Page 28 of Arranged with Twins

Sienna

I wake in Leo’s bed to find him watching me, propped up on one elbow with an expression I can’t quite read. For a moment I forget where I am or why my body feels so deliciously sore.

“Good morning.” His voice carries a roughness that sends warmth through me despite my sleepy confusion.

“You stayed.” The words come out before I can stop them, tinged with surprise that feels more vulnerable than I intended.

“I stayed? It is my bed.” He sounds confused.

I lick my lips. “I’m just surprised to see you still in bed at,” I glance at the clock, “Almost nine a.m.”

“I didn’t feel like moving yet.” He reaches out to brush a strand of hair from my face, and the gesture is so tender it makes my chest flutter. “How are you feeling?”

I take inventory of my body, noting the pleasant ache between my thighs and the way my skin still hums from his touch. “Different,” I say honestly, “But good different.”

“Good.” He leans down to press a soft kiss to my forehead, and I marvel at this gentler version of the man who usually approaches everything like a military operation.

In his kitchen an hour later, I sit at the marble island wearing one of his shirts while he moves around preparing breakfast with surprising competence. The domestic scene feels surreal after months of careful distance and formal interactions.

“I didn’t know you could cook.” I watch him flip eggs with practiced ease, noting how the simple task transforms him into someone more approachable.

“It’s a survival skill. Depending on others for basic needs creates vulnerabilities.” He plates the eggs alongside perfectly toasted bread and fresh fruit. “I usually just have coffee and whatever’s convenient.”

“Yet here you are, making me breakfast.” I accept the plate he slides across the counter, touched by the effort despite his casual explanation.

“Here I am.” His smile is small but genuine, and I feel something shift between us that has nothing to do with contracts or family obligations. “You and the babies need nourishment.”

I take a bite of the eggs and make an appreciative sound that makes his eyes darken slightly. “These are really good. Where did you learn to cook like this?”

“Trial and error, mostly. Vincent’s housekeeper tried to teach me some basics when I was staying with your family, but I was more interested in learning how to handle the unique…

disputes in my line of business and read financial reports.

” Leo settles onto the stool beside me with his own plate. “It seemed more practical at the time.”

The mention of that period makes me study his profile as he eats. “What was it like? Living with us after your parents died?”

He’s quiet for so long I wonder if he’s going to answer. When he finally speaks, his voice carries a weight I haven’t heard before. “Confusing. Your parents were kind to me, but I was drowning in grief and rage. I wanted revenge more than comfort.”

“Did you get it? The revenge?”

“Eventually.” The single word holds volumes of violence I’m probably better off not understanding. “It didn’t bring them back, but it made the world feel balanced again.”

I reach for his hand without thinking, threading our fingers together. “I’m sorry you had to go through that alone.”

“I wasn’t completely alone.” He looks down at our joined hands with something like wonder. “Vincent made sure I had what I needed to survive and rebuild. Katherine insisted I join family dinners even when I preferred to eat in my room. I taught you to play chess.”

I nod, remembering that. “I wasn’t very good.”

“No, you weren’t, but you tried hard.” His thumb traces across my knuckles. “You also made me laugh for the first time after they died, though I can’t remember what you said.”

The revelation makes my throat constrict with unexpected emotion. “I’m glad we could help, even a little.”

“You did more than help.” He brings our joined hands to his lips and presses a soft kiss to my fingers. “You reminded me that not everything in the world was dark.”

The moment stretches between us, heavy with shared history and present possibility. When Leo’s phone buzzes against the counter, breaking the spell, I almost protest the interruption.

“Ilya,” he says after glancing at the screen. “I need to check on one of our shipping operations today. Come with me?”

The invitation surprises me. Leo has been careful to keep me separate from his business affairs, protecting me from direct exposure to his world. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

“It’s safer than leaving you here alone.” His expression grows serious. “Adrian’s still out there somewhere, and I’m not taking any chances with your security.”

An hour later, I sit beside Leo in the back of his armored sedan as we drive toward the waterfront. Ilya rides in the front passenger seat, occasionally updating Leo on security protocols and operational details I don’t fully understand.

The shipping terminal sprawls across several acres of concrete and steel, filled with containers and massive cranes that move cargo with mechanical precision. Leo takes my hand as we walk through the facility, and every worker we pass straightens slightly, offering respectful nods.

“Mr. Denisov.” A foreman approaches with obvious deference, clipboard in hand. “The morning shipments are on schedule, and security reports no unusual activity.”

“Good. Any issues with the new protocols?” Leo’s voice carries absolute authority, and I watch the transformation from tender breakfast companion to commanding leader with fascination.

“There’s been a minor adjustment period, but the crew is adapting well. The extra security measures slow things down slightly, but it’s nothing that compromises delivery schedules.”

They discuss logistics for several minutes while I observe the controlled chaos around us. Trucks arrive and depart in carefully orchestrated patterns, workers move with purpose, and everything runs with the efficiency Leo demands in all aspects of his life.

Even as he conducts business with sharp focus, he keeps me close. When we walk between containers, his hand settles at the small of my back. When we climb stairs to observe operations from an elevated platform, he takes my elbow to steady me. The protective gestures feel automatic and instinctive.

“Impressive operation,” I comment as we return to the car an hour later.

