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“I know, I know,” she concedes, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “But sometimes, you have to find humor in the darkest of situations. It’s how we survive. Now, let me think…” She taps her chin thoughtfully, lost in contemplation. “Okay, first things first—safety. Those brothers may be…complicated, but they clearly care about you. Use that to your advantage.”
“Meaning?” I ask, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
“Meaning, if you ever feel threatened or in danger, don’t hesitate to call on them for help. They’re powerful men, and they’ll want to protect you. And, well, maybe you can help heal them too.” Her eyes soften with understanding as she gazes at me. “That’s what you’re best at, after all.”
“Maybe,” I murmur, not entirely convinced. “But what if I’m just digging myself deeper into this mess?”
“Then you’ll have me by your side,” Sienna replies firmly, exuding confidence. “We’ll navigate this together, one step at a time. Just promise me you’ll prioritize yourself and your daughters above all else, okay?”
I nod, my throat tightening with emotion. “I promise.”
“Good,” Sienna says, satisfied. Then, she jumps up from the couch and rummages through a nearby cabinet. “Now, enough of this heavy talk. You need a distraction.”
She emerges triumphant, a bag of popcorn in one hand and a DVD case in the other. “What do you say we watch The Notebook? I know it’s cliché, but there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned love story to take your mind off of things.”
“Sienna Hart,” I tease, wiping away the lingering tears from my cheeks, “you are a sentimental fool.”
“Guilty as charged.” She grins, popping the disc into the player before flopping down next to me on the couch.
As the familiar opening credits begin to play, I lean back against the cushions, allowing myself a brief respite from the chaos that has become my life. Tonight, I’ll indulge in this simple pleasure with my best friend by my side—tomorrow, I’ll face the storm again. But for now, I am safe, and that is enough.
35
NIKHIL
The moonlight bathes the twins’ room in a soft, ethereal glow, casting delicate shadows on their sleeping faces. I’m sitting in a chair between their beds, my mind wandering as I watch them sleep so peacefully. My heart aches for them, knowing the dark world they were born into, yet there’s an undeniable sense of pride and love that wells up inside me.
Footsteps approach the door, and before I have a chance to react, Annalise steps into the room. Her eyes widen as she catches sight of me, and she hesitates for a moment before crossing the threshold. She looks stunning, even in her casual clothes—long, wavy brown hair cascading down her back and those emerald-green eyes that seem to pierce right through me.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were in here,” she says quietly, taking care not to disturb the girls.
A pang of guilt hits me for intruding on her personal space, but I can’t bring myself to leave just yet. “It’s fine,” I reply, my voice low and gravelly. “I was just watching them sleep.”
She smiles, her eyes softening as she gazes at our daughters. “They look so innocent, don’t they? It’s hard to believe they’re part of this dangerous world.” There’s a sadness in her tone that resonates with me, and for a moment, we share the same unspoken fear.
I nod, unable to tear my gaze away from her. The tension in the room is palpable, but I have no desire to break it. Instead, I find myself drawn to her even more, wanting to understand the woman who brought my children into this world and how she came to be entangled in the web of the bratva.
“Annalise…” My voice cracks as I say her name, and the moment hangs heavy between us. I know I have no right to ask for her trust or forgiveness, but the weight of our shared past is too much to bear alone.
“Please,” she whispers, her voice barely audible. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
“Harder?” I scoff, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “You think I want to make things harder? I didn’t ask for any of this, Annalise. I didn’t ask for you to come into my life and turn everything upside down.”
A strange sense of peace washes over me as I watch the steady rise and fall of my daughters’ chests, their soft breaths a soothing melody in the dimly lit room. The weight of our reality can’t be ignored, but for a fleeting moment, it fades into the background.
“Who would’ve thought you’d be such a natural with them?” Annalise’s voice cuts through the silence like a warm and unexpected breeze.
I glance at her, trying to gauge her sincerity. Her emerald eyes are filled with genuine surprise, and I feel a flicker of pride deep within my chest. “Well, I don’t really have a choice, do I? They’re my daughters, after all.”
Her eyes widen, shock rippling across her face. “But…I thought Cassius was their father,” she stammers. “He’s always been so attentive and caring toward them.”
“Attentive, yes. Caring, undoubtedly. But they’re his nieces.” I lean back against the wall, my gaze never leaving hers. “They’re mine, Annalise. The DNA test confirmed it. I’m their biological father.”
A thousand unspoken questions flash through her eyes, and I brace myself for the storm that’s about to unfold. Yet, despite the chaos swirling around us, there’s something undeniable between us—an electric current that’s impossible to ignore.
“Are you sure?” she asks hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. “How… how did this happen?”
“Does it matter?” I say, running a hand through my hair. “What matters now is that we’re responsible for these two beautiful girls, and we need to find a way to make this work.”
