Page 33 of Kidnapped By the Bratva

He shakes his head slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, but Timur nods in agreement. “It’s a solid plan. The alliance would be ironclad. No American Mafia boss would cross a family that has one of their own as the wife of the man running things. It’s tradition.”

Kristen remains quiet, his eyes shifting between me and Timur as he processes the suggestion. He knows it’s a good deal. He’s loyal to his fallen boss, but he’s also pragmatic. If a marriage between Sophia and me is the price to secure peace, he’ll have to consider it.

I watch Kristen closely, waiting for him to respond. The tension in the room thickens as everyone waits for his reaction. Finally, he exhales, his shoulders sagging slightly.

“Let me talk to Sophia,” he says, his voice heavy with resignation.

Timur and Artem both exchange a glance, and I nod. It’s not surprising that he wants to talk to her first, but the decision is inevitable. She’ll have no choice. Neither of us does.

Kristen stands up, his face lined with the weight of everything that’s happened. “I’ll explain the situation to her, but you know this isn’t going to be easy for her to accept.”

“Doesn’t have to be easy,” I reply smoothly, standing up as well. “It just has to happen.”

Kristen doesn’t respond to that, but I can see the tension in his jaw as he walks toward the door. He knows I’m right. He also knows Sophia won’t be happy about this, but her feelingsare secondary to the bigger picture. This is about power. About strategy. She’ll come around eventually, or she won’t. Either way, I’ll make sure this alliance goes through.

As Kristen leaves the room, the silence that follows is thick with unspoken thoughts. Artem crosses his arms, still clearly skeptical, but he knows better than to argue further. Timur, on the other hand, looks satisfied, already thinking ahead, already seeing the possibilities.

I turn to him, my mind made up. “We move forward with the plan. Once Kristen talks to her, we’ll see where she stands.”

Timur nods, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. “It’s the right move. You’ll have the Americans wrapped around your finger. The Italians won’t stand a chance.”

“Let’s just hope she agrees,” Artem mutters under his breath.

I glance at him, smirking again. “She’ll agree. She doesn’t have a choice.”

The room falls into a tense quiet as the reality of the situation sinks in. Sophia, whether she wants it or not, is about to be part of something much bigger than herself. So am I. There’s no turning back from this.

Marriage. Power. Revenge. It’s all connected now, and it’s all falling into place.

Chapter Sixteen - Sophia

Tears stream down my face as I sit on the edge of the bed, my body trembling with the weight of everything. My father is dead. Gone. I’m mad at him for trying to marry me off to Jackson, but even through the anger, a deeper sorrow gnaws at my chest. He gave me love—so much love, in his own flawed way.

I didn’t get to show him how grateful I was for that. All I could think about were the ways he hurt me. Now, it’s too late.

I press my hands to my face, trying to stifle the sobs, but it’s useless. The grief overwhelms me, crashing down in relentless waves. He wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes—huge mistakes—but he was still my father. The one constant in my life. Now he’s just gone. Just like that. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

The knock on the door startles me, and I freeze, my heart jumping into my throat.

Now that my father is dead, will he kill me too?

My pulse races, and for a second, I can’t breathe, my eyes locked on the door, waiting for the handle to turn.

When it opens, it’s not Maxim. It’s Kristen.

Relief washes over me, and without thinking, I run to him, collapsing into his arms. The sobs break free, raw and uncontrollable, as I cling to him like a lifeline. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close, his hand resting on the back of my head as I cry into his chest. For the first time since I found out, I feel a small sense of comfort—like I’m not completely alone in this nightmare.

“He’s gone,” I whisper through my tears, my voice cracking. “He’s really gone….”

Kristen holds me tighter, his voice low and soothing. “I know. I’m so sorry, Sophia. I wish I could have done more. He loved you so much.”

I pull back slightly, wiping my tear-streaked face, my vision blurred as I look up at him. “I… I didn’t get to say goodbye. I didn’t get to tell him I was sorry.”

Kristen sighs, his face filled with sadness. “He knew, Sophia. He knew you loved him.”

I shake my head, the guilt clawing at me. “I was so mad at him. All I could think about was how he wanted to marry me off to Jackson… I didn’t even see how much he cared.”

Kristen’s eyes soften, and he strokes my hair gently. “He realized his mistake. Before… before everything happened, he was planning to call off the arrangement with Jackson. He regretted it, Sophia. He knew it wasn’t what you wanted, and he was going to make it right.”

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