Page 47 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around much…”

Turning around, I tried to keep my expression neutral despite being caught off guard.

He looked to be thirty or so, with neatly trimmed blonde hair swept away from his face. His green eyes peered at me with an air of confidence that could be considered charming.

Shaking off that startled feeling, I murmured, “This isn’t really my usual scene.”

He hummed and nodded. “I see…well, it’s nice to see you out of your element then, I suppose. I’m Tomasso.”

When he held his hand out to me, I shook it lightly and pulled a polite smile. “Tia.”

Tomasso’s brow went up slightly at that as if my name rang a bell for him. “Tia Fedorov, right?”

I cleared my throat, feeling a bit strange being forced to face the reality of my situation. “Novikov, actually…”

“Ah, that’s right. You’re Val’s wife, correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” I said, noting that he seemed to know more about me than I would’ve expected. “Do you work with Val or something?”

Almost indiscernibly, a grin pulled at his lips. “In a way…we frequent similar circles.”

I nodded slowly, showing I understood despite how part of me just wanted a way out of the conversation.

There was something about his confidence and the way he talked so smoothly to me, almost like he wanted something from me, that made my skin crawl.

“You must get quite lonely, with him being as busy as he is…”

Something in me squirmed. “No, not really.”

He cocked a brow at me and moved a hint closer. “No? He’s a rich, influential man…you must be a bit worried about what he’s doing at times.”

My brows furrowed at that, hearing the implications in his words. “Is there anything you need?”

Tomasso smiled, but it only made the knot in my stomach tighten further. “Need? Not exactly, but there are a few things I want.”

Every moment I found myself stuck speaking with him only deepened the unease I felt, and something in me was screaming to get away.

“I don’t think I can help you with that, but it was nice meeting you, Tomasso,” I said, with every intention of leaving while I made to continue on my way.

But I froze as he reached for my wrist.

“Come on…don’t be a tease, Tia. I know Val doesn’t have what it takes to give you everything you need…”

With another twist of my stomach, the only thing I needed at that moment was to get as far away from him as possible.

Chapter 17 - Val

With business in the back handled, I made my way back through the club towards the VIP section where I left Tia.

Despite the music and the usual bustle of the place, I focused solely on getting back to her with the hope of having a decent time with her.

She seemed to be feeling off, or there was a chance it was just her resistance coming through again; if that was the case, and she was only humoring me for the sake of it, I couldn’t be entirely upset about that.

Even if it wasn’t ideal, time spent with her was exactly that, and in one way or another, it could contribute to her warming up to me.

Like Yuri suggested, I needed to give her time. And if I was just patient enough, maybe that trust would soon come.

I knew there was at least a spark between us—an undeniable attraction on both sides. If I gave her what she needed while also testing the waters, then I would have a higher chance of being able to prove myself to her.

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