Page 14 of Pregnant Bratva Possession

Sophia and I met in my gallery for the first time four months ago when Vincent visited the gallery. She’d come off as rude and condescending, never smiled at me and just ordered my staff around.

Not like I hated her. She was a typical princess, beautiful and born with a silver spoon. She was twenty-six, same age asme, and I hoped we would get along alright, but she was old money and I was new money. Apparently, we weren’t on the same level and she couldn’t get along with me.

I’d shrugged off her rudeness as her not knowing better. But I was stunned right now because she was smiling at me as if we were friends. “Hi, Sophia.”

“Hi, Mariana.” She stopped beside Vlad, standing really close to him that their hands were brushing against each other. “You look the best I’ve ever seen you tonight. And your dress, one would think it cost big bucks.”

My dress did cost big bucks, but the last thing I’d do was brag about price tags to prove a point. “Thanks for the compliment, Sophia. You don’t look bad yourself.”

“I know. I’m wearing a dress from Balenciaga. There’s no way in the world I’d look bad.” She turned her gaze to Vlad. “Don’t you think so?”

Vlad picked up another glass of wine and huffed. The amusement on his face before Sophia walked in had faded. If his expression weren’t so unreadable, I’d think he was frowning.

Sophia gasped dramatically. “Oh my God. Are the diamonds on your neck real?”

Right. I was getting upset now, too. “Yes, Sophia. They’re real. I don’t wear dupes.”

She chuckled, waving her hand. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I just thought people like you would prefer to buy the dupes and save more money. A friend of mine buys thrifted jewelry and designer pieces.”

A chuckle splintered through me. It was unintended, still, I wasn’t sorry. Sophia was trying to put me down in front of Vlad for whatever reason and I wasn’t going to let her walk all overme. “Common, Sophia. We both know you’d never be friends with someone who buys thrifted anything. You’re old money after all.”

Her smile dropped, her chest heaving with fury. “You don’t know me well enough to determine that.”

“Trust me, I do.” I sighed, shaking my head. “Too bad though, I wanted to teach you how to paint, but I’m apparently not high-class enough to do that.” Glancing at Vlad, I forced a smile. “I’ll excuse myself now.”

Turning for the door, I walked as fast as my eight-inch heel could take me and I felt both their gazes burn my back as I left. Vlad was smiling and Sophia was seething, not exactly how I’d planned to end my night, but here I was.

I didn’t notice I’d been holding my breath all along until I was in the hallway outside the gala hall, thinking back to how close Vlad and Sophia were standing to each other.

Vlad didn’t seem to like Sophia. I mean, it was evident in the way he ignored her like she didn’t exist. But that didn’t mean there couldn’t be something more between them. They came from the same world anyway. They were both from very influential families. They could have the world at their feet if they wanted.

And I was just there, a sheep struggling for survival among wolves.

Leaning my back on the wall, I closed my eyes and inhaled. I must’ve had too much wine because my brain began to cook up pictures of Vlad and Sophia, his arm around her waist and her palm fattened on his chest, both of them dancing happily together while I watched from the side.

That was when I realized the burning sensation in my chest was from jealousy.

Chapter 6 - Vlad

“You weren’t at the gala.”

Sergey didn’t look up from his phone, but at least he spared me an answer that wasn’t much of an explanation. “I wasn’t.”

“Why?” I asked, my veins hitching with fury. My brothers knew how I hated superficial events like galas and whatever the elites in the society did to show off their wealth, yet he’d lied to me and made me spend all night, tolerating Sophia.

That girl was a parasite. A fucking bloodworm with a tongue as nasty as her personality. I didn’t mind if a woman was as ill-spirited as a viper as long as their mouths could be put to good use.

But Sophia talked down on Mariana right in front of me. If she weren’t a woman and Vincent’s daughter, I’d have her tongue for that. I was impressed with the way Mariana handled her own though, she did it with so much class and grace Sophia was basically boiling over beside me.

Sergey looked up this time, his eyes darkening a bit. Most people would flinch at the cruelty in his gaze, but not me. I respected him because he was my brother and I loved him, but I could be just as ruthless as he was. “Did you meet Vincent’s daughter?”

“I did. She was an eyesore.”

His interest seemed to be piqued. He shoved his phone into his pocket, reeling back in my mesh chair while I sat on the couch across the desk in my new casino. “I didn’t expect her to be anything better.”

The door groaned open, letting in some of the jazz from the casino. Nikolai matched in first, and Max followed. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I responded. The couch dipped under Nikolai’s weight as he sat beside me. Max sat on one of the swivel chairs facing Sergey.

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