Page 51 of Forced Pregnant Bride

Lost in my anger at her brother, I hadn’t noticed her rise to her feet and make her way toward me. She collapsed into my arms, and for a moment, the rage subsided, replaced by the overwhelming need to keep her safe.

“I don’t understand what’s happening.” She touched my face and searched my eyes. “How?”

I reached for her wrist. My fingers closed around it, the delicate bones fragile under my grasp. She didn’t resist, but her eyes darted up to meet mine, questioning. I didn’t explain—not yet. Instead, I tilted her hand, examining the bracelet that circled her wrist. The diamond caught the light, glinting like it had a secret of its own. And it did.

A tracker.Mytracker.

It had been a wise decision, one I’d made without consulting her. Not that she needed to know the details.

The memory resurfaced when I’d walked into that high-end boutique on Fifth Avenue weeks ago, the bell above the door chiming softly as I entered. The moment I steppedinside, conversations died. The polished salespeople froze, their practiced smiles faltering as they wondered what manner of man had entered their store without offering a friendly hello.

I’d seen it in their eyes: fear, curiosity, and the desire to do nothing to provoke me. I’d ignored their hesitation and scanned the displays until one caught my attention. A bracelet, delicate and understated, yet bold enough to signify possession. It was so fucking perfect.

I’d pointed at it without offering room for conversation or negotiation, and the clerk behind the counter fumbled, rushing to retrieve the piece. Every step I took made the people in the store shrink further into themselves. When the bracelet was boxed and handed to me, I stepped out of the store without glancing back. Outside, Arlo was waiting by the car, leaning casually against the hood, ready to make a joke.

“Install the tracker,” I’d ordered, practically tossing the box to him. “And not a fucking word.”

Playfully air-zipping his lips, he’d caught it without a word.

Now, as I held her wrist in my hand, I felt a grim satisfaction. She didn’t know the lengths I would go to keep her safe—or to keep her mine.

“I had Arlo install a tracker in it weeks ago,” I said to her, noticing I’d kept her long without an answer. “When the phone tracker stayed in a position for too long, I knew something was off, so I followed the one in your bracelet instead. I know what’s going through your mind right now; you saw me on that fucking TV screen. You watched me die. Only I didn’t. I’m standing right here, Serena. The difference between Colombo and I is that I always make sure I’m thorough, ten fucking steps ahead at all times. So, while hedidplant the bomb and his cameras to watch, all I had to do was play the role and doctor the tape.”

She gaped, eyes widened in disbelief. “You edited a live stream?”

“Ifit was a live stream, that might have been harder. Think about tampering with CCTV footage. What we did could be likened to that. I just had my men hack into their system to make it look like we went into the car before the detonation.”

“But you’d already left the scene long before the bomb went off.”

“Exactly.”

I watched her turn the bracelet over in her hand, her fingers tracing the diamonds that now seemed to glint accusingly under the light. Her brow furrowed, and when she looked up at me, I could see a flicker of something I rarely saw in her—disapproval. The last time she’d glared at me had been the day of the hospital visit. After then, I’d managed to stay on her good side.

“You put a tracker in this?” she asked. Her voice was quiet but sharp, her blue eyes fixed on mine. “You said weeks ago. Have you been tracking me this whole time?”

I braced myself, straightening my posture and meeting her gaze head-on. There was no point in lying; she deserved the truth, even if it made her angry.

“Yes,” I admitted, keeping my voice steady. “I did.”

Her lips parted, her expression tilting toward a mix of surprise and something harder to place—hurt, maybe. “Why?” she pressed, her voice rising just slightly. “Was it about trust? Did you think I’d run off or—?”

“No.” I cut her off before her mind could go further down that path. I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “It wasn’t about trust, Serena. It was about protecting you. That’s all it’s ever been about. I promised to protect you and our child, and I have every intention of fulfilling it until my last breath. If there’s anyone who should be questioned on the issue of trust, it’s you.”

“Me?”

“You,Pchelka.” Gritting my teeth, I fought to control the boiling rage that resurfaced inside me. “When you saw your fucking brother, you could have called me before putting your life at risk. Yours and the baby’s. But I guess you didn’t trust me enough to think that I’d do anything about it.”

“I…I….”

Serena swiped her tongue over her lips and heaved a sigh. She stared at me, searching my face as though she didn’t know what to say orhowto say that I was right. The silence stretched between us, heavy and tense, until finally, she exhaled and shook her head slightly as if to clear it.

“Maybe I didn’t. Or maybe I just acted on impulse because I thought he was hurt. Whatever the reason, I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I’m sorry I made you go through all this trouble to get me back. When I found out they’d planned it, I was so scared,” she said softly, her voice breaking as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. Her cheek pressed against my chest, and I could feel her trembling slightly. “I won’t lie; I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

I closed my arms around her, holding her tightly, letting her draw whatever comfort she needed. Her vulnerability was a knife to my chest, cutting deeper than any accusation could.

“You’re safe now,” I murmured against her hair, my voice firm but low. “I made sure of it.”

For a long moment, she didn’t speak. She just held on, her fingers gripping the back of my shirt as though I might disappear. And as I held her, I realized that no matter what it took—lies, trackers, bloodshed—I would keep her safe, even if it meant she never truly understood the lengths I’d go to for her.

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