Page 95 of Baby for the Bratva King

My father sits back in the interview chair and the footage begins.

A camera was hanging above us on the restroom ceiling, and it caught the whole thing; the door bursting open, me running out; Fleur accidentally dropping the pregnancy test and rushing after me. The feed is only twenty seconds long, but it confirms everything.

That test belongs to me.

“Saskia is a whore,” says one member in the audience. “How do we know this child is Felix’s?”

“Because my daughters are not whores.” My father shoots the man a glare. He drops his shoulders, allowing himself to relax. “You are all entitled to your opinions, but only one person in this room knows the truth. Saskia is in trouble, and Felix is slowly draining the life out of her.”

I turn to Felix, gauging his reaction. His eyes are conflicted, jaw twitching as he stares hard at the screen.

For a man who is notoriously known for being unbothered, he sure looks bothered.

25

FELIX

Perhaps Vesper has a point. What if I’m slowly bleeding Saskia dry?

We make love and melt into each other’s bodies, but I’m bad for her. I know who I am, and who my father was. It’s in our blood to destroy.

I follow in my father’s footsteps and indulge, but by doing that, I hurt those around me.

Unfortunately, Saskia is naturally drawn to me because I’m everything she never had. I give her what she needs, I shower her with affection. And now we’re both losing ourselves.

Before I even met Saskia in person, I knew I was going to be tested. Hard worker. Wants the money more than she wants me. Her ignorance was refreshing. She spoke to my body in weird ways, shedding light on everything I never knew I was missing.

Raw, real human connection is something I never truly had. Yusen died as a child, but I was a teenager back then. I’m forty-four years old now. I’ve lived my whole adult life never knowing what love means.

But now I know.

It means destroying yourself. When love is so strong, you allow yourself to slip. You allow others to win and claim victory.

Love is about losing, and now I’m slowly losing my business, the Bratva; even Saskia and the connection we created together will soon disappear into oblivion.

And what will remain? Shells. People like Vesper Brouwer who don’t know what it means to love will rise, and everything else will burn…

Even maybe my heir.

Saskia’s phone pings, endless notifications coming through. She slips it from her pocket, pupils zigzagging across the screen.

I rip the device from her grasp, checking her social media. Whore. Gold digger. Classic fucking insults coming from anonymous users.

I delete the notifications, handing the phone back. “You’re none of these things.”

“I carelessly brought a life into existence because I forgot to take emergency birth control.”

“What?”

“I was too busy thinking about you,” says Saskia, dabbing more tears away. “Losing my own mind.”

I compose myself, unclenching my hands, my jaw. Anger is of no use to me now. “I’m going to visit your father. Stay here.”

“No, Felix. The allegations. It could ruin⁠—”

“And your father is ruining you. Take a look at your reflection in the mirror, sweetheart, all the tears. I’m no better than Vesper, but your father needs shaking up. He can’t use you and the baby as entertainment.” I watch her closely, noting her shaking jaw, her terrified eyes. “We could be parents.”

“We’re not fit to raise kids, Felix.”