Page 16 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride
Even hearing those words connected in the same sentence felt like a slap to the face while it cut through my disbelief. I had the feeling an actual slap would’ve hurt less.
I was supposed to marry him?
I shook my head and could do nothing to wrap my head around it.
“What are you talking about? How…what makes you think you can decide that for me?” I questioned, struggling to stay afloat in the confusion.
Dad sighed, and the previous tenderness slipped away, revealing at last his true intention behind it all. Behind his efforts. “I know you’ve gotten used to your freedom, but this isn’t up for discussion. This is for the best for everyone involved.”
My heart pounded against my ribs, and for a moment, I couldn’t feel my legs, even while sitting.
There was no way…it sounded insane, almost like he was speaking absolute gibberish.
The best for everyone involved…how was that possibly the truth?
So many questions were sitting at the forefront of my mind, but I couldn’t form the words to get them out. He couldn’t be serious. He couldn’t be.
“How did you ever think I’d be okay with this? This is insane,” I returned, feeling as my hands shook beneath the table.
“You don’t need to be okay with it, my dear. Just accept your responsibility. I promise you, everything will be taken care of. You won’t need to work a day in your life again.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? Not working is supposed to fix the fact that you want me to marry someone I’ve spoken to once?” I demanded, feeling the anger and fear melding together in my chest. “Do you know what year it is?”
Dad sighed again, tone vaguely dismissive, like he didn’t want the conversation to stretch on too long. “It’s for the family. For the business. As you can surely guess, Valentin and the other Novikovs are well-connected. His influence and wealth will ensure you’re well taken care of.”
Business…
How was a marriage possibly about business? How did that have anything to do with his work?
I stared at him with nothing short of a dumbfounded expression. “This is my life, Dad, not a business deal. You can’t just…make arrangements like this for me and assume it’s fine.”
My life…my future, my choices, my freedom. It all meant as much as a monetary play to him—that much was clear.
Every part of me wanted to scream and push back against him, but one look at his face told me everything I needed to know.
It wasn’t up for debate.
After a long stretch of silence pulsed between us, I swallowed hard and shook my head. “I’m not doing this…I won’t.”
As much as it seemed like he wanted to soften the blow, his eyes only hardened a touch more. “You don’t have a choice. Not anymore. There’s no need to make a scene here.”
Those words stung harder than anything I had experienced before, and that betrayal sat heavily in my chest.
Without thinking, I stood, scraping the chair back against the stone terrace. “No…this is ridiculous. I’m not something you can negotiate over. I won’t—”
But just as I lifted my gaze with the intention of leaving, two guards with heavy, burly builds crowded me, forcing my head up just to look at them. They completely blocked the way out.
A flicker of fear raced through me, kickstarting my heart. I couldn’t leave.
While dread consumed me, I glanced at Dad, suddenly seeing nothing but the cold and calculating business tycoon underneath.
“I’m sorry, Tatiana…but you will marry Valentin Novikov.”
Chapter 7 - Val
Arranging a wedding wasn’t something I ever thought I’d be doing—especially not my own.
Not that I was looking too deeply into the gritty details myself, but I had enough of a hand in it to know that things were going smoothly, and soon enough, Tia would be completely mine.
