Page 61 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

Almost like he could sense the slight discomfort within me, he put a hand against my back and traced absent shapes there while he guided me through the house, following the sound of voices in the other room.

He was still gentle regardless of the weeks that passed since everything came to a boiling point, and it didn’t go unnoticed by me. As much as I never expected to feel that kind of tenderness from him before, I couldn’t deny how pleasant it was in comparison to what I had grown accustomed to with him.

Laughter and enthusiastic chatter carried into the hall as we approached, and despite how massive and elegant the house was, it still felt warm in a way. Paired with the ambiance coming from his family, it was even more so.

Regardless of feeling like I was being swept up into something I didn’t understand, I allowed Val to pull me in with him.

Even if it was hard to give up control and let myself trust him, there was also freedom in doing so. I was surrendering myself to the inevitable without needing to worry about it.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by several bright faces—some already relaxed from the wine and champagne spread across the table.

“Better late than never, yeah?” Alex said, grinning wide despite the playful jab.

Val let a small smile slip while he pulled my chair out for me before sitting down. “You took my line…But I can’t be any worse than Yuri.”

Yuri scoffed, slightly playing up the offense. “Says the one who showed up after me. I’ll remember that the next time I see another stray on the side of the road.”

Val pointed a serious finger at him, but there wasn’t any real heat behind his words. “Don’t you dare. One mutt is enough.”

The others laughed, clearly aware of the previous antics with Bear.

Despite myself, the ease that filled the room helped me relax more, and to my surprise, the girls were there, too.

They were quick to rope me into their conversation, properly introducing me to Aria as well. It was easy to see how her cousins were more like sisters to her, and all three of them obviously looked up to her.

Soon enough, many platters of food were brought out and passed around from hand to hand, bringing me a sense of familiarity I wasn’t all that used to.

There was so much warmth behind those smiles despite the dangers that were the foundation of their family, and for a time, it was easy to forget all about the less-than-ideal ways they supported themselves.

Even when my parents were both home, I never had the pleasure of experiencing a family meal like that. Ours were always tense, if Mom could even be bothered to sit through them in the first place.

As much as I wanted to feed into my preconceived notions that the Novikovs were criminals, it was hard to see them as such. Listening to the way they spoke to each other, bantering and teasing, made me look at them a bit differently all over again.

It was difficult for my mind to fully wrap around, since I thought they were an unassuming family before, only to learn the truth. But at that moment, they looked completely normal.

Despite what I knew about them and the darker underbelly of their work, I felt a sense of hope that they could still be good people, anyway.

By the latter half of the meal, I couldn’t help but feel like I was more welcomed than I initially expected, as if they did consider me to be one of them. It was oddly comforting, and it helped everything move along smoothly.

But the moment Val cleared his throat, gaining everyone’s attention, my stomach dropped.

I already knew what he was about to say before the words could even pass his lips. And with the gentle smile he offered me first, I was dreading their reactions.

“Tia and I have something to share with you all,” he began, catching the eager looks from his family, who all seemed to hold their breath. His smile shifted into a proud one. “Tia and I are expecting.”

I froze in my seat, not knowing how to react. Not knowing if I should say something or keep quiet.

Feeling my pulse in my ears, I was already anticipating some kind of negative response, or at the very least, apathy. Surely a pregnancy wasn’t that big of a deal—not when they were busy people and had a lot constantly going on.

The lingering silence ate away at me, making me shrink within myself.

But a gasp came from Livia, whose eyes lit up immediately. Soon enough, her sisters mirrored her expression, and a sense of awe flooded the table.

“You’re pregnant?” Livia exclaimed, looking delighted by the news. “That’s so exciting!”

At once, I found myself able to ease into place again, letting the tension go as we received an overwhelming wave of excitement and questions.

I was speechless at the way Val’s siblings looked proud of him, and how they didn’t let me feel even a moment of disdain or indifference.

---