Page 36 of Pregnant By the Bratva

“Protect me?” she scoffs, her tone dripping with disbelief. “From what, Sarah? From the fact that you were working against us the whole time?”

I can see the hurt in her eyes, the confusion, and I know that she doesn’t understand. How could she? She doesn’t know the full story—doesn’t know about the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices that tore me apart.

“Sophia,” I say softly, reaching out to touch her arm, but she flinches away from me, the rejection stinging more than I expected. “Please, just listen to me—”

She hesitates, her gaze flickering with a mix of anger and confusion. “Why should I?” she snaps, but there’s a crack in her voice that tells me she’s wavering, that she wants to believe there’s more to this than betrayal.

“Because you deserve to know the truth,” I reply, taking a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to reveal. “Sophia, your father… Kace… he ordered my death.”

Her eyes widen in shock, her breath catching in her throat. “No,” she whispers, shaking her head as if she can’t comprehend what I’m saying. “That’s not possible. My father wouldn’t… he couldn’t—”

“He did,” I insist, my voice firm but not unkind. “I was loyal to him, Sophia. I did everything he asked of me. When he thought I might be a liability, when he thought I knew too much, he ordered me to be killed. I barely escaped.”

Sophia stares at me, her disbelief evident, but I can see the seeds of doubt beginning to take root. “You’re lying,” she says, but there’s no conviction in her words. She’s grasping at straws,trying to hold on to the image of her father as the man she’s always believed him to be.

“Ask him yourself,” I say quietly, my heart pounding as I spot Kace approaching us through the crowd. He walks with his usual confident stride, his expression unreadable, but I can see the tension in his jaw, the way his eyes narrow as he sees me standing with his daughter.

Sophia turns to face her father, her eyes wide with confusion and hurt. “Dad,” she begins, her voice trembling. “Is it true? Did you order Sarah’s death?”

Kace’s expression falters for just a moment, a brief flicker of something that might be regret or guilt, but he quickly masks it with a cool, detached demeanor. “Sophia, I did what was necessary,” he says, his voice smooth but lacking warmth. “You don’t understand the complexities of our world. I was only doing what was best for our family, for you.”

Sophia’s face crumples, the betrayal hitting her like a physical blow. “Best for me?” she echoes, her voice breaking. “How could you think that killing her was what’s best? She was like a sister to me!”

Kace reaches out to her, but Sophia recoils, stepping back as if the very thought of touching him repulses her. “Sophia, listen to me—”

“No,” she interrupts, her voice filled with anguish. “I can’t… I can’t even look at you right now.”

With that, she turns and rushes out of the venue, her heels clicking loudly against the marble floor as she pushes past the crowd. I watch her go, a heavy sense of loss settling in my chest.I wanted to protect her, to spare her from the truth, but I know that she needed to hear it. Even if it breaks her heart.

Kace turns his gaze back to me, his eyes cold and calculating. “You’ve caused enough damage for one night, Sarah,” he says, his voice low and dangerous. “What were you hoping to accomplish by turning her against me?”

“I was telling her the truth,” I reply, standing my ground even as my heart races. “She deserves to know what kind of man her father really is.”

His expression darkens, and he steps closer, towering over me. The atmosphere shifts, the air thick with tension. “You should’ve stayed in your place, Sarah,” he hisses. “Do you really think Ivan will protect you forever? The Bratva can’t shield you from everything.”

A shiver of fear runs through me, but I refuse to back down. “I’m not afraid of you anymore, Kace,” I say, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest. “I know what you’re capable of, and I’m done being your pawn.”

Kace’s eyes narrow, and he leans in, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “You think you’re safe now? You think Ivan can keep you safe from me? You’re playing a dangerous game, Sarah.”

Before I can respond, a familiar presence looms beside me. I feel Ivan’s hand on my arm, his grip firm and reassuring. He steps forward, positioning himself between me and Kace, his cold gaze locked on to the man who once held my life in his hands.

“Kace,” Ivan says, his voice like ice, his tone leaving no room for misinterpretation. “I suggest you reconsider your threats.”

Kace’s eyes flicker with recognition of the danger he’s in, but he doesn’t back down. “Ivan,” he says, forcing a tight smile. “This isn’t your concern. It’s a family matter.”

Ivan’s grip on my arm tightens slightly, his presence solid and unwavering. “Sarah is my wife,” he says, his voice low and deadly. “That makes it my concern. If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I’ll personally ensure you regret it.”

The weight of Ivan’s threat hangs in the air, and I see the shift in Kace’s expression, a mix of anger and realization that he’s outmatched. For the first time in a long time, I feel truly protected, a sense of safety wrapping around me like a warm blanket. It’s an unfamiliar feeling, one that takes me by surprise, but I don’t fight it. I let it sink in, let myself feel the strength in Ivan’s words and the way he stands between me and the man who once held so much power over me.

Kace’s mouth twitches with suppressed rage, but he knows he’s lost this round. Without another word, he turns and stalks off, leaving Ivan and me standing in the aftermath of the confrontation.

I look up at Ivan, my heart still racing, and for a moment, we just stand there, the noise of the crowd around us fading into the background. I never imagined I’d feel this way—safe, protected, standing beside a man who’s both my captor and my protector. As I meet Ivan’s gaze, I realize how much things have changed. He’s become something I never expected—someone I can trust, someone who truly cares about me, even if neither of us fully understands why.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ivan

The sterile scent of the hospital fills my nostrils as I sit beside Sarah, cradling our newborn daughter in my arms. The world outside these walls feels distant, irrelevant. Here, in this room, there’s only us—Sarah, our daughter, and the overwhelming sense of something new and fragile taking root in my chest.

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