Page 62 of Innocent Bratva Hostage

“Watch yourself,” I warn, my tone cutting.

“I’m just saying,” he continues, undeterred. “You’ve got a lot on your plate. Meetings, alliances, enemies… now a wife and a baby. That’s a lot of vulnerabilities for a man like you.”

My fingers tighten around the keys in my hand, but I don’t lash out. “It’s not a vulnerability,” I say finally, my voice cold and even. “It’s my responsibility. My legacy.”

Andrei raises an eyebrow, his smirk widening slightly. “Legacy, huh? From where I’m standing, it looks like it’s more than that.”

I step closer, my gaze narrowing. “If you have a problem with how I handle my family, speak now. Otherwise, shut up and do your job.”

Andrei chuckles lightly, raising his hands in mock surrender. “No problem, Boss. Just making sure you’ve got your priorities straight.”

I glare at him, but the tension between us dissipates as quickly as it formed. Andrei has a way of pushing buttons, but he’s loyal. He knows better than to cross a line.

“Get the men on rotation at the mansion,” I say, my tone curt. “I don’t want a single crack in our security while she’s not there.”

“Already done,” Andrei replies smoothly. “I’ll tighten things up. You know me—I’m nothing if not thorough.”

“Good,” I mutter, opening the car door.

As I settle into the driver’s seat, Andrei leans down, his smirk still in place. “You might want to bring her flowers next time, Boss. Women like that kind of thing.”

Chapter Twenty-One - Hannah

The living room feels emptier than usual, the silence pressing down on me as I sit curled up on the plush sofa. My hands rest on my stomach, where the faintest curve has started to show. It’s not much yet, just enough to remind me of the life growing inside me.

Yesterday’s events keep replaying in my mind—the doctor’s words, the fear that gripped me, and the way Makar stormed into the hospital like the world was ending. For all his coldness, his detachment, I saw something different in him tonight.

A crack in his armor, just big enough to glimpse the man underneath.

I never thought I’d feel this way about the baby. At first, it was just a complication, an unplanned consequence of one night I didn’t expect to change my life.

Now, I can’t imagine not having this child. They’ve become a part of me, someone I want to protect and nurture, even if I’m not sure how.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulls me from my thoughts, and I glance up to see Makar entering the room. He’s still dressed from earlier, his tie slightly loosened, his dark eyes unreadable as they land on me.

He doesn’t say anything, just sits down in the armchair across from me, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. The silence stretches between us, heavy and uncomfortable. I brace myself, expecting some cutting remark about taking better care of myself or how I’ve caused unnecessary trouble.

When he finally speaks, his words leave me reeling.

“Let’s get it aborted.”

I blink, my breath catching as his statement hangs in the air. “What?”

His face is impassive, his tone matter-of-fact. “You heard me.”

The shock hits me like a punch to the gut. Abort it? The baby—thereasonI’m still alive, the reason we’re even married—he wants to get rid of it?

“Why would you….” I trail off, my voice trembling. “Why would you even suggest that?”

Makar leans back, his jaw tightening. “It’s the logical choice,” he says, his voice cold. “The pregnancy is already causing complications. You’re my wife now, and that matters. If something happens to you because of this child—”

I cut him off, anger bubbling to the surface. “So this is about convenience, about me being your wife and nothing else?”

His gaze flickers, something unreadable passing through his expression before he schools it back into neutrality. “It’s about priorities,” he says. “You’re my priority.”

He stands, ready to walk away, his movements deliberate and controlled, as if this conversation means nothing to him.

It meanseverythingto me.

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