Page 90 of Used Bratva Bride

I’m about to do just that, when I see it.

A car, sleek and familiar, parked just across the street.

My heart stutters.

The door opens. It’s Sophia. For the first time in a year, I see my sister. Her piercing blue eyes lock on to mine.

I swallow hard, my fingers curling at my sides.

A year without a word. Without a message. Now, here she is.

Mikhail notices the shift in my demeanor immediately. “Julie?” His voice is low, cautious.

I exhale slowly, then straighten my shoulders.

“I’m going to say hello.”

I glance at Mikhail, searching his face for some kind of reaction. He holds my gaze for a moment, his dark eyes unreadable before he gives me a small nod. A silent approval.

Go.

Taking a deep breath, I step forward, my heels clicking softly against the pavement as I make my way toward the sleek car.

Sophia steps forward, her movements guarded, precise.

For a moment, neither of us says anything. Then, she smiles—small and hesitant, but real. “Congratulations,” she says, her voice softer than I’ve ever heard it. “I mean it, Julie. What you’ve built… it’s incredible.”

I blink, taken aback. This isn’t the Sophia I remember. The sister who always had an air of cold calculation around her, the one who always looked at me like I was something fragile, something lesser. There’s something different about her now.

“Thank you,” I murmur, unsure of what else to say.

She exhales, looking down for a moment before meeting my gaze again. “I owe you an apology. A real one.”

I shift on my feet, feeling the weight of her words settle over me. “For what?” I ask, even though I already know.

“For doubting you,” she says. “For not seeing you. For… using you.”

A lump forms in my throat, but I stay quiet.

“I always thought I had everything figured out,” she continues, her voice carrying a tinge of regret. “Father groomed me to be his perfect heir. I followed every step, played every game, and I thought I was doing the right thing. But I was blind to so much—especially to you.”

Her words hit me harder than I expect.

“I see it now,” she adds, glancing over her shoulder, as if remembering something. “Now that he’s gone… now that I have no one left.”

I frown. “Gone?”

She nods. “Father’s sick. Weak. He moved overseas to recover, but… he won’t be the same. The Spades are still strong, but the foundation is cracked.” She exhales slowly. “I stayed behind, but the mansion—it feels empty.”

For the first time, I see something I never thought I would see in Sophia. Loneliness. Regret.

She smiles again, but it’s sadder this time. “I realize now that all the power in the world means nothing if you have no one to share it with.” Her gaze flickers past me, landing on Mikhail, who still stands at a distance, watching carefully. “I’m glad you found your place,” she murmurs.

I swallow hard. I don’t know what to say. I spent so long resenting her. So long believing she’d never change.

“I didn’t come to ask for anything,” she continues. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. Say that I’m proud of you.”

Something in my chest tightens. It takes me a moment to find my voice. “I forgive you,” I say, the words surprising even me.

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