Page 58 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

“You’re not going anywhere…”

That declaration made me shiver, and I knew that was the absolute truth.

Chapter 21 - Val

I’d never longed to be married before, and I certainly didn’t want to be tied down by anyone. The idea of that had been enough to scare me away from that kind of commitment.

On top of that, fatherhood had been out of the question. It all seemed like a trap to me once, and I did not doubt that it was the last thing I wanted to participate in.

I never thought I’d be the man to drop all of those convictions and find myself in that exact position.

Everything had always been about my brothers, the business, and every way we could end up on top. I enjoyed the freedom I had and the way it left every door open for me.

But with Tia, those priorities shifted entirely.

I wasn’t one to do things half-assed, so the moment I knew I was going to be a father, I put my entire self into it.

There was no option to turn back and return to my old ways, but I didn’t want to, anyway.

Instead of feeling suffocated by responsibility and the demands of being a husband and a soon-to-be father, it was liberating. To know I would be doing it alongside Tia made all the difference.

Despite myself, I was leaning into what was required of me, and I was caring in ways I never had before.

I suddenly had a reason to plan and look forward to the future, and it went deeper than making money, than finding my place in the world of organized crime.

Luckily, mending things and not letting Tia feel a moment of doubt about what she meant to me helped even beyond our relationship.

With the stress of everything before out of the way, I could focus better. I was showing up in all ways at work, and it felt surprisingly good to get back into the swing of things.

While I noticed those changes in myself, I saw them even more in Tia.

Those differences, regardless of how subtle, were evident enough for me to notice.

To my relief, she wasn’t as distant as she had been after Tommaso let everything slip. She was letting go of some of that tension and seemingly finding more to be happy about. She was smiling and laughing, and we were both making more time for each other.

Where a cold, distant wall had been between us, we were finding more middle ground and giving what we had a more honest chance.

Even if patience or sincerity wasn’t always my strong suit before, I was learning to be more genuine while giving Tia as much time and space as she needed, even if she withdrew from me.

We still had strides to make between us, but even when we hit rough patches, I wasn’t pushing. I couldn’t risk losing her or what we could be.

I could tell that Tia was trying, but it was still hard for her to accept the reality of my world and the very thing I pulled her into without taking her thoughts into consideration. She could still be resistant at times, but in the end, she always found her way back to me at night while seeking out my warmth beneath the sheets.

We were both trying in every way we could, and I wasn’t going to complain about that.

One evening, I drifted into her art room while she was busy standing at her easel, punctuating the quiet space with the gentle scratch of her brush against the stretched canvas. I stood and watched for a moment before walking in with my hands in my pockets. A gentle smile settled on my lips.

“You’ve made quite the collection in here already,” I said gently, taking the time to move around the room and take in the finished pieces she had propped up all over the place.

When I glanced over at her, I caught the small yet thoughtful smile on her lips.

“This is the most time I’ve ever had to focus on my art…I’ve been taking full advantage of it.”

With a hum, I nodded and took in the vibrant colors on the canvases, along with the varying textures and how each one seemed to contain a piece of her.

While I never once doubted her skills, it was different then. I finally had the chance to take it all in and surround myself with her craft. It was an honor, in a way, to be able to witness her genius for myself.

After a moment, I drew closer to her, letting my eyes roam over the piece she was actively working on. I smiled to myself.

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