Page 15 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

We never exactly had problems with one another, but we weren’t the closest or the warmest. A cold front had always been between us, given how busy he’d always been when I was growing up.

His work received more of his attention than I did, and he didn’t try overly hard to make up for it, but that didn’t mean he was unkind to me. He provided for me, and he acknowledged me as his child, but beyond that, some days it felt more like I was a work associate—something to be cared for, but not necessarily surrounded by deeper affection.

It was strange compared to how other families operated, but it was normal enough for me.

So seeing him looking so content at my presence, almost like it was something he had been missing, was jarring.

“This is a rare thing for us, I know that,” Dad said, not afraid to let the occasional beat of silence linger between us. “But I appreciate you making the time for me.”

The sincerity in his tone put a stitch of worry in my mind, wondering if there was something else spurring this on. Potentially something that warranted him making an effort.

As guarded as I felt, I had the feeling he was trying to bridge the gap in our vaguely strained relationship.

It wouldn’t be the most outrageous thing. He was getting older, and knowing how tense things were between him and Mom, I could only imagine he had more time to think than usual. To dwell on the past and potentially wish for a better future.

Even if it seemed out of the blue, I couldn’t deny that it felt nice.

My dad was an impressive person, after all, and it wasn’t the worst thing to have more of his time.

Given how much he seemed to look forward to seeing me, I had every reason to believe he was just lonely.

“I don’t mind a bit of a change in my usual routine,” I said as our food eventually came out and was placed in front of us.

He gave me a small smile at that and nodded, almost in a diplomatic way. “I’m glad to hear it.”

We ate in pockets of quiet, broken up by small talk, not hitting any topics of much note. He asked about work, my projects, and how I was overall. I answered like I normally did, giving him enough substance to work with but not enough to overshare.

I didn’t think he minded my brief responses, at least. He tended to get right to the point with most things and appreciated when others did the same.

Dad was curious, but not deeply so. At the very least, I didn’t mind it, either.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about something lately, Tatiana,” he said after some time, once our plates were cleared and he was sipping from his coffee. The subtle shift in his features made my stomach tighten. He was becoming business-like again.

I held his gaze with a mix of trepidation and curiosity. “About what?”

“Your future.”

My brows furrowed slightly. “My future…why?”

Dad looked me over for a moment before leaning back in his seat and sighing to himself. “You’ve grown into quite the young woman, you know…and I believe it’s time you considered taking up your role.”

“My role?”

He nodded and folded his hands together in his lap. “Yes, your role. I’ve been talking with a few associates of mine about making some arrangements…one in particular I think you’d take too well.”

Despite saying more, it felt like he was giving me less, and I was more confused than ever.

“Dad, what are you talking about?”

“Look, dear, I’ll be blunt with you; I’ve done my best to let you go off and experience the city on your own. You’ve been working hard, and I see that, but I believe it would be for the best if you married someone who could take away that stress for you. This way, you won’t need to work quite so hard,” he went on, as if proposing the solution I hadn’t been looking for. “There’s no reason for you to struggle…not when I have everything already set up for you.”

Blinking back at him, astonished and feeling the faint prickle of dread moving through my system, I put out a nervous chuckle, bordering on incredulous. “You’re kidding, right?”

His expression was stone-cold, giving away no humor. “I’m serious, Tatiana. It’s been decided, and the agreement has already been signed…you will marry Valentin Novikov.”

Everything around me came to a screeching halt at the mention of his name.

Valentin. As in, Val from the gala.

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