Page 62 of My Ex’s Dad

“Oh, shut up!” Elena sneers at Liliana. “Shut. Up! You are. You think you can weasel your way close to him! And trick him into knocking you up all so you can have a baby to distract him with.” Elena wags her finger at Liliana as Viktor forces Elena to retreat. “I know exactly what you’re doing. You’re nothing but a slut. A homewrecker trying to break up my family.”

“That’s enough.” I don’t shout it, but the finality in my voice that has others backing up. All the Sokolov guards know that tone all too well, and they move in to keep Elena away.

Before I can turn to Liliana and focus on her, Roman’s there, shaking his head, his hands on his hips. “You’re pregnant?” he demands.

“Get out of my way,” I tell him, blocking him with my arm as I pull Liliana closer to me. She slips up against me, fitting so perfectly at my side.

“It’s mine,” Roman decides with a haughty laugh. Like his mother, he’s livid too, but he’s trying to twist this to his favor.

“No, it’s not,” Liliana argues. She advances, but I don’t let her get too close to him.

“The fuck it’s not! We were together for a year,” my son taunts. “That’s my kid!” He scowls at me, loathing pouring off him.

“It’s not!” Liliana insists. She’s not screaming, but the distress that laces her words bothers me. “When I learned that you were sleeping with my best friend for who knows how long, I got tested. Because of you, I was terrified you gave me something—a disease or a baby. This is not your child.” She hugs herself, stacking her arms over her abdomen. The action isn’t lost on me. She’s already this defensive and protective of this new life we’ve formed in the heat of the moment, from a reckless night neither of us expected.

I snap my fingers and glance at the nearest guard. He doesn’t need to be told what I want. With another Sokolov guard, he blocks Roman off from us, and I turn Liliana to leave with me.

“I’m sorry⁠—”

“Shhh.” I clutch her closer, my arm around her shoulders as I steer her to go. I was possessive of her before, but now that I know she’s carrying my child, I can’t imagine ever letting her go. “Let’s go.”

She sighs, leaning into me as I lead her toward the exit. Viktor must have already gotten Elena away, because he’s coming toward us as we make for the doors. He holds out my coat and hers, but I make sure she’s bundled into hers before we take another step.

Holding her hand, I revel in the news all over again as I lead her to the car. Now that the commotion of Elena’s and Roman’s reactions is over, I can’t think about anything else.

Liliana is pregnant.

This gorgeous woman is going to give me a son or daughter.

I smile as I help her into the car, and the moment I slide into the backseat beside her, I gather her close and grin. I’m bringing her home, where I can start the lifelong work of providing for her and our child.

25

LILIANA

“I’m sorry,” I say as the car pulls away. I’m not sure if Anton hears me. My voice is muffled as he hugs me close. “I’m⁠—”

He helps me up and cups my face. “I’m not.”

I blink, daring to believe my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me after all. When Elena accused me of not drinking because I was pregnant and forced the news out of me, I could’ve sworn Anton looked happy.

Shocked.

Confused.

But that hint of a smile felt like a trick of the light. Like I was willing him to be happy about a baby instead of angry that I hadn’t told him.

“I’m not sorry at all.” He’s definitely smiling now. As he comes close to kiss me, a little voice in the back of my mind gets louder.

“You’re not?” I check, pulling back so he can’t dull my senses with a kiss.

He shakes his head, holding my hand. “No.”

“Why not?”

He furrows his brow. “You want me to be mad?”

I open and close my mouth, unsure what I want or what I can even say. This isn’t how I imagined it happening. I’m still reeling from the panic of being put on the spot.