Page 84 of Bratva King's Secret Twins

Aleksandr’s voice cuts through the silence, calm but tight, like he can’t breathe. “What the hell are you talking about, Nik?”

I take a deep breath, my hands rubbing together as if trying to cleanse themselves of the truth, like this is my sin and not our parents’. The words stick in my throat, heavy and bitter. “Mother… She cheated on Boris religiously. He found out, tested to see if I was his, and when I wasn’t, he killed her for it.”

“Shit,” Aleksandr whispers but it is barely audible due to the sound of Nadia’s hyperventilating.

Nadia’s face contorted with rage, her body trembling and her stiletto nails dig into my mahogany desk. “You’re lying!” she hisses, stepping closer to me, her breath coming in sharp bursts. “Are you fucking insane, Nik? Do you even understand what you’re saying?”

I lift my head to meet her gaze, my heart pounding in my chest. “I’m not lying. Boris found out she was unfaithful, and he killed her. That’s the truth. He may not be your father.”

Nadia’s eyes blaze with fury, her nostrils flaring as she struggles to contain the storm inside her. “So you’ve been lying to me allalong?” Her voice is venomous, each word dripping with disdain. “How long have you fucking known?”

I slowly blink before whispering, “Three years.”

“???????!” she gasps, shaking her head silently. “You know, I expect this from Aleksandr because he doesn’t know any better. He can’t feel what we do, but you? You knew all this time and kept quiet. You kept us in the dark while our mother rotted in a box somewhere, and for what?”

“Nadia-” I whisper, trying to get out an apology but she continues.

“You did this because of the fucking Bravta. I can see it in your eyes.” Nadia sucks her teeth, placing her hand against her head.

“One of you would have to kill me. If the truth came out and either one of you were the rightful heirs, you would have to kill me, Nadia. You know the rules.”

“I would have never killed you!” she screams. “We would have found a way.”

“Nik is right, Nadi. He’s right,” Aleksandr whispers, peeking at her from the corner of his eye. “We would have to kill him, or we have to kill Boris first. If anyone finds out, they will deem us weak and kill us all. This needs to die here.”

“Alek, he…you can’t expect me to-” Nadia stutters.

Aleksandr’s voice is calm and measured as he speaks. “We’re not talking about whether we’re bastards or not. We’re talking about life or death.

“We’re talking about how to save Gwen.” His gaze shifts to me, his expression calculating. “Nikolai, focus. We cannot let Boris go free.”

“And letting Gwen die is not an option,” I counter, my voice hardening.

“So we kill him,” Aleksandr agrees, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.

“No!” Nadia’s voice rings out, her hand slamming down on the table. Her outburst draws our attention, and I can see the horror etched into her features. She’s not just angry; she’s terrified. “No,” she repeats, her voice softer this time, almost pleading. “He’s our father.”

I shake my head, my jaw tight. “He’s not our father.”

Nadia’s breath catches in her throat, and for a moment, she looks like she’s going to break. But then she squares her shoulders, her eyes burning with hell fire. “You can’t take him away from me, Nik. You can’t take away the chance for me to know if he’s truly my father, or Alek’s.”

“We can’t take that chance, Nadia.” My voice is firm, leaving no room for argument. “He’s too dangerous. We don’t know what he’ll do if he’s free.”

Aleksandr’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife, cold and precise. “Enough. We’re not making a deal with Boris.” He pauses, his gaze shifting to me.

“Ok, so we track him and kill him.” I nod.

“No.” Aleksandr's smile is sinister. “We’re going to make a deal with the Yakuza.”

I blink. “The Yakuza? How are we going to do that?”

Aleksandr’s expression remains unreadable, his tone clinical. “I know where Sho Matsumoto, the son of the head of the Yakuza, is. There’s a rumor that there’s a bounty on his head, and Sho owes me a favor.”

I narrow my eyes at him, suspicion gnawing at me. “We’re going to trade one man’s life for another? That’s your plan?”

Aleksandr’s gaze doesn’t waver. “This isn’t about Boris, Nik. This is about getting Gwen back. Sho has connections, power that we can use. If we do this right, we can save Gwen and capture Boris long enough for DNA tests.” Aleksandr’s gaze flickers back to Nadia. “But father or not, we can’t keep him alive any longer than necessary.”

The room falls silent, the weight of Aleksandr’s words hanging heavy in the air. I can feel every fiber of my being screaming that this is wrong, but then I see the image of Gwen, her face bruised and battered, and the fear and desperation claw their way to the surface.

---