He nods once. “It’s legitimate business. It’s boring, but profitable.” Leo settles beside me in the backseat. “I’ve been transitioning more of my interests toward legal enterprises.”

“Because of me?” The question comes out before I can consider whether I want to know the answer.

“Because of us.” He meets my stare directly.

“Because of our future together and the children we’re going to raise.

” He kisses my hand. “It goes back a few months, to when we first got engaged, and I realized I didn’t want to endanger you in my world.

I was trying to do the honorable thing well before I fe…

started to care for you. Learning about the babies has accelerated my timeline. ”

The certainty in his voice makes my pulse quicken. He’s not talking about our arranged marriage as a temporary convenience anymore. He’s talking about something permanent and mutually chosen.

“What does that mean for your other business?” I ask carefully.

“It means I’m delegating operational control to trusted lieutenants while maintaining oversight.” Leo’s tone grows more cautious. “Some responsibilities can’t be abandoned overnight, but they can be managed from a distance.”

I nod, understanding that he’s trying to balance protecting me from his world while not completely abandoning the empire he’s built. “Giving up control must be difficult.”

“Everything about you is difficult.” His smile takes the sting out of the words. “You’ve turned my carefully ordered life upside down.”

“Good.” I lean against his shoulder, savoring the solid warmth of him. “Maybe you needed some chaos.”

“I believe I did.”

We return to his penthouse afterward, and I don’t think to protest until we’re already there.

That’s when I realize I don’t want to be anywhere else, at least for now.

We spend the rest of the day playing chess and just talking.

My chess game is considerably better than it was at seven, but he still beats me every time. At least it’s not a quick victory.

Later that evening, we enjoy dinner together. He sips wine while I opt for sparkling cider. The conversation flows easily, covering everything from childhood memories to future plans, and I’m struck by how natural this feels.

“I don’t want you at risk anymore,” Leo says suddenly, pausing his fork halfway to his mouth.

The statement startles me. “What do you mean?”

“I want to move you somewhere more secure until Adrian is eliminated as a threat. A safe house outside the city, maybe, with round-the-clock protection.”

“You want to lock me away?” I set down my glass with more force than necessary. “For how long?”

“However long it takes.” His jaw sets with familiar stubbornness. “I won’t lose you to my enemies, Sienna. I can’t.”

The raw emotion in his voice stops my automatic protest. Instead of arguing about independence or autonomy, I study his face and see genuine fear beneath the commanding exterior.

“I feel safest with you.” The admission comes out quietly.

“Not locked away somewhere, waiting for you to decide when it’s safe to live my life again. With you.”

Surprise and what might be relief show in his expression. “Even knowing what that means? The danger and the violence that follows me everywhere?”

“Yes.” I reach across the table to cover his hand with mine. “I’m not na?ve about your world anymore, Leo. I understand the risks, but running from them won’t make them disappear.”

He still looks worried. “You could get hurt. The babies could?—”

“We could also get hurt hiding away from life.” I interrupt gently. “I’d rather be with you regardless of the risks than spend my pregnancy locked in a cage, no matter how comfortable.”

He’s quiet for a long moment, considering my words. When he finally speaks, his voice carries resignation and something that might be admiration. “If you’re sure, but only with increased security and safety protocols that are non-negotiable.”

“Agreed.” I squeeze his hand. “As long as you remember I’m your partner in this, not just someone you’re protecting.”

“Partner.” He repeats the word like he’s testing its weight. “I’m still learning what that means.”

“We both are.”

After dinner, I draw a hot bath in Leo’s massive marble tub, needing time to absorb everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours. The warm water soothes muscles I didn’t realize were tense, and the lavender bath salts I found in his cabinet create a cloud of relaxing scent.

I sink deeper into the water, letting my head fall back against the tub’s edge as I replay the day’s events. This morning’s breakfast conversation, the glimpse into his business world, and his confession about not wanting me at risk all point toward something I’ve been afraid to acknowledge.

I’m falling in love with him.

The realization is crystal clear, but it’s still surprising.

Four months ago, Leo Denisov was nothing more than a name from my childhood, a distant memory of tragedy and loss.

Less than three months ago, he was a stranger I was supposed to marry for my family’s benefit.

Now, he’s become the center of everything that matters.

This morning, he cooked and shared memories.

He showed me his shipping operation and included me as a partner in the process.

He expressed concern about the possibility of losing me.

This isn’t the cold, calculating man my parents described when they announced our engagement.

This is someone who’s been shaped by loss and betrayal but still has the capacity for tenderness.

I dare hope he’s learning to trust again and open himself to possibilities beyond survival and control.

The dangerous aspects of his world still frighten me.

The violence, the constant threats, and the knowledge that people want to hurt him—and, by extension, me—simply because of who he is are all deeply unsettling.

However, I have also witnessed his strength, his intelligence, and his commitment to protecting what matters to him.

More importantly, I’ve seen how he looks at me when he thinks I’m not paying attention, like I’m something precious, unexpected, and worth cherishing. It’s been so long since anyone looked at me that way that I’d almost forgotten what it felt like.

The water is growing cool when I finally climb out of the tub and wrap myself in one of Leo’s plush robes.

While brushing my hair, the thought creeps back into my mind.

I’m falling in love with Leo, and despite my fear, it feels like the first completely honest emotion I’ve experienced in years.

For the first time since returning from London, I’m choosing something for myself rather than accepting what others have decided for me.