Page 45 of Mafia Pregnancy

“Maybe it doesn’t have to,” I say softly.

He looks at me sharply. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe there are other ways to live. Other choices you could make.”

“Such as?”

The question opens a door I’m not sure I’m brave enough to walk through. This is the moment Carmen has been pushing me toward, offering me the chance to tell him about Leo, the baby, and the life we could build together if he’s willing to walk away from the darkness.

I open my mouth to speak, to finally tell him the truth that’s been eating me alive for months. The words are right there, balanced on the tip of my tongue, when the office door creaks open.

Andrei steps into the room, his pale gaze sweeping from Radmir to me with cool assessment. I immediately lower my gaze and return to my cleaning, but I can feel his attention like a weight on my shoulders.

“We need to talk,” says Andrei, his voice carrying an edge I recognize from our previous encounter about confidentiality.

“Can it wait?” Radmir’s tone suggests he’d rather not be interrupted.

“I’m afraid not.”

I focus intently on organizing the papers on his desk, trying to make myself invisible while my heart pounds. Whatever Andrei wants to discuss, I have the feeling it’s not something I should overhear.

“Danielle,” Radmir says quietly.

I look up to find him watching me with an expression I can’t quite read. “Sir?”

“Could you finish the office later? I need to handle some business.”

“Of course.” I gather my supplies quickly, desperate to escape the oppressive weight of Andrei’s stare. “I’ll come back this afternoon.”

I hurry to the door and almost close it, but some instinct stops me. I leave it open an inch, listening when I shouldn’t but certain I need to.

“I have information about the boy?—”

I force myself to start walking again and maintain the steady pace of someone who hasn’t heard anything important, but my hands are shaking as I walk away from the office. I make it halfway down the hallway before I have to stop and lean against the wall, fighting the nausea that has nothing to do with pregnancy and everything to do with fear. Who is “the boy?” Leo? If Andrei has been digging into my life, if he’s found Leo and discovered the connection between us...

The conversation I almost had with Radmir feels like a missed opportunity that might have been my only chance. Now, instead of telling him the truth on my own terms, I might be forced to explain myself under interrogation.

I force myself to keep walking, appearing calm and professional as I pass other staff members in the hallway. Mrs. Yranda nods approvingly as I head toward the supply closet.

“How did the office cleaning go?” she asks, consulting her clipboard.

“Fine. Mr. Vetrov asked me to finish later this afternoon.” I keep my voice steady despite the chaos in my head.

“Excellent. I’ll have you work on the guest wing this morning instead.”

I nod and gather fresh supplies, grateful for a task that will keep me away from Radmir’s office while whatever conversation is happening behind that door continues, as much as I feel like I should know what they’re saying. I also don’t want to know. As I work through the guest wing, I can’t stop thinking about the fragment of conversation I overheard.

The words echo in my mind as I dust furniture and change linens. Was he talking about Leo? The thought haunts me, and it’s almost enough to make me run from the manor, snatch Leo from Aunt Molly’s, and hit the road. How much does Andrei know? How long has he been investigating? More importantly, what does he plan to do with whatever information he’s gathered?

I’m folding towels in the guest bathroom when Carmen finds me.

“There you are.” She closes the door behind her and leans against it. “I’ve been looking for you. What happened in Radmir’s office this morning?”

“Andrei showed up.” I keep my hands busy with the towels, needing something to do with the nervous energy coursing through me. “Right when I was about to tell him everything.”

“About Leo and the baby?”

“All of it.” I turn to face her, and she must see something in my expression because her face goes pale.

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