Page 54 of Innocent Bratva Twins

I freaked out at her, I’m ashamed to say, but it was because I was worried about her. Just knowing puts her at risk.

Knowing anything about the mafia ties we have puts her in danger. That’s the last thing I want for her. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because of my mafia background.

But it wasn’t that.

The transactions have absolutely nothing to do with bratva.

The discrepancies are blatant. Someone is stealing from me. I have no idea how they’ve managed to do it for so long, right under my nose.

The fact that I didn’t see it made me angrier and more determined to figure out who it was.

I still don’t know.

I’ve hired an investigator to deep dive into the accounts quietly. The fewer people who know about this for now, the better.

So far, he has discovered that the money is being transferred to an unnamed account. It’s anonymous. He’s going to keep digging.

I was focused on trying to figure it all out, but the weight of my guilt over how I treated Serafina has been too much.

I was a fucking asshole to her. She did not deserve that. Not at all.

If not for her, this person might have carried on for who knows how long.

I should have been the one to see it—but I wasn’t.

She was.

And I treated her like shit because of it. I’m ashamed of myself.

I was shocked when I found her office empty.

I even panicked a bit, a flash of fear that she’d left for good, angry with me because I was so rude

But she’s too level-headed for that. Sera is not the type of girl to throw a tantrum or hold grudges. Ihope.

Nicole was the one who told me Sera had gone for coffee. The moment she said it, I knew where to find her—the only coffee shop she insists that we go to whenever we need a quick break from the office.

And I came straight here, walking through the streets with tiny snowflakes falling around me.

The walk helped clear my mind. I’m angry, frustrated, ready to tear someone apart for stealing from me—but first, I need to fix things with Sera. She is my priority. Money comes second. Business comes second. I never thought I would saythat about anyone other than my family, but she’s stolen such a massive piece of my heart in such a short time.

I stop outside the coffee shop and peek inside.

My heart staggers to a stop because I am so relieved when I see her through the window. Her beautiful face is lit up, smiling as the waitress walks away from her.

Being apart from her creates a deep ache inside me. I miss her the moment she walks away from me.

Sitting down at her seat by the window, I glance across the table at her.

Just a second ago, she was smiling, teasing me about the waitress and how she thinks she was flirting with me.

But in a flash, her entire face changes as her smile fades away.

Her brows knit, and she starts biting at her lower lip like she does when she’s anxious. The things that happened this morning obviously snuck back into her memory.

I feel terrible.

My hands are warm from being inside my coat pocket on the walk here. I reach across the table and take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of her hand, feeling the soft warmth of her skin.