Page 58 of The Mafia King's Baby

The words hit me like a physical blow. I rock back on my heels, staring at her in stunned silence as the words crash over me. Pregnant. She’s carrying my child. “How long have you known?” My voice comes out rougher than I intended.

“Since yesterday. Leonid got me a test when I asked him to.”

The mention of Leonid’s involvement sends a spike of anger through me. “You told him before me?”

She frowns at me. “I didn’t tell him anything. I asked him to buy me a pregnancy test, and he’s not an idiot. There’s only one reason I’d need one.” Her voice gains strength as she defends her choice. “I wanted to be sure before I said anything to you, and I needed a little time to absorb it too. I was planning to tell you this morning, but—” She gestures weakly toward the toilet.

I process this information slowly, my mind struggling to adjust to this new reality. A baby. Celia is carrying my child, and she’s been dealing with this knowledge alone while I remained oblivious to what was happening right in front of me. “Are you...” I search for the right words. “How do you feel about it?”

“Terrified, but also...” She pauses, seeming to consider her words carefully. “I want to keep it. The baby, I mean. Despite everything that’s happening, despite how complicated this makes things, I want our child.”

Relief floods through me at her words, followed immediately by a new kind of fear. The stakes of our situation have just increased exponentially. It’s not just Celia’s safety I need to ensure now. There’s an innocent life growing inside her that depends entirely on our ability to navigate the dangers surrounding us.

“We need to change our plans.” My mind rushes ahead, sifting through possibilities. “I’ll send you somewhere safe, somewhere remote where you can have the baby without anyone finding you. After this is all over and Lang’s network is destroyed, I’ll come for you.”

“No.” Her response comes immediately and firmly. “I’m not going into hiding while you fight this battle alone. We’re partners, remember?”

I scowl at her. “You’re pregnant, Celia. You can’t take these kinds of risks anymore.”

She rolls her eyes. “The baby is fine. Women have been working and functioning normally during pregnancy for thousands of years.” She struggles to her feet, using the bathroom counter for support. “Besides, running and hiding for the thirty-six weeks isn’t living. It’s just postponing our problems.”

I stand and face her, noting the determination in her stance despite her obvious physical discomfort. “Then we run together. We disappear right now, get new identities, and start over somewhere completely different. The investigation can wait.”

“And spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders? Wondering when Lang’s associates will finally track us down?” She shakes her head. “Our child deserves better than that. They deserve parents who fought for a future instead of just running from the past.”

Her words echo my own inclinations, though I’m torn by the need to protect her…them.. Running might keep us safe temporarily, but it’s not really living. A child should grow up free from the shadows of their parents’ mistakes and enemies.

“Then we finish this.” The decision crystallizes in my mind. “We expose every corrupt agent in Lang’s network, we bring down the entire operation, and we make sure none of them can ever threaten our family again.”

The word ‘family’ feels strange on my tongue but right in a way that surprises me. Family was something I thought I’dlost forever when my parents died, and later, when my brother was killed by our enemies. Looking at Celia with her hand unconsciously moving to her still-flat stomach, I understand family isn’t just what you’re born into but also what you choose to build and protect.

I exhale slowly. “It’s going to be more dangerous now. Every decision we make affects not just us, but our child. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

She nods. “I’ve been ready since the moment I decided to keep this baby.” Her voice carries steady resolve. “I need to know that you’re in this completely. Not just as my protection, but as a partner. As a father.”

The word ‘father’ hits me with unexpected force. I’m going to be someone’s father. This child will look to me for guidance, for safety, and for the kind of love and stability I had in my own childhood before St. Petersburgbratvathugs ripped it all away.

“I’m in. Completely. Whatever it takes to give our child a life free from all of this violence and chaos, I’ll do it.” I reach for her hands.

She searches my face, looking for something—sincerity, maybe, or commitment. Whatever she finds seems to satisfy her, because she nods and allows me to pull her into my arms.

Holding her now feels differently than it did just minutes ago. She’s no longer just the woman I’ve fallen in love with but also the mother of my child, the person who will help me build something lasting and meaningful from the wreckage of my old life. “We need to be smarter about everything. Better security, safer communication methods, and backup plans for every scenario.”

“We’re already doing that, but what’s a few more redundancies.” She gives me a small smile. “I also should focus on better nutrition for me.” Her smile grows slightly. “Apparently, I’m eating for two now.”

The simple domestic concern makes me smile despite the severity of our situation. “We’ll take care of everything. I promise you, Celia, nothing will happen to you or our baby. I’ll burn down anyone who tries to threaten what’s ours.”

The possessiveness in my voice surprises me with its intensity. Celia belongs to me now in the most fundamental way possible—not just as my lover, but as the mother of my child. The thought of Lang’s associates or any other enemies laying a hand on her fills me with a rage that’s both terrifying and clarifying. This child changes everything. Where before I fought for survival and revenge, now I fight for the future I want to build with Celia, and the life I want to give our son or daughter.

“When this is over, when we’ve destroyed everyone who threatens us, we’re going to have a real life together. A home that’s ours, a family that’s safe, a future that belongs to us instead of being dictated by our enemies.” I speak firmly, visualizing that goal and determined to make it happen.

“When this is over.” She leans into my embrace. “First, we have work to do.”

I nod, already planning our next moves with this new information. The corruption network that seemed manageable yesterday now feels like an existential threat to everything I care about, but that just means I’ll be more ruthless in dismantling it, and more thorough in ensuring that none of Lang’s associates survive to threaten my family. I’ll destroy anyone who tries.

21

Celia

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