Page 43 of The Bratva's Prisoner Bride

"Extremely."

A hint of skepticism laced her features while she seemed to consider my wonders, likely still wondering if she could trust my word. "Why?"

"Why?" I echoed, amused by how greatly it seemed to catch her off-guard. "You've been bored, right? Now, I'm giving you the chance to be less so."

Daria blinked back at me, gradually processing it all, and she couldn't stop her expression from softening.

Appreciating that genuine reaction for a moment, I gestured to the fully stocked aisle ahead of us. "Go on...and don't hold back."

Many thoughts seemed to swirl around in her head, and then she gave me a grateful smile and got to it.

It didn't take long for her to look completely in her element while she began browsing. She was somewhat reserved at first, but with my insistence and her increasing confidence, the cart began filling with more and more supplies.

Even if it seemed like a world outside of the one I was used to, a sense of pride pulsed within my chest while I observed, even more grateful for the fact that I could offer her so much joy by doing something that felt so minor to me.

I never thought providing her with something she could invest her time in would feel better than getting revenge. The concept was still foreign to me, but I preferred to not dwell on it.

By the time Daria seemed to exhaust everything she needed and wanted, I threw a bit extra in for the shop owner before we left. Dom hauled the multiple bags full of supplies back to the vehicle, and before long, we were on our way back to the house.

While looking tired from the night out, the lingering satisfaction on her face made it all feel worth it.

Before, I thought I had a good grasp on what was important to me. I assumed I knew when to listen and when to use force to get what I wanted—favoring the latter most times.

But with Daria, I was beginning to see how that instinct of mine didn't work in my favor after all. The more I pushed, the less receptive she was. The less alive she seemed.

By stepping outside my norm and hearing her out, I was fostering something new between us.

Something that piqued my interest and made me want more of it, regardless of how everything between us had been unfolding before.

I normally didn't take well to change in my personal life, but for the first time in a while, I was accepting it more freely.

When we got home, Daria went to the bedroom to get out of her dress and into something more comfortable while I directed Dom to one of the unused rooms upstairs. We dropped the supplies off, he went on his way, and after some time, Daria found me in there.

Dressed in soft-looking sleepwear with her light-colored hair pulled up into a loose bun, she stepped into the room curiously and glanced down at the supplies.

"Why'd you bring everything in here?"

Looking at the ceiling-to-floor windows and how the room would be perfectly oriented for what I had in mind, I already knew it would be perfect for her. I glanced at her and smiled.

"You're looking at your new studio...where you have free rein to do whatever you want with it."

Daria's eyes widened slightly at the prospect, once again in disbelief. "What? You mean it?"

I chuckled and nodded with my hands in my pockets. "I do. Every artist needs a studio, right?"

She scoffed to herself, still not quite believing it. "Sure, but...it won't take away from the rest of the house?"

It was almost cute how she seemed concerned about potentially being a nuisance of some kind, as if she hadn't been angry with me before about not keeping her busy enough.

At the same time, I knew it came from a place of shame and doubt, given how her brother had treated her once. With that in mind, I felt an even stronger urge to give her that opportunity.

"Not at all. There are more rooms here than I know what to do with," I replied honestly, glancing around the open space. "It wouldn't hurt for someone to make something of this spot. So do what you'd like."

When I met her gaze again, her eyes softened, and her voice came out gently with gratitude. "Thank you, Ivan. Really."

I'd be lying if I said those simple words didn't hit me harder than I expected them to. Either way, it shook something up in me, and I nodded once, slightly betraying how much I was enjoying seeing her that way.

"You're welcome...now, I only have one condition."

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