Page 100 of Knocked-Up Bratva Prisoner

“Alexei, where are you?” I say into the crowd. “My gorgeous fiancé—we wanted to share the news with you."

The crowd erupts in applause and shouts of congratulations fill the party. I look around as though I am waiting for him to come and join me. Obviously, he isn’t here, and after a moment the crowd starts getting overexcited.

“Okay, let me go find him, then we will come and mingle and say hi to everyone.” I giggle, then hand the microphone back to the DJ.

I skip off the stage, back into the crowd, surrounded by people who are wishing me all the happiness in the world.

From the back of the party I see my uncle walk through the door with a look on his face that I can only describe as absolute defeat. Rage and defeat.

Next to him is Alexei. I walk to both of them happily.

The guard obviously told him what I just did—that, or he heard it all himself.

Now he has to play along.

He has to be the happy uncle who knew about it the entire time.

Otherwise, he will look like a fool.

He walks through the crowd and I watch as his allies and friends congratulate him, and he plasters a smile on his face.

Alexei comes straight over to me. I can see he has a hundred questions he wants to ask, but my uncle is right there next to him, and we are surrounded by all of the guests.

So we play along. I stand close to him, and he wraps his arm around me—the loving couple, about to be married.

Uncle Giorgio follows us around the party and pours champagne for the guys and sparkling grape juice for me as we toast, and the entire party turns into our engagement party.

Alexei’s brothers and his sister, Anya, are the only ones who don’t look convinced. They aren’t saying anything to go against the announcement, but I can tell by the way they are watching us that they know something else is going on here.

I guess what I just did was kind of crazy, but it worked. It stopped my uncle dead in his tracks with whatever he was about to do to Alexei.

Alexei is the most brilliant actor. He is all over me, holding me, brushing his hands over my cheeks, leaning down to kiss me at every opportunity he has. He is the perfect fiancé. I guess he has to be the best actor here because he knows his life depends on it at this point.

It’s really difficult having him this close to me but not really knowing what is going on between us. He knows about the pregnancy, but I have no idea what his thoughts are regarding it. We haven’t had even a second alone to discuss it, and every time I try to pull him to the side where we can talk, someone interrupts us. And my uncle—he’s always nearby.

Leon is glaring at me, and Yefim and Oleg have been staying close. I am not sure why, but they seem on high alert.

My plan worked to stop Uncle Giorgio from hurting Alexei, but it has clearly caused some other issues.

I am going to have to sort this out.

I have to resolve this once and for all.

I march straight over to Oleg and Leon, who are standing together.

“Oleg.”

“Clara.” He glares at me.

“Can you please join me for a meeting in the upstairs sunroom? Please bring all of your brothers, and Anya. I think we need to talk.”

“Yes, I think we do need to talk. I will get everyone together and head up there right away.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you doing?” Alexei asks, having overheard everything.

“I’m fixing this,” I say, biting my lower lip nervously. I have no idea what to say to everyone, but I guess I’ll figure it out once I’m there. “Come, we have to get Uncle Giorgio upstairs, too.”

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