Page 71 of The Bratva's Forbidden Pregnancy

He was dead, but I still felt empty inside; the pit in my stomach was not yet filled. I’d had my pound of flesh, but it wasn’t enough.

I threw my head toward the ceiling and let out a frustrated shout. but even that didn’t help. This was so fucked up, and his betrayal had released the beast trapped inside me.

My attention was drawn to a woman standing outside the room with a crying baby in her arms.

She stood frozen in place, looking like she was about to throw up at the sight she beheld.

My eyes met hers, and she gulped, fear coloring her gaze. “Please, don’t kill me,” she said softly as I walked toward her.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I…I’m…I’m the nanny hired to take care of the baby,” she stuttered, her lips trembling as she tried to take her eyes off the dead man.

“Joshua has a baby?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes…but he didn’t want it. The mother left as soon as the girl was born, and he said he was going to drop her off at an orphanage,” she replied.

“So, she has no one?” Paul asked.

The nanny shook her head.

Paul walked over to her and took the baby from her arms. He carried her gently, smiling at the infant, who had stopped crying as soon as he took it.

“Hi,” he said softly, staring at the baby in his arms.

“Leave,” I said to her. “And if you say anything about what happened here today, I will find you, and trust me, you wouldn’t want that.”

My threats had her pissing her pants, and she was already shedding tears.

“Do you understand?”

She nodded quickly and ran out immediately.

I understood Paul’s affection for this infant; his wife had delivered a baby just yesterday, but their child was a stillborn. He and Natalie were mourning at the time, and with the way he took the baby, I knew exactly what his plan was.

“I’m taking her in, Vlad. I don’t care what evil her father has done; she’s innocent of that,” he said. “Natalie and I will raise her like our own.”

I was quiet; his decision was to be expected considering what was going on in his life at the time.

“I’m done,” he said. “I can’t keep living like this. I’m tired of the bloodshed, Vlad. I don’t wanna end up dead, not now that I’ve been given another chance at being a father. I’m out.”

I sighed. He was right; this life wasn’t for him—this wasn't his calling. He’d been a good friend, loyal and true, even though he was weak at heart. He deserved to be happy, to start his own family with the woman of his dreams.

“I’m not going to stop you from leaving, Paul,” I said. “You’ve always been free to do as you wish.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “I’ll be leaving St. Petersburg with Natalie and the baby.”

I nodded subtly. “You do that. I wish you all the best.”

And I’d truly meant it.

Chapter 23 – Sienna

I still can’t believe this is my reality now, I thought to myself, trying to process the whole situation that had me on the edge. My life was like a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie where I was a sunshine girl who had gotten entangled in the web of a Russian mafia boss.

I thought things were complicated between Vlad and me, but then things took a drastic turn for the worse. Now, being pregnant with Dad’s best friend’s baby was the least of my problems.

Looking out the window, I watched Vlad’s armed men roaming about my house like commandos—their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of threats or residual danger.

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