Page 15

Sarah

I stare at the pregnancy test in my trembling hands, the two pink lines staring back at me like a cruel joke. A million thoughts race through my mind, but one keeps resurfacing: I did not need another problem in my life. Not now. Not with everything else that’s been happening. Certainly not with Ivan’s child.

My breath catches in my throat as I realize the full weight of the situation. Ivan Sharov, the Russian Mafia boss. The man who has consumed my thoughts, my body, my very existence for the past few weeks. The man who, despite everything, I can’t seem to pull myself away from. Now, I’m pregnant with his child. It’s like a noose tightening around my neck, a bond that will tie me to him forever if this child is born.

A sudden knock on the door jolts me out of my spiraling thoughts. Before I can even respond, the door swings open, and Ivan steps inside. He doesn’t wait for an invitation—he never does. His presence fills the room, commanding and powerful, as he approaches me.

“Sarah,” he says, his eyes narrowing as he takes in my pale face, the shock I’m sure is written all over it. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I quickly shove the pregnancy test into the drawer beside me, trying to mask the panic that’s threatening to break through. “It’s nothing,” I lie, forcing a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. “Just… not feeling well.”

He doesn’t buy it. His gaze sharpens, and I can see the wheels turning in his mind. Ivan isn’t a man easily fooled, and I know he can sense that something is off. Before he can press further, he changes tactics.

“It’s time we decide things,” he says, his voice calm but firm. He steps closer, his presence overwhelming as he looms over me. “What do you want, Sarah? Do you want to stay, or do you want to leave?”

The question hits me like a punch to the gut. I’ve been avoiding this conversation, avoiding making a decision, but now there’s no more running. Ivan has put it all on the table, and I have to face it.

My heart races as I try to sort through the chaos in my mind. Over the past few weeks, I’ve grown closer to Ivan than I ever expected. He’s become an addiction, a craving I can’t seem to satisfy no matter how many times we’re together. Now, I’m carrying his child. The thought of leaving him, of walking away from this twisted bond we’ve formed, feels like tearing myself in two.

Then reality crashes in, the reality of the life he leads, the life I’ve been dragged into. The dark world of the Mafia, a world filled with violence, danger, and betrayal. A world I never wanted to be a part of. How could I raise a child in this? How could I bring an innocent life into a world so full of darkness?

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I have to say. “Ivan,” I begin, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “I want to leave this life. I want to leave this city. I can’t… I can’t do this anymore.”

There’s a moment of tense silence, the air thick with unspoken emotions. Ivan’s eyes darken, his jaw tightening as he stares down at me. I can see the flicker of anger, of disbelief, but there’s something else there too—something I can’t quite place.

“You want to leave me?” he finally says, his voice low and dangerous, the calm before the storm. He steps closer, his hand reaching out to grip my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Leave me and find someone else? You think you can just walk away, Sarah?”

His grip tightens slightly, not enough to hurt but enough to make me feel the weight of his words. “I’ve ruined you for anyone else,” he murmurs, his voice taking on a darker, possessive edge. “You belong to me now. There’s no leaving this, no walking away.”

My breath catches in my throat, and I feel the tears welling up in my eyes, the weight of his words crushing me. I know what he’s saying is true, that leaving him, leaving this life, isn’t as simple as just walking away. I have to try. I have to find a way out, for myself and for the child I’m carrying.

“I don’t belong to anyone,” I whisper, though the words sound weak even to my own ears. “I just want to be free, Ivan.”

His eyes narrow as he steps closer, his presence overwhelming. My pulse quickens, a mixture of fear and something darker swirling in my chest. Ivan reaches out, his hand sliding down to my stomach, and I flinch at the contact. His touch is warm, but the cold steel in his gaze makes me shiver.

“What about my child?” he asks, his voice low and dangerous.

I freeze, the blood draining from my face. He knows. The realization hits me like a freight train. He knows about the pregnancy, about the secret I’ve been desperately trying to keep. My mind races, searching for an explanation, a way to diffuse the situation, but the truth is out, and there’s no hiding from it now.

