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It was a difficult habit to break, but ever since Val laid everything out on the table and decided the only choice we had was to commit to each other and our arrangement, I finally stopped running.

I stopped trying to cling to my resistance, even if that part was especially hard.

Regardless of how hell-bent I had been on not giving myself over to him, especially not to such a complete extent, I knew I wasn’t ever going to be able to fully escape him.

With him knowing about the pregnancy, there was no way he’d ever let me slip away.

And while it wasn’t the easiest thing to accept how our lives seemed to twist together even more, those moments of tenderness gave me the slightest hope that things could be alright between us. At least, it was enough of a balm to keep me from spiraling and questioning if embracing my role entirely was the right thing to do.

Things weren’t always perfect, but even I could appreciate all the ways Val was trying. He was displaying more patience than I openly gave him credit for.

In those past few weeks, the tension between us had mostly dwindled, and while I wouldn’t say everything was as it should be, our interactions were certainly more civil than they had been in a while.

While I was several hours deep into another painting, Val had poked his head in to let me know we were having dinner with his family. His brother Alex invited everyone over, citing that it was time we all got together.

It was clear I had no say in it, but I also wasn’t prepared to take that away from Val. Not when he seemed excited about it.

While the hours moved around me after the fact, I found it harder to focus on my work, able to feel the knots in my stomach.

I had only been around his family on a few occasions, and what I had seen of them certainly left an impression. Needless to say, they were intimidating. Even Yuri could be intense when he needed to be, regardless of how rare that was.

But before long, I went through the motions, got myself ready, and found myself approaching the impressive house at Val’s side.

The more I was immersed in his world, the more I felt like an outsider looking in, as if I would only ever be an observer. Someone who was too freaked out by it all to take too close of a look at it.

Even if Val was being honest about his dealings and everything that surrounded his family’s empire, he was still keeping a respectful distance between that part of his life and me. At the very least, it didn’t feel as suffocating because of it.

Still, I couldn’t shake the truth.

Admittedly, Val dressed impeccably, as he normally did, but there was something different about him. Like a renewed sense of confidence surrounded him and made him seem even more in control.

As much as his apparent intense side made me wary, I couldn’t deny how good that self-assurance looked on him.

Despite his calm demeanor, I felt like a tempest had been let loose within me, and I had to inwardly psych myself up.

It was just a dinner…only his family. It would be fine.

Almost like he could sense the slight discomfort within me, he put a hand against my back and traced absent shapes there while he guided me through the house, following the sound of voices in the other room.

He was still gentle regardless of the weeks that passed since everything came to a boiling point, and it didn’t go unnoticed by me. As much as I never expected to feel that kind of tenderness from him before, I couldn’t deny how pleasant it was in comparison to what I had grown accustomed to with him.

Laughter and enthusiastic chatter carried into the hall as we approached, and despite how massive and elegant the house was, it still felt warm in a way. Paired with the ambiance coming from his family, it was even more so.

Regardless of feeling like I was being swept up into something I didn’t understand, I allowed Val to pull me in with him.

Even if it was hard to give up control and let myself trust him, there was also freedom in doing so. I was surrendering myself to the inevitable without needing to worry about it.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by several bright faces—some already relaxed from the wine and champagne spread across the table.

“Better late than never, yeah?” Alex said, grinning wide despite the playful jab.

Val let a small smile slip while he pulled my chair out for me before sitting down. “You took my line…But I can’t be any worse than Yuri.”

Yuri scoffed, slightly playing up the offense. “Says the one who showed up after me. I’ll remember that the next time I see another stray on the side of the road.”

Val pointed a serious finger at him, but there wasn’t any real heat behind his words. “Don’t you dare. One mutt is enough.”

The others laughed, clearly aware of the previous antics with Bear.

Despite myself, the ease that filled the room helped me relax more, and to my surprise, the girls were there, too.

They were quick to rope me into their conversation, properly introducing me to Aria as well. It was easy to see how her cousins were more like sisters to her, and all three of them obviously looked up to her.

Soon enough, many platters of food were brought out and passed around from hand to hand, bringing me a sense of familiarity I wasn’t all that used to.

There was so much warmth behind those smiles despite the dangers that were the foundation of their family, and for a time, it was easy to forget all about the less-than-ideal ways they supported themselves.

