Page 78 of Mafia Prince's Secret Baby

“They dragged me into a car,” I say, trembling. “They roughed me up in an alley.”

“Did you see their faces?”

“No,” I sniff, the pain too much as I try to lift my hand. It falls uselessly back into my lap. “I don’t remember. It’s all a blur.”

He exhales sharply, his jaw clenching so tightly I can see the muscles twitching.

“I’ll find them, Katya. I’ll bring you their heads. I swear it,” he says fiercely, his voice like steel.

The weight of my fear, my pain, and my anger comes pouring out, and for the first time, I let it.

“Please,” I cry, “don’t let me go.”

“I’ll never let you go,volchitsa,” he whispers, his arms tightening around me. “I’ll hold you until the end of time. No matter what happens, no matter what you say or do, you’ll always have me.”

A realization hits me like a freight train. It’s possible that Igor’s persistence is more than just control. And if it’s genuine, what would that mean for us?

“Lie down,” he commands gently. “Get rest. I’ll stay right here.”

I close my eyes, the weight on my chest easing as his fingers thread through my hair, the soft, repetitive motion lulling me.

“Sleep.” He presses a kiss to my temple. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Drifting off is easier than I expected. For once, I don’t fight it. I exhale deeply, nodding to no one in particular as the tension in my body begins to melt. Surrendering is terrifying, but right now, I don’t have the strength to resist. At least I’m not alone.

Igor proved something today—something I didn’t think was possible anymore. There are still men in this world who would go to hell and back for a woman. Men who don’t just protect butclaim,in a way that’s both maddening and strangely comforting.

And maybe, someday, we could be more to each other.

The thought catches me off guard, pulling at the edges of my consciousness as sleep tugs at me. I’ve fought so hard to keep him at arm’s length, to convince myself that Igor and I couldnever be anything but enemies. Yet here I am, in his arms, feeling safer than I have in years.

It’s nice to have someone who can protect me. Someone strong enough to shoulder the weight I’ve carried alone for so long. Someone who, in a twisted way, feels like a partner.

But I can’t ignore the truth. Igor is Bratva. He was born into a world I’ve spent my entire life fighting against. He represents everything I swore to stand against, everything I wanted to protect Sofiya from.

Is he worth leaving my principles behind?

The question gnaws at me. Igor is protective, sweet in his own rough way, and undeniably magnetic. But I can’t let myself fall for him. My career, my independence, mydaughter’ssafety—everything hangs in the balance.

What if getting closer to him puts us both at risk? His enemies have targeted me already, trying to deliver a message. What if they decide to use Sofiya next?

The thought alone is enough to make my stomach churn.

It’s too dangerous. Too unpredictable.

Despite everything I feel for him—the attraction, the heat, the maddening pull of his presence—I know I need to break free and leave. For Sofiya’s sake and for my own.

Moscow. That’s where we’ll be safe. My gut tells me so, and it’s all I have left to trust right now. I’ve been chasing control my entire life, and I know I can reclaim it there. Away from Igor. Away from this chaotic, violent world he lives in.

Maybe someday, in another life, we’ll find our way back to each other. Maybe there will be a second—or third—chance for us. But not today. Not when the stakes are this high. Right now, I have to prioritize my daughter’s safety over any fragile, uncertain connection between us.

A single tear slips down my cheek, cutting a warm path across my skin before soaking into the blanket.I can’t deny thatI’m a part of Igor’s world just as much as he’s become a part of mine. Like it or not, we’re entangled. And no matter how much I want to run, something inside me knows I’ll never truly escape.

Maybe it’s time I stop running. Maybe it’s time I accept what my life is now.

“Rest,volchitsa,” Igor murmurs, his deep, rough voice wrapping around me like a blanket.

His words follow me into the darkness as sleep finally claims me.