Page 24 of Forced Pregnant Bride

I was a man of values, despite what anyone thought. And despite the tempting thoughts to get rid of her, once and for all, I recognized quality when I saw it in everything, down to how crystal clear our drinking tumblers were. And Serena—she was one of the rare few who had that innocence, the kind we didn’t find anymore. Her eyes, clear and unguarded, unsettled something in me I didn’t know was there, something that wouldn’t let me throw her to the wolves.

And damn it, I refused to accept that I was getting soft. I just asked myself if she was worth the risk of turning my world upside down. And yet, deep down, I already knew the answer.

“She’s one of the good ones,” I replied to Niko without looking at him. That was all I thought they needed to know.Theyincluded Rafayel and Arlo, who were eagerly eavesdropping onthe conversation, despite pretending to be occupied with the whores on their laps.

Niko had been waiting expectantly for an answer, and now that he’d gotten it, he wasn’t satisfied.

“Didn’t know you liked the good ones.”

“I don’t.”

“Then?”

Then, why are you keeping her if you claim you don’t want her?

I lifted a glass to my lips.

And when it didn’t burn hot enough, I swallowed another.

It worsened it. She enveloped my senses, seeping into everything she could. Blue eyes, blonde hair, and vanilla. A willing sacrifice, a substitute for the one that should have died. A fucking saint, my bride-to-be.

Secondly, she had a nurturing and kind nature. I saw it in the way she took good care of her brother and protected him as if he were her life. If there was ever such a thing, she would have been the best example of the perfect wife. Perfect mother for my future kids. When I thought about having her to myself and taking her on our wedding night, excitement rushed below my belt, and I glared at the tumbler in my hand to distract myself.

What use was there in denying that she was, indeed, very attractive and beautiful?

A bloody waste of time when it was too obvious.

“Who doesn’t want good gifts?” I faced Niko. “Just because I’m not interested in her doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate when good things are handed to me on a silver platter. Like you, with Rosa. Look at you now. Who’d have ever thought Nikolai Yezhov would be devoted to a life of one pussy?”

His brows dipped in a frown, and I smiled. Where Rosalyn was concerned, Niko was hypersensitive. He would punch teeth out if it kept her name out of my mouth for good.

Rafayel and Arlo tried to suppress snickers, but we heard them.

Rafayel gestured with a thumb. “Looking for trouble, brother?”

I chuckled. “Iamtrouble.”

“Not if I beat the shit out of you, you’re not,” Niko mumbled in Russian, and Arlo bent his face between his thighs, hiding a laugh.

I opted to flash what should have looked like a peaceful grin but turned out to be a grimace. “I’d love to see you try.”

On some good days, he threw solid punches. On other days, I could have him pinned down to the ground. Secretly, I hated that there were more good days than other days in our battle records.

Good thing Niko wasn’t in the mood to test which day it was either. Patting my back, he raised his glass for a toast.

“Enough sober talk. You’re getting married tomorrow! It’s time to drink some shit and enjoy the night.”

We refilled our glasses and raised them in the air.

Tonight, I’d drink my concerns and problematic thoughts away.

Tomorrow, I’d wear a fucking bow tie.

Chapter 11 – Serena

I didn’t like it.

Not the dress, the tears. They just kept rolling freely, and Klavdia had already warned me to wipe them off and not ruin my makeup. Somehow, she reminded me of my grandmother. She died of a stroke when I was six. I didn’t remember much abouther except that she was low-key stuck-up, had long white hair, and never smiled. And she gave great advice, like telling a six-year-old, “Whatever you do, don’t get knocked up before you get married.”

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