Even when my parents were both home, I never had the pleasure of experiencing a family meal like that. Ours were always tense, if Mom could even be bothered to sit through them in the first place.

As much as I wanted to feed into my preconceived notions that the Novikovs were criminals, it was hard to see them as such. Listening to the way they spoke to each other, bantering and teasing, made me look at them a bit differently all over again.

It was difficult for my mind to fully wrap around, since I thought they were an unassuming family before, only to learn the truth. But at that moment, they looked completely normal.

Despite what I knew about them and the darker underbelly of their work, I felt a sense of hope that they could still be good people, anyway.

By the latter half of the meal, I couldn’t help but feel like I was more welcomed than I initially expected, as if they did consider me to be one of them. It was oddly comforting, and it helped everything move along smoothly.

But the moment Val cleared his throat, gaining everyone’s attention, my stomach dropped.

I already knew what he was about to say before the words could even pass his lips. And with the gentle smile he offered me first, I was dreading their reactions.

“Tia and I have something to share with you all,” he began, catching the eager looks from his family, who all seemed to hold their breath. His smile shifted into a proud one. “Tia and I are expecting.”

I froze in my seat, not knowing how to react. Not knowing if I should say something or keep quiet.

Feeling my pulse in my ears, I was already anticipating some kind of negative response, or at the very least, apathy. Surely a pregnancy wasn’t that big of a deal—not when they were busy people and had a lot constantly going on.

The lingering silence ate away at me, making me shrink within myself.

But a gasp came from Livia, whose eyes lit up immediately. Soon enough, her sisters mirrored her expression, and a sense of awe flooded the table.

“You’re pregnant?” Livia exclaimed, looking delighted by the news. “That’s so exciting!”

At once, I found myself able to ease into place again, letting the tension go as we received an overwhelming wave of excitement and questions.

I was speechless at the way Val’s siblings looked proud of him, and how they didn’t let me feel even a moment of disdain or indifference.

After bracing myself for disinterest or disapproval, it was a relief. My heart softened, even if I suddenly found myself at the center of their interest.

“Congratulations to both of you,” Alex said, reaching for his glass while raising it. “I believe this calls for a toast.”

At once, everyone did the same, filling the room with a greater sense of unity and tenderness.

“To a new little one…to Val and Tia.”

A chorus of cheers and echoed sentiments surrounded us while everyone clinked their glasses together, and despite myself, my cheeks started to ache from smiling.

After the fact, Livia was the first to turn to me. “I don’t know when, but we’re going to throw you the best baby shower you’ve ever seen.”

Angel hummed her amusement. “At least you’ll be busy.”

“You don’t have to do anything crazy,” I reassured them, only able to imagine just how far they’d take it.

Despite Silvia’s generally reserved demeanor, she gave me a knowing smile. “If Livia’s involved, then it’s definitely going to be over the top.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Aria said, using a somewhat authoritative tone with them until she cracked a more pleasant expression. “But it’s definitely going to be the best.”

A soft hum of laughter filled the room, and while I had been afraid to have Val’s child, there wasn’t a trace of hesitation left in that moment.

Regardless of how I felt about their business, the obvious support system around us reassured me that our baby wouldn’t go a day without being overwhelmed with love and attention. There were more than enough people at that table already anticipating their arrival, and it helped me feel better about it all.

In the wake of the announcement, I felt Val’s gentle touch against the back of my hand under the table while the meal continued, and I didn’t miss the pride that flooded his features. He looked sincere in his contentment while he brushed his thumb against my skin, grounding me in the moment.

Before, I didn’t want to give in to Val or the life that was being laid out at my feet. I didn’t want to accept the situation I had no say in.

But in that moment, feeling the appreciation and awe in his eyes helped that resistance fade even more.

It had been easy to see how much he was looking forward to becoming a father in the last few weeks, but then and there, I had no doubt in my mind that he was prepared to do everything in his power to provide our child with the life we both wanted for them.

Those tender touches lingered while the conversation became livelier and centered around the pregnancy, from the brushes against my hand to the slow, careful trailing of his palm along my thigh.

Despite paying attention to what his family was talking about, Val kept offering me his subtle attention, seemingly expressing just how happy he was about it all.

I felt his affection through every touch, and for the first time in a while, I couldn’t help but wonder if we were on the right track.