Before I can speak, his hand moves up to my neck, his grip firm but not painful—at least not yet. He tilts my head back, forcing me to meet his eyes, and I can see the fury simmering just beneath the surface. “Were you going to get rid of it?” he growls, his voice thick with accusation. “Get rid of my blood?”

“No!” I snap, my voice trembling but defiant. “I wasn’t planning on getting rid of it.”

His grip tightens slightly, his eyes narrowing further as he processes my words. I can see the conflict in his expression—the possessiveness warring with something deeper, something almost vulnerable. But the fury wins out, and his hand shifts from my neck to my hair, gripping it with just enough force to make me gasp.

“You’re mine, Sarah,” he snarls, his breath hot against my skin. “I’m not letting you go. You think you can run from me, take my child, and disappear? You’re a fool if you believe I’d ever allow that.”

His words send a jolt of fear and frustration through me, but beneath it all, there’s that damn pull, that undeniable attraction that keeps me tethered to him, no matter how much I want to escape. His hand moves down my body, brushing over my breasts, my stomach, before slipping between my thighs. I gasp, my body betraying me as heat pools low in my belly.

“Ivan,” I whisper, a mix of protest and need, but he’s relentless, his fingers working me with a skill that leaves me breathless.

“You’re mine,” he repeats, his voice a growl as he leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. “I’m going to make sure you never forget it.”

I shudder at his words, my body responding to his touch despite the turmoil raging in my mind. His fingers delve deeper, finding the spot that makes me see stars, but just as I’m teetering on the edge, he stops, pulling his hand away with a wicked grin.

“Wait for the wedding night,” he whispers, his voice dripping with dark promise. “I want you to be desperate for me when the time comes.”

“Wedding?” I echo, my mind struggling to keep up with the sudden shift. My heart hammers in my chest as I pull back slightly, searching his eyes for answers. “What are you talking about?”

Ivan’s grin widens, a dangerous, possessive glint in his eyes. “You’re carrying my child, Sarah. You think I’m going to let you walk away now? No, this isn’t up for negotiation. You’re going to marry me, and you’re going to stay by my side where you belong.”

Panic floods my system, my heart racing as his words sink in. Marry him? The thought sends a wave of fear crashing over me. I can’t be tied to him like this, bound to a life of crime, violence, and darkness. I want to escape, to raise my child far away from this nightmare, but Ivan’s grip on me is unyielding.

“Ivan, you can’t—” I start, but he cuts me off with a finger pressed to my lips, his expression turning dark and possessive.

“I can,” he says softly, his voice laced with the kind of authority that leaves no room for argument. “And I will. You’re mine, Sarah, and I don’t share what’s mine. Not with anyone. Not with the world. Not even with the idea of a life without me.”

I stare at him, my mind spinning, trying to reconcile the man I’ve come to crave with the life I’ve always wanted to escape. The two don’t mix, can’t mix, and yet here I am, caught between them, with no clear way out.

His hands return to my body, his touch firm but undeniably arousing. Despite my inner turmoil, I can’t help the way my body responds to him, the way my pulse quickens and heat blooms under his touch. It’s maddening, this pull he has over me, this ability to make me want him even when every rational part of me is screaming to run.

Ivan leans in closer, his breath hot against my skin as he whispers, “You think you can leave me and find someone else? Do you really believe there’s anyone out there who could touch you after I’ve had you? I’ve ruined you for anyone else, Sarah. You’re mine, and I’m going to make sure you remember that every single day.”

I feel his words sink into me, a mix of dread and undeniable attraction. I hate the situation, hate the way he controls me, the way he dictates my life. I can’t deny the truth in his words. No one has ever made me feel the way Ivan does, with his rough edges, his dark promises, and the way he ignites something deep and primal inside me.

I try to find the strength to pull away, to fight against the inevitability of what he’s saying, but it’s like fighting against a tidal wave. Ivan’s grip on me is too strong, his presence too overwhelming. And when he finally lets go, stepping back with a dark, satisfied smirk, I’m left trembling, both from fear and from the unfulfilled desire he’s left burning in my veins.

“This isn’t over, Sarah,” he says, his voice low and filled with promise. “Not by a long shot. You’ll come to see that this is where you belong—with me, by my side, as my wife. When that day comes, you’ll thank me for it.”