wrong with you, Valentina? Are you having second thoughts about helping me?"

I shake my head vehemently and reach for his hand, needing that connection. "No, that's not what I mean at all." But he pulls away, his hand slipping from mine as he takes a step back.

"Then what do you mean?" His voice is low, dangerous.

I swallow hard. "I'm worried about you, Dmitri. About where this path will lead."

His expression softens briefly, but then hardens again. "I can't stop, Valentina. Not until I've avenged my family." He shakes his head. "I haven't even been able to visit their graves. I won't be at peace until the man who took them from me pays for what he did."

"But at what cost?" I plead, rising to my feet. "I can't bear the thought of losing you, too."

"You might have to." His words are like a physical blow, knocking the wind from me. "If that's the price, I'll pay it gladly to have my vengeance."

I step toward him, reaching out again. "Dmitri..."

But he recoils, his face a mask of stone. "Don't say it again, Valentina. Don't ask me to let this go because I won't. If you can't accept that, then we're done here."

With that, he turns on his heel and strides from the room. The door slams shut behind him with a resounding finality that leaves me shaken to my core.

Chapter 12 – Dmitri

I lean back against the crumbling brick wall, fingers tapping an impatient rhythm on the grip of my pistol. My eyes scan the deserted alleyway, alert for any movement or sign of a trap. This better not be a waste of time.

"Dmitri." Alexei's voice breaks the tense silence. He steps closer, bumping my shoulder with his. "You look like you're about to put a bullet through someone's skull before they even arrive."

I shoot him a sidelong glance, my jaw tightening. "This better be worth the risk. We're exposed out here."

Alexei's ever-present grin doesn't falter. "Relax, my friend. If your old man's contacts can't be trusted, who can we rely on?"

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