Page 101 of The Pakhan’s Unwanted Bride

One by one, they talk. Some need persuasion. Others break immediately. I listen to everything while one of my captains records the information. The list spans multiple cities and reaches back into Russia. When the questioning finishes, I look down at the men kneeling before me. "You murdered innocent people. Members of the Rostova family who had nothing to do with your twisted grudge. Under Bratva law, there is only one sentence."

I don't need to say the word. They already know.

The executions are carried out in the courtyard before my assembled captains. Each man is positioned against the stone wall, their hands secured behind their backs. My captains form a firing line, weapons drawn and ready. I give the order with a single nod. The gunfire erupts in controlled bursts, precise and efficient. Bodies crumple to the ground one after another, blood staining the pale stone. There is no mercy in this, no hesitation. This is Bratva justice in its purest form. When the last man falls silent, the courtyard smells of gunpowder and finality. I turn away without watching the bodies being removed, my expression cold and unmoved. This is the price of betrayal. This is what happens when you threaten what belongs to me.

Gregory receives a private burial with full honors. Despite his betrayal, he redeemed himself in the end. He died protecting what mattered, and that counts for something. I stand alone at his grave, remembering the frightened twelve-year-old I took in. The pain of his loss is heavy, but I don't regret giving him the chance to make things right.

Ivan's cousin is placed in an unmarked grave far from family land. His name will be struck from the Rostova records and his memory erased. It's the ultimate dishonor.

Justice has been served. The blood debt is paid. Now we rebuild.

I summon all my captains to the great hall that afternoon. They gather quickly with the recovered intelligence spread across the table. Names, coded messages, locations. Everything we need.

"The organization targeting the Rostova family has been broken," I begin, my voice carrying through the hall. "But broken doesn't mean destroyed. There are still cells operating in other cities. I want every allied Bratva family in the United States and Russia to receive this intelligence. I want every remaining member of this secret society hunted down and eliminated. I will not leave any fragment of this organization alive to threaten my wife or my child."

The captains nod, already making notes and planning how to coordinate with our allies. This will take time and resources, but it's necessary.

My gaze shifts to Ana, who stands near the windows watching me with those blue eyes that see too much. She meets my gaze without flinching, and something passes between us. Understanding. Trust. The knowledge that we survived something that could have destroyed us.

For the first time since this nightmare began, I allow myself to believe in a peaceful future. A life where my child grows up without fear.

That evening, Ivan gathers everyone in the great hall. The room is packed, everyone standing in respectful silence as Ivan takes his position at the center.

"Centuries ago," Ivan begins, his voice strong, "when the Rostova bloodline faced extinction, the Galkin family made a sacred promise to protect our line and guard our legacy. That oath has been honored through generations. Today, it has been fulfilled. The threat that has haunted my family is eliminated. The blood feud that poisoned our history has ended. And it was a Galkin who stood beside me in the final battle."

Ivan's gaze shifts to me, and I feel the weight of every eye in the room following. "I request that the oldest royal tradition be observed one final time. That those who have fought and bled to protect the Rostova line be recognized for their loyalty and their sacrifice."

One by one, my captains step forward. They kneel before Ana, each man placing his fist over his heart in the traditional gesture of fealty. The words vary slightly, but the meaning is the same. They pledge their loyalty to Princess Anastasia Rostova Galkin and to the heir she carries. They swear to protect her with their lives, to honor her authority, to serve her family as they have served mine.

Ana stands perfectly still, her posture regal despite the tears gathering in her eyes. She acknowledges each man with a nod. This is who she was always meant to be, a woman worthy of the loyalty these hardened soldiers are offering her.

When the last captain has given his oath, I step forward. The room falls completely silent. I'm holding the ancestral Galkin sword. The weight of it feels different now, less like a burden and more like a promise.

I kneel before my wife. The position is unfamiliar. I don't kneel for anyone. But this moment requires it. This oath demands it.

I present the blade across my palms, the ancient steel gleaming in the light. "On behalf of the Galkin family, past and present and future, I renew our sacred vow. We will protect the Rostova bloodline for as long as either family exists. We will guard your legacy. We will ensure that your children and your children's children know peace and safety. This I swear on my life, on my honor, and on the blood that runs through my veins."

Ana's hands tremble slightly as she reaches down to touch the blade. Tears stream down her face now, but she doesn't try to hide them. "Rise, Samuil Galkin."

I stand, still holding the sword between us. Ana takes my free hand in both of hers and turns to face the assembled crowd. Her voice is steady when she speaks, carrying the authority of generations of Rostova royalty.

"From this day forward, the Rostovas and Galkins will stand together as one family. The old grudges are buried. The ancient feuds are finished. We are united in blood, in marriage, and in purpose. Anyone who threatens one of us threatens us all."

The room erupts in acknowledgment. Fists pound against chests. Voices rise in agreement. The sound is deafening, overwhelming, and absolutely right.

Ivan steps forward and embraces his daughter, then clasps my shoulder with genuine warmth. The gesture says everything that words can't. We're family now. Not just through marriage or political alliance, but through shared sacrifice and earned respect.

The celebration continues late into the evening, but eventually, the crowd disperses. The captains return to their duties. The household staff begins cleaning up. Ivan retires to his rooms, exhausted but satisfied.

Ana and I climb the stairs to our bedroom in silence. It's the first time we've been alone there since the battle, since Gregory's betrayal, since everything went to hell. I close the door behind us and lock it. For tonight, the rest of the world can fuck off.

Ana turns to face me, and the look in her eyes makes my chest tight. She's exhausted. Emotionally drained. But she's here, she's alive, and she's mine.

I cross the room and pull her into my arms. She comes willingly, pressing her face against my chest and wrapping her arms around my waist. We stand like that for a long time, just holding each other, grateful for the simple fact that we survived.

"I thought I was going to lose you," she whispers against my shirt. "During all of it. I kept thinking this was how it ended."

"I'm not going anywhere." I tighten my arms around her. "You're stuck with me, Princess."