Page 22 of Mafia Pregnancy

“The past few weeks. Maybe longer.” I watch Leo climb the jungle gym with determined focus. “I think it’s stress from work.”

Carmen raises an eyebrow. “Stress from cleaning houses?”

“Stress from working for...” I trail off, not sure how to finish the sentence without revealing too much.

“For your boss who looks kinda like your baby daddy?” Carmen’s voice is gentle. “Danielle, we’ve talked about this. The resemblance is uncanny, but that doesn’t mean you should let it affect your health.”

I take a shaky breath, trying to find the words to explain what I can’t quite understand myself. “It’s more than just a resemblance.”

“What do you mean?”

The truth sits in my throat like a stone. For weeks, I’ve been carrying this secret knowledge that changes everything and nothing at the same time. Trying to regain calm, I watch Leo navigate the monkey bars with determined focus, his small hands gripping each rung with complete confidence.

“Carmen, what if I told you Leo’s father wasn’t who I thought he was?”

She frowns, clearly not following. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what if the name Mikhail gave me was fake? What if everything he told me about himself was a lie?” My hands shake as I grip the coffee cup. “What if I’ve been working for him this whole time?”

Carmen’s expression shifts from confusion to shock as understanding dawns. “Danielle, are you saying...”

“I’m saying Radmir Vetrov and Mikhail Petrov are the same person.” The words feel strange in my mouth, like speaking a foreign language. “My boss is Leo’s father, and he’s been pretending not to know me for months.”

Carmen stares at me for a long moment, processing. “And ten weeks ago?”

“Ten weeks ago, that pretense broke down temporarily. We ended up... We slept together in his office.” I can’t meet her gaze. “I told myself it was closure, or curiosity, or just a moment of weakness, but…”

Carmen’s coffee cup slips from her hands, spilling across the bench between us. She doesn’t seem to notice. “You’re telling me that the man you work for, who signs your paychecks, is the same man who...” She can’t finish the sentence.

“The same man who gave me a fake name and disappeared after one night, yes. The same man who has no idea he has a son.” I pull napkins from my purse and start cleaning up the spilled coffee, needing something to do with my shaking hands.

“Danielle.” Carmen grabs my wrist, stopping my frantic cleaning. “This is insane. You’ve been working for Leo’s father for months and you didn’t tell me?”

“I couldn’t tell you. I can barely process it myself.” I pull my hands free and lean back against the bench.

“Then you had sex in his office.” Carmen’s voice is flat with disbelief or shock. “Then, what? Just pretended not to know each other again?”

“I know how it sounds. It was stupid and reckless and completely unprofessional, but I couldn’t stop myself.” The memory of that afternoon floods back with unwelcome clarity. “For thirty minutes, it felt like four years hadn’t passed, and he was still the man I thought he was.”

“What happened after?”

“Nothing then, and nothing since. Like you said, we both pretended it never happened. He’s been traveling more, and when he’s home, we avoid each other completely.” I watch Leo race across the playground toward the slide. “It was supposed to be a one-time mistake that I made twice.”

Carmen is quiet for a long moment, processing everything I’ve told her. When she finally speaks, her voice is gentle but firm. “Danielle, secrets like this don’t stay buried forever, especially not when there’s a child involved.”

I tense up. “Leo doesn’t know anything about his father. As far as he’s concerned, Radmir is just my boss.”

“For now, but what happens when he gets older? When he starts asking harder questions?” Carmen shifts on the bench to face me fully. “What about Radmir? Don’t you think he has a right to know he has a son? You couldn’t find Mikhail to tell him because he didn’t exist, but Radmir is here now. He owes you…something.”

The question I’ve been avoiding for months sits between us like a live wire. “He gave me a fake name and disappeared. He made it clear he didn’t want any complications from that night.”

“That was four years ago. People change.”

“Do they? Because the man I work for now is just as guarded, and just as careful about keeping people at a distance.” I think about the way Radmir looks at me when he thinks I’m not watching, and the way he’s been traveling constantly to avoid being in the same house. “He doesn’t want complications any more now than he did then.” I recall that damning conversation I overheard parts of and understand he has a good reason for pushing me away, but I can’t tell Carmen that without endangering her.

She studies my face with the intensity of someone trying to solve a puzzle. “You’re scared of him.”

“I’m scared of what he could do if he found out about Leo. He’s powerful, Carmen. Rich in ways I can’t even comprehend. If he decided he wanted his son...” I can’t tell her I think he’s into something shady that could be a risk to us.

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