Page 32 of The Bratva's Nanny

“No, she didn’t. There was a woman who gave birth to her, that’s all. Other than being the basic vessel, she didn’t care for Sofia. She didn’t love Sofia. In the three years she spent with Sofia, she didn’t once spend time with her, and I know she did everything in her power to stay away. In the time you’ve been here, you’ve been a mother to her, Alix.”

“I just … I don’t want her to hate me.”

“I’ll deal with Sofia if she thinks that in years to come.”

“Okay. I do love Sofia,” Alix said. “I’ll take good care of her.”

Of that, he had no doubt.

“Dmitry, are you okay?” she asked.

He didn’t like how intuitive she was. He clenched his hands into a fist. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” she asked after he went silent.

He shouldn’t care. This shouldn’t matter.

“There’s a reason I asked you to marry me.”

“Because I was pregnant?”

“That’s not the only reason. You carry my child, yes, but I … I expect Angeloff and your ex to come. They are trying to take my place, and they will attempt to try when they believe me to be extremely vulnerable.”

Silence.

Dmitry stared at her. Alix didn’t have much of a poker face, but in that moment, he couldn’t read her.

“So, ugh,”—she stopped to clear her throat—“what you’re saying is our wedding is just a ruse to, erm, to find one of your men who betrayed you, including George?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t want to marry me?” Alix asked.

“Ididwant to marry you.” He went to reach out to her but Alix pulled away from him.

“But marrying me was just a happy … coincidence, right? You can keep your place by using the wedding to take them out. Turning our marriage into a bloodbath before it had even begun? Is that why you organized everything? I mean, I thought it was because you were excited about being married to me—”

“I am.”

“You don’t have to lie.” She swiped at the tears that fell down her cheeks.

He saw the pain in her face.

Tell her the other truth.

Tell her how you feel.

“I don’t think I feel hungry anymore,” Alix said. She pushed back her chair and got to her feet.

“Alix, do not leave like this.”

“I can’t leave, remember? I’m still a captive here. There’s nowhere for me to go, but I just … I need a moment. I mean, I knew our marriage wasn’t a love match. Is that what you planned from the beginning?” she asked, putting a hand protectively over her stomach. She wasn’t starting to show yet, but they both knew it would only be a matter of time.

“No, I made you pregnant because I didn’t want there to be anything between us when I took you.”

“So, the baby is a happy accident.”

She was already on her feet and took a step away.

---