Page 54 of Bratva Baby

She looks startled by his kindness but shakes her head. “I’m okay. The doctor said everything’s fine.”

A ripple of relief moves through the group, and Aleksei claps his hands together. “We should celebrate.” He casts a sidelong glance at Seraphina. “I know it’s probably not the best time, but a small toast, maybe?”

My jaw clenches involuntarily, recalling the reason we can’t just relax: Evan Thorne, the Irish threat, and the tensionwith Seraphina’s father. But I don’t want to deny my brothers’ show of support. “Fine,” I relent. “A short toast.”

They cheer and lead us into one of the larger sitting rooms. A few minutes later, a tray of glasses appears, courtesy of my vigilant housekeeper, Galina. I watch Seraphina from the corner of my eye. She’s still pale and obviously overwhelmed, though she attempts a smile when Bianca appears to congratulate her in a quiet, heartfelt hug. Bianca shoots me a pointed look, as if reminding me to handle Seraphina’s emotions with care.

Aleksei pours some sparkling cider for Seraphina, while the rest of us take wine or whiskey. I lift my glass, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach. “To the new addition,” I say tersely. “May they bring something good into this family for once.”

It’s a weak toast, but it’ll have to do. My brothers laugh, clinking glasses.

Maksim downs his drink in one swallow. “I’m sure you’ll manage fatherhood, Grigor. Just don’t expect me to babysit.”

“God forbid,” Dmitri mutters, rolling his eyes. “You’d teach the kid to gamble before they could walk.”

This moment, here with my family, should feel triumphant, but I catch Seraphina’s gaze drifting to me with worry in her eyes. She knows as well as I do that nothing about our life is simple. This baby is healthy, but the world we’re bringing them into is anything but secure.

My vow not to kill her father stands, but we’re hardly out of danger. The Irish are planning something—I feel it in every fiber of my being. And Father Thorne, with his old grudges and cunning ways, might still try to undermine us. This calm we’ve found is temporary, a lull before the inevitable storm.

Tomorrow, I’ll meet with the brothers again away from my wife to finalize new security protocols for Seraphina and coordinate protective details for the shipments. We’ll adapt to keep her and our baby safe. But for now, in this moment with my family, I allow myself to hope we can make this fragile peace between the two of us last a little longer. She needs me to be steady, so that is exactly what I will be.

Chapter 23 - Seraphina

I freeze outside my father’s study, trying to gather the bravery to step inside. My pulse races at the thought of what I’m about to do. Telling him I’m pregnant with Grigor’s baby feels surreal, like I’ve stepped into someone else’s life. Part of me wants to turn and run, but I can’t ignore the nagging wish that he might still care—just a little—about me or the grandchild he never asked for.

Summoning my courage, I push open the heavy door. He’s behind his desk, leaning forward over a stack of papers. The moment I enter, he glances up, frowning at the intrusion.

“What are you doing here?”

I swallow hard before stepping farther in. “I wanted to talk.”

His fingers drum on the desk. “Make it quick. I have business to attend to.”

The chill in his tone reminds me how precarious our relationship has become. But I press on, determined. “Father, I… I came to tell you something important. It’s about me and Grigor.”

He stiffens at the mention of Grigor’s name. “Still defending that man, are you?”

“I’m not here defending him,” I counter, controlling my voice. “It’s about—I’m pregnant. With his child.”

He stares, and for a fleeting second, I can see the shock in his eyes. But then his features tighten into a look of disgust. “You have the nerve to come here, to my house, and say this as if it changes anything? Don’t expect me to be happy.”

A knot forms in my stomach. “This is your grandchild,” I remind him, forcing the words out. “I thought you’d at least—you might want to know.”

His laugh is low and bitter. “Grandchild. Hah. A traitor’s offspring, more like it.”

Pain twists through me at his dismissive words. “I’m not a traitor. You used me to gather intel on Grigor. You threatened to hurt Cecily. Don’t pretend this is all on me.”

He waves a hand as if to brush aside my argument. “You got close to him anyway, didn’t you? You followed him like a lost puppy. And now you come here with your sob story about a baby. Why should I care? You betrayed me. You chose Grigor. You chose the Barkovs over your own blood.”

“That’s not fair,” I whisper. “I tried to protect you, to keep you from being killed. I told Grigor not to lay a finger on you, and he agreed so long as you stay away.”

He snorts. “I see. So you’re still siding with him.”

“I’m not siding with anyone,” I snap. “I’m trying to prevent more violence. If you’d just talk to him, maybe you two could find common ground. He’s not a monster all the time. He only wants you to stop your war with him. He’d even help you if you’d let him.”

“Help me?” My father’s voice drips with scorn. “What do you think I am, some lost child needing assistance? I’m not interested in handouts from that man or any of his family.”

I clutch the back of a nearby chair, trying to steady myself. “Why are you so obsessed with taking them down? What do you get from it besides more bloodshed?”

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