Page 79 of Married to the Bratva

I glance up at him, and in his eyes, I see everything I’ve been afraid to hope for—devotion, pride, and a tenderness I didn’t think he was capable of. “You did this,” he murmurs, his voice rough. “You gave me a family.”

I smile through my tears, cradling our daughter closer. “She still needs a name. Could do with a little help here.”

He’s silent for a moment, his gaze never leaving her tiny face. “Mila,” he says finally. “It means ‘gracious.’”

“Mila,” I repeat, the name rolling off my tongue like a promise. “I had my first contraction when I saw that in the book. She obviously knew we were calling for her to come home.”

59

SOPHIE

Two days later…

The moonlight streams through the glass, casting a silver glow over the room. Maxim’s face is softened in the light, and I watch as he gently rocks Mila, his expression one of awe and reverence.

“You’re a natural,” I say softly, breaking the quiet.

He turns, his dark eyes locking onto mine, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I never thought I’d do this,” he admits, his voice low, as if he’s afraid of waking her. “Hold something so fragile and not destroy it.”

“She’s more than fragile,” I say, smiling. “She’s strong, like her father.”

He chuckles, the sound deep and warm, as he crosses the room to sit beside me. “And like her mother,” he adds, his voice softening. “She’ll be unstoppable.”

I reach out, my fingers brushing against Mila’s tiny hand. Her fist curls instinctively around my finger, and my heart swells with a love so fierce it takes my breath away.

I glance up at my husband, my throat tightening as I see the same emotion mirrored in his eyes.

“Maxim,” I begin, my voice trembling slightly. “I didn’t think I’d ever have this. A family. A home. I spent so long looking for security, so long afraid I’d never find it.”

“You don’t have to run anymore,” he says firmly, his free hand finding mine. “You’re safe. Mila is safe. This is our life now, Sophie. No one will take it from us.”

I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder, my eyes drifting shut as his warmth envelops me. “She’s going to grow up loved,” I murmur. “Protected. She’ll have the childhood we never did.”

“And the strength to face anything the world can throw at her,” he adds, his voice a quiet promise.

We sit there for a long time, the world outside fading away as we hold onto each other and the tiny life we’ve created. For the first time in forever, I feel truly at peace.

60

SOPHIE

Eighteen months later…

The morning sunlight streams through the windows of Grandma’s cozy house in Rook’s Hollow, dappling the wooden floors with golden streaks.

The smell of baking bread wafts in from the kitchen, a warm and comforting scent that makes me feel like I’ve stumbled into a life I barely recognize as my own. A life that, miraculously, I’ve grown to love.

I’m sitting on a blanket spread across the soft grass in the backyard, Mila wriggling in my lap as she tries to escape my clutches.

My sweet, chaotic daughter has inherited her father’s sharp determination, which is both adorable and, frankly, exhausting.

“Mila, I swear, if you don’t stop trying to eat grass, I’m calling your father,” I warn her playfully, pulling another blade of green from her chubby fist. “Who will let you do it all day long. Who am I kidding?”

“Threatening her with Maxim already?” Grandma calls from the porch, her voice dripping with mock disapproval. “What happened to being the fun parent?”

“Fun’s overrated,” I reply with a grin, adjusting Mila’s sun hat. “Besides, she’s got Maxim wrapped around her finger.”

She laughs, stepping down the porch steps with a tray of lemonade. Victor follows behind her, grumbling about how Grandma’s bossiness makes him a glorified butler.

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