Page 146 of Married to My Sis’s Bratva Fiancé

I chose him.

His rough thumb brushed my palm, hot as sin.

"You're late by twenty-seven seconds," he murmured.

"You timed me?"

"Habit."

"I can still turn around."

His fingers clenched instantly, then loosened with control. "You can't."

"Bossy."

"Average performance."

I laughed because it echoed what he'd said when he proposed at my show. He leaned in, his warm breath grazing my ear.

"You look dangerous today."

"Only today?"

"Today, especially."

"Dangerous for who?"

His gaze dropped to my mouth, then lifted back up slowly.

"Me."

My heart slammed once, hard.

The priest cleared his throat. Kiryan straightened like nothing had happened, but his thumb kept stroking the back of my hand.

The ceremony began.

Olga sat in the front row, handkerchief over her mouth, eyes red. Feodor looked so excited he could've burst. Yegor stood farther back and nodded at me. In the back rows, there were my curator and kids from the community studio.

They were all blessing us.

When it came time for vows, Kiryan took the ring, but he didn't slide it on right away.

"Elena."

"I treated marriage like punishment. I treated your love like a plot. I treated your silence like consent." His voice stayed low and steady. "I can't ask you to forget, and I won't use today to excuse the past."

The tears finally fell.

He lifted his hand, then stopped before he touched me.

I leaned into his palm on my own.

The hand that had never shaken around a gun trembled, just a little.

"I swear I will respect your choices, protect your freedom, and back you while you become whoever you want to be. I will be a father our child can lean on." His throat worked. "And I will be a husband worthy of you. I don't promise I will never screw up again, but I won't hide my mistakes behind pride anymore. Every day I have left, I will choose you again."

The custom ring slid onto my finger like it belonged there.