Page 97 of Mafia King's Bride

“I don’t know what to say,” I admit, my voice small.

Dmitri pulls me close, his warmth anchoring me. “You don’t have to say anything. Just know that I’m here, and I love you. We’ll get through this together.”

As I bury my face in his chest, letting his steady heartbeat calm me, I realize that for the first time in weeks, I feel safe. The war I feared has been averted, but at what cost?

I don’t have the answers, but wrapped in Dmitri’s arms, I know we’ll face whatever comes next together.

Dmitri holds me close, murmuring comforting words. I let him, even as I try to push down the complicated mess of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

I won’t mourn the man who put us through all this. Nikolai Petrov might have been my father, but in the end, he only cared about himself.

Still, a small part of me, the little girl who once thought her daddy hung the moon, weeps silently.

I sigh deeply, feeling the weight of everything bearing down on my shoulders. It’s been a wild ride, from our tumultuous wedding to those first confusing months, wondering if Dmitri hated or liked me, all while fighting that undeniable chemistry between us.

And then, finding out?—

Wait.

My heart starts racing, panic rising in my chest like a tidal wave. How could I have forgotten, even for a moment?

“The baby,” I gasp, my hands flying to my stomach protectively. “Oh my God, Dmitri, the baby!”

His eyes widen, and I realize with a jolt that I never told him. Guilt crashes over me, mixing with the fear and panic already churning inside.

“I—” I swallow hard, trying to find the right words. “I found out I was pregnant the night before I left. I’m three months along now.” My voice breaks as tears well up in my eyes. “I’m so sorry I kept this from you. I wanted to tell you, but then everything happened, and?—”

To my surprise, Dmitri gathers me close, his strong arms enveloping me in a comforting embrace. “I know, my love,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. “The doctors did a blood test when you were brought in and then checked the baby. They are just fine.”

Relief washes over me in waves so powerful I start to tremble. “You knew? And...and the baby’s okay?”

He nods, pressing a kiss to my hair. “Our baby is perfect,kotyonok. Strong and healthy, just like its mother.”

I break down then, all the fear and worry of the past months pouring out of me. “I’m so sorry,” I hiccup against his chest. “I should have told you sooner. I was so scared, and I didn’t know what to do, and?—”

“Shh,” Dmitri soothes, his big hand rubbing circles on my back. “It’s okay. I’m here now. We’re all going to be okay.”

I pull back slightly, searching his face. “You’re not… angry? About the baby, about me not telling you?”

His eyes soften, a smile tugging at his lips. “Angry? Ana, finding out about our child is the most incredible news. I just wish I could have been there for you from the start.”

Fresh tears spill down my cheeks, but this time, they’re tears of joy. “We’re really doing this?” I whisper. “We’re going to be parents?”

Dmitri’s hand joins mine on my stomach, and the tenderness in his touch nearly undoes me. “We are,” he says, his voice fullof wonder. “And I promise you, Anastasia, I will love and protect both of you with everything I have.”

For the first time in close to a month, after repeating empty reassurances to myself night after night, I finally believe that everything will be okay. Here, in Dmitri’s arms, with our baby growing inside me, I feel safe. I feel loved.

I feel like I’m finally home.

EPILOGUE

DMITRI

Two months later

“You know,” Ana says as she picks a slice of watermelon from the fruit plate beside her, both of us lying on the deck of my yacht, watching the ocean as the vessel drifts, “I think I should go ahead and buy myself a jet.”

Not knowing where the sudden desire is coming from but used to her saying random things out of the blue—I think it’s a pregnancy thing—I go with the safest response.

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