Page 43 of Bratva Baby

Dmitri clears his throat. “She used a rideshare to get to the docks and back. We pulled the receipt from her phone. The times match the tracker data. She talked to someone—likely her father, given the location. It’s one of his favorite meeting spots. We also found a few outgoing messages on her device, but they’ve been deleted. She tried covering her tracks.”

My jaw clenches. I glance at Aleksei, who crosses his arms. “We all suspected Seraphina was hiding something. Now we have proof.”

A flicker of betrayal flares in my gut, though I keep my face impassive. “She’s my wife,” I remind them. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Maksim huffs a mirthless laugh. “We’re not jumping. We’re pointing out that she’s disobeyed you and might be passing intel to Thorne.”

I glare at him. “That’s enough.” My tone leaves no room for argument. He falls silent, but I sense the doubt radiating off him.

Aleksei meets my gaze. “We’re on your side, Grigor, but you can’t ignore this. She’s meeting Thorne in secret. That alone is suspicious.”

I run a hand over my face, exhaling roughly. My mind whirls with possibilities. I just don’t understand it. He’s the man who forced her into marriage, threatened her, and struck her. Yet she still protects him. It’s maddening.

I jerk my chin at Dmitri. “Thanks for the data. Forward everything to my phone. I’ll handle it from here.”

A beat of silence hangs before Aleksei nods. “We’ll let you deal with her for now, but if she’s a threat to the family—”

I cut him off. “I’ll handle it,” I repeat, not bothering to hide the edge in my tone. “No one lays a finger on her.”

A flicker of frustration crosses Aleksei’s face, but he backs down. Dmitri and Maksim exchange looks, but they follow Aleksei out. The door closes, and I stand in the hush of my office, staring at the phone logs again.

She lied to me. I gave her this home, my protection, and she lied. My anger crashes against the memory of her blue eyes, the way she melts under my touch, the softness she shows in rare unguarded moments. Why would she risk everything forhim?

I can’t stand waiting. My flight home is already booked. I was supposed to wrap up business in two days. That’s too long. I make a call, shifting the schedule. By the time I’m finished, Ihave a seat on a private jet in six hours, which should land me home tonight.

Let’s see how she explains this.

***

The house is silent when I return. It’s nearly midnight by the time I push through the main entrance. Anton greets me with a nod, but I wave him off. “Where’s Seraphina?”

He clears his throat. “Upstairs, I believe. She turned in early.”

I stride past. Tension coils in my gut, mixing anger with something akin to hurt. This must be how betrayal feels. Something I never wanted to experience from the woman I chose to protect. I make my way upstairs, ignoring the staff’s wary looks.

Her bedroom door is closed, with the faint lamplight visible under the frame. I brace myself, then twist the knob. The door opens quietly. She’s seated on the bed with a book in her hands, though her gaze snaps up the second I enter. Surprise ripples across her face, followed by a hint of worry she tries to hide.

“Grigor,” she exclaims, setting the book aside. “You’re home early.”

I step into the room, not bothering to shut the door behind me. “I am.”

An uneasy pause. Her eyes dart to the clock on the nightstand. “You didn’t call.”

I shrug. “Didn’t feel like giving you a heads-up.”

Her posture stiffens. “Everything alright?”

“Not particularly.” I watch her carefully. Her hands fidget in her lap, a sure sign she’s nervous. Good. She should be. “Heard you took a little trip while I was gone.”

She blinks. “A trip? I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t lie to me, Seraphina. I have your phone logs. You went to the docks, met with someone. And I suspect that someone was your father.”

Her face pales, but she keeps her chin lifted. “I—I just needed some fresh air. My father happened to be there. It wasn’t planned.”

“Bullshit.” I close the distance between us, standing by the edge of the bed. “You planned it carefully, sneaking out, disabling location services as best you could. Except I have a tracker installed.”

She sets her jaw, and defiance sparks in her eyes. “Alright, fine. Yes, I saw him. It’s my father. I don’t need your permission to talk to him.”

---