Page 51 of Bratva Baby

My hands won’t stop trembling. I stand in the corridor, staring at the closed door to Grigor’s office, fighting off waves of nausea that have nothing to do with the positive pregnancy test I took a day ago and everything to do with how I’m afraid he’ll react to it. The memory of those two lines on the stick collides with every thought I have about lying to him, about risking his life, about my father plotting in the background. A baby. I’m carrying his child, and I’m terrified of what that means in a world like ours.

I bite down on my lip, trying to breathe. Telling Grigor now seems impossible. He’s furious with me for helping Father. Furious with Father for trying to kill him. Furious with the entire situation. If I reveal I’m pregnant, will he suspect me of more manipulations? Will he see it as just another tactic to keep him from finishing off my father? My stomach gurgles again, and I rub my abdomen to calm the churning.

A gentle knock echoes down the corridor. Bianca stands at the far end, and when I look up, she moves toward me slowly, as if not wanting to startle me.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she notes.

I force a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just… tired.”

Bianca’s gaze drifts over me with the sort of scrutiny that suggests she knows I’m lying. She cocks her head. “Is that so? I came by to check on you. Aleksei mentioned Grigor was in a mood last night. I assumed it might have something to do with your father.” She pauses, waiting for me to confirm or deny. When I say nothing, she continues. “You’re pale. Have you eaten?”

My first instinct is to brush her off, but the worry in her eyes disarms me. “I’m just… unsettled. Father’s up to something again. And Grigor’s not exactly thrilled with me.”

She steps closer and places a gentle hand on my arm. “We can talk in private if you want. Aleksei is in there with Grigor now, discussing the next steps for the family. I have some time.”

I draw in a long breath. Part of me wants to unload everything—my pregnancy, my fear, my guilt—but the other part warns me not to. Bianca is kind, but Aleksei is Grigor’s brother. If she tells her husband I’m pregnant before I can do so myself, it might complicate everything. And Grigor is so angry I can’t be sure how he’ll react.

Still, something in my chest unknots at the idea of unloading some of this. I realize I’m desperate for someone to confide in, to share even a slice of my burden. I nod before I lead her down the hall to a small sitting room. Once inside, we settle into two armchairs facing each other.

She studies me with gentle patience. “Go on,” she urges with an incline of her head.

I inhale, trying to organize my thoughts. “I’ve just… been dealing with a lot. My father was behind that attempt on Grigor’s life, or at least part of it, and I…” The words lodge in my throat. “I helped him. Not intentionally to kill Grigor, but I gave him information, thinking it would keep my sister safe. Now, Grigor found out. He’s furious, and he’s threatening to kill my father if he tries anything else.”

Bianca’s eyes widen, though she doesn’t look shocked, more… sad. “I’d heard your father was meddling, but I didn’t realize you’d been forced to cooperate.”

My mouth goes dry at the memory of Father’s threat, how he held Cecily’s fate over my head. “He used Cecily as leverage. Ihad no choice.” My voice trembles. “But that’s not the worst of it. Grigor has every right to want him dead.”

She leans forward. “What’s the worst of it? Are you worried about your father’s life, or Grigor’s wrath?”

I swallow. The full truth about my pregnancy claws at my throat, demanding to be acknowledged. But I hold back, focusing on the immediate issue. “Both. I don’t want him to kill my father, but… I don’t think I can stop him.”

Bianca considers this, then sets a hand over mine. “You’re in a hard spot, but lying to Grigor will only dig you deeper. Trust him, or at least trust that he’ll listen to reason. He loves you, in his own way.”

My lips sputter in something between a laugh and a scoff. “You must be joking.”

She offers a small, knowing smile. “He’s different around you. There’s a tenderness there, under all that rage. I’ve seen it. And it’s not something I’ve seen him give to anyone else.”

I drop my gaze, remembering how he stormed into my father’s estate to avenge me. But he also installed a tracker on my phone and refused to let me see Father again. If that’s his version of love, it’s more suffocating than endearing.

“I don’t know how to handle this,” I admit.

Bianca reaches out and gives my hand a supportive squeeze. “Don’t keep things to yourself. That’ll only make things worse. Tell him your side, show him you’re willing to be honest. That’s the best advice I can give.”

The urge to reveal the pregnancy rears its head again. Maybe if I tell her, she can help me navigate Grigor’s reaction. But before I can speak, footsteps shuffle outside the sittingroom. A knock follows, and a guard pokes his head in. “Bianca, Aleksei is ready to leave.”

Her eyes flick to me before she stands and pats my arm. “We’ll talk more later. Remember what I said.”

I nod, watching her go. Once alone, I slump in the armchair and press a hand to my still-flat stomach. My heart pounds with the decision I know I have to make soon—whether to tell Grigor about the pregnancy before he possibly kills my father or goes to war with the Irish. It feels like an impossible choice, one that will haunt me either way. I force myself up and head to the hallway. I need to face him eventually.

I find him in the main office, speaking in hushed tones with his other brothers. They look up when I enter, and the conversation halts.

Dimitri nods in greeting, then glances at Grigor. “We’ll let you handle this,” he says, walking past me. The others follow, though every single one of them tosses me a guarded look. The door closes behind them, leaving me and Grigor alone.

For a moment, we stand in silence. The tension between us is as thick as it’s ever been, and that’s saying something considering howdelightfulour wedding was. I shift my weight from foot to foot, trying to steady my nerves.

“Everything go alright?”

He settles into the chair behind the large desk and leans back with a sigh. “I got what I needed from Fyodor. Confirmed all I suspected. Your father is behind more than we realized.”

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