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Bria whistles. “The baby contracts are always the most complicated.”

Neomi snorts. “Okay,Elle Woods.”

“What’s Julian holding over your head?” Natalia asks me.

I take another bite of the Twizzler.

How do I explain to them that my family thought the best way to pay off a debt was to hand over their daughter?

A flush creeps over my cheeks in embarrassment. All along, I believed I came from a good name. I was so wrong. I came from a family of corruption, lies, and ruin.

“You were friends with his sister before her passing, right?” Gigi asks, her voice soft and composed.

I nod.

“Cute,” Isabella comments, holding up a Skittles. “Thebest friend’s brothertrope is my favorite.” She stops, a thought hitting her. “Actually, my second favorite. I’m all about enemies to lovers, baby.”

“Ignore her,” Neomi says, kicking her feet out from the blanket to show off her fuzzy white socks. “What does Julian have on you, Genesis?”

I blink at her. “What do you mean?”

Natalia presses her hand against her chest. “When I agreed to marry Cristian, it was because my ex wanted to kill me. I married him in exchange for protection.”

“I married Benny because of a marriage contract,” Neomi adds.

“When I agreed to marry Antonio, it was because he held a gun to my head … and a priest’s,” Gigi says.

“What the women who are lucky enough to be married are saying is that in every contract in this world, there’s a weakness and a solution to solve that weakness,” Isabella explains.

Bria nods in agreement. “Julian’s vulnerability is he wants a child. What’s yours, Genesis? Why are you agreeing to something as precious as having someone’s child? What do you get in exchange?”

I go still for a moment, not meeting anyone’s gaze.

Before my father’s death, I was never someone with trust issues, but now, I am. I trustnoone, not even Julian.

“Do you know who Dima Morozova is?” I ask, disgust hitting my throat from just saying his name.

“The Russian Bratva boss’s son?” Neomi immediately asks.

“ThepsychoRussian Bratva boss’s son,” Gigi says, as if that correction is necessary for the story.

I inhale three breaths and start telling them my situation.

None of them mutters a word as they listen with full attention. I don’t tell them everything, only what happened in my father’s office. Every one of them grins when I tell them about Julian barging into the room and basically plucking me straight out of Dima’s hands.

Getting it off my chest feels good.

“Dima is hot, but Julian is definitely hotter,” Neomi says. “He also gives less murder vibes, you know? Men who give off those vibes are total red flags.”

“Says the girl who’s married to Benny Marchetti,” Natalia comments with a laugh.

“Says the girl who’s married to the man who created him,” Neomi argues with a playful grin. “I’ve never worried about Benny hurting me.” Her dark-eyed gaze slips back to me. “But if I were marrying Dima? I’d always be looking over my shoulder. The Russians offered my father a marriage union years ago for Bella. He told them to kick rocks.”

“Trust me, in the moment, a contract seems like the craziest thing in the world,” Bria says. “The men like to talk about it, throw it in your face, but then it’ll blow over.”

“That depends,” Gigi chimes in. “Dima is batshit crazy, and coming from a Marchetti, that’s saying a lot. Julian showing up at your father’s office was a blessing.”

Pippa kisses the top of Alessia’s head. “This girl would love to have a baby cousin, so we’re all for another Bellini baby. Plus, I’d love to have you as a sister-in-law.”