Page 55 of Captured By the Bratva

“But I love you, Cathy,” he says. “I love you, and that is the first thing to frighten me in years. You make me feel things I never thought I’d feel. You make me want things I didn’t even know I could want.”

The weight of his confession presses into me, filling the air around us, making my heart pound. “Ivan…” My voice is soft, steady, and I reach up, touching his face, feeling the tension there, the vulnerability, the hope.

“I know it’s hard for you to talk about this. I know it’s against everything you believe in.” I hold his gaze, my touch gentle, reassuring. “But thank you for telling me. And for what it’s worth, I think I love you too.”

His eyes widen slightly, a flicker of relief crossing his face. “You do?” His voice is filled with disbelief, as if he can’t quite accept it. “But I’ve caused you so much pain. I lied to you, kept the truth from you.”

I take a deep breath, gathering the courage to say what’s been brewing inside me for so long. “Ivan,” I begin softly, looking directly into his eyes, “you know I could have left by now.

“I’ve had every opportunity to run while we’ve been here. I could have called someone, or simply walked out the doors of this hospital, and you wouldn’t have known until it was too late.”

He tenses, his jaw tightening, but he remains silent, waiting.

“And yet,” I continue, my voice steady but gentle, “I didn’t leave. I didn’t run. Do you know why?”

He looks at me, uncertainty flickering in his gaze, that guarded expression he wears so well starting to fracture. “Because you were afraid of what would happen if you did,” he says, his voice low.

I shake my head, a soft smile touching my lips. “No, Ivan. Not because I was afraid. But because… despite everything, despitehow complicated and difficult you make things, I see parts of you worth staying for. Elena and Nik see something in you worth hanging around for.

“I get it now. I see a man who would do anything to protect the people he cares about. I see someone who carries a lot of pain but would rather suffer alone than let anyone else feel a moment of it.”

His brow furrows, and I reach out, my hand resting on his chest, feeling the steady, guarded beat of his heart beneath my fingers. “You might think you’re just a man hardened by life, someone incapable of love.

“But I’ve seen enough to know that’s not the whole story. You took Nik in as more than a lieutenant; he’s your family. You cared for him like a brother in that hospital room, Ivan.

“And I know you do that because there’s a part of you that wants to be good, to make things right. You’re more than the armor you wear. I know that because I’ve felt your care myself.”

He stands there, staring at me with an intensity that’s both fierce and vulnerable, as if my words are cracking open something inside him he’d thought was locked away for good. I see him wrestling with what I’ve said, as if he can’t decide whether to believe it or push it away.

“Cathy…” he starts, his voice rough, his eyes searching mine. “I don’t know if I can be the man you think I am. I’m not sure who I am anymore.”

I give his chest a light, reassuring touch, feeling the warmth beneath my fingertips. “You don’t have to be perfect, Ivan. But you don’t have to close yourself off, either.

“You don’t have to push me away. I’m here, because I want to be. I didn’t stay because I was forced to. I stayed because I see the good in you. And if you let me, I’ll keep seeing it.”

39

CATHY

The next day…

The mansion feels less like a prison today. Sunlight spills through the open shutters, casting warmth over the walls and chasing away the shadows that usually linger in the corners.

I walk slowly down the hallway, my mind crowded with thoughts of Ivan—his initial intentions, his confessions, and, against all odds, the growing softness I see beneath his rough edges. But still, I can’t shake the doubts entirely.

Needing clarity, I find myself drifting to the kitchen, where Anya is busy preparing tea. She moves with a quiet grace, pouring steaming water over the tea leaves and letting the aroma fill the air. When she sees me, she gives me a small, knowing smile.

“What’s on your mind, golubushka?” she asks gently, setting the teapot down and gesturing for me to sit.

I take a seat across from her, and for a moment, I just watch the steam curl up from the cups. My words feel tangled, stuck in my chest, but eventually, they come out in a rush. I tell hereverything that happened since we last talked, everything Ivan has said to me.

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” I conclude. “Ivan, he told me that this all started because of revenge. He married me to get back at Jimmy. Can I believe he actually cares about me, when everything between us was built on manipulation?”

Anya nods thoughtfully, her fingers circling the edge of her teacup. She doesn’t rush to respond, letting the words settle between us. “I can understand why you feel that way,” she says finally, her voice gentle but firm. “But Cathy, I’ve known Ivan for years. You’ve changed him.”

Her words catch me off guard, and I look down, tracing the rim of my own cup. “Changed him? How?”

Anya takes a breath, her gaze soft but serious. “I’ve seen Ivan through many seasons, Cathy. I’ve seen him at his most ruthless, his most withdrawn. But you… you’re different. He’s let you into his life, his home, and most importantly, his heart. That isn’t something he gives lightly, not even to himself. For a man like Ivan, letting someone in at all is an act of… well, love.”

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