Page 147 of Married to My Sis’s Bratva Fiancé

I picked up his ring.

This name had once been a secret, then it had been a wound. Now I can say it out loud, in front of everyone, and not feel ashamed for loving him.

"Kiryan, I loved the version of you I made up in my head. After I married you, I met the real you." I swallowed. "Stubborn. Controlling. A shitty temper."

His mouth twitched. "That doesn't sound like a vow."

"Don't interrupt the bride," Olga said from the front row.

Laughter rippled through the church.

I laughed too, even with tears still sliding down my face.

"The real you hurt me. The real you took a bullet for me. You made me feel unlovable, and then you reminded me I get to decide what my life looks like."

I pushed his ring over his knuckle.

"I don't marry the man you used to be. I don't marry a fantasy. I choose the man standing in front of me right now. If you respect me, trust me, and love this baby with me, I'll keep choosing you."

The priest said we could kiss.

Kiryan's hand locked on my waist, and his mouth came down on mine.

He kissed me softly at first, like he needed to be sure it was real. My hand climbed to his shoulder. His breathing turned rough, and the kiss deepened. That familiar cedar-and-cold-air scent filled my lungs, and my knees went weak.

Applause and cheers exploded.

"Everyone's watching," I whispered against his mouth.

"Let them."

Olga cried so hard her shoulders shook. She pulled both of us into her arms like she used to hold that boy who never knew how to ask for comfort.

Kiryan stiffened at first, then he bent and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you."

Olga sobbed harder.

The reception didn't turn into a power show. The neighborhood kids brought a painting. I laughed when I saw it: me with a brush, Kiryan holding a parenting book, and the biggest thing in the picture was the baby between us. He immediately had Feodor take down a route map in his study and hang it there.

Yegor walked over with two drinks. He handed me a non-alcoholic sparkling water and lifted champagne for himself.

"Congrats."

Kiryan's hand went straight to my waist. Yegor's eyes flicked to it. "Relax. I'm not here to steal the bride."

"You'd better not be."

"Thanks for coming," I said.

"I said I would bless you."

"If it weren't for you, I might not have had the guts to leave."

Yegor shook his head. "I only opened a door. You're the one who walked through it."

He turned to Kiryan. "Take care of her. Not because she's your wife. Not because she carries your kid."