Chapter 25 He looks at me intensely . I can feel heat rising to my cheeks . Then his gaze moves to my belly , and my face catches fire . Hes not implying what I think he is , right ? Hes not saying his talent is- I guess I consider myself a family man . Thank God . Is that so ? I mumble around a forkful of duck . If stuffing my face ungracefully is what it takes to keep my stupid mouth from voicing my embarrassing thoughts , then so be it . Ill make the sacrifice . Mm , he hums in response . Bratva means brotherhood . Its not a family , not by any means but its the closest thing you can get without blood in the mix . So like a found family ? I perk up . Finally , a topic I can relate to . Theres no such thing . My enthusiasm shatters . Pardon ? Matvey sets down his fork and knife . Theres no such thing as family without blood ties , he repeats darkly , staring at me with those stormy eyes of his . The concept alone is ridiculous . Whatever warmth Id felt instantly plummets . Is that so ? I squeak . Of course , Matvey asserts . Family means trust . And you cant trust anyone who isnt blood . Youd be at fool to ever try . I think of June , holding back tears in our apartment . Of Elias , whos been more of a father to me than my . own ever was . Of … What about Petra ? I ask , not a trace of warmth left in my voice . Matvey sneers . Petras an ally . Shell never be family . You were supposed to get married . A mutually beneficial arrangement , he concedes . Nothing more . Nothing ? I press in disbelief . This whole tirade its just about the saddest thing Ive ever heard . Trusting no one ? Treating your friends like pieces on a chessboard ? What stone cold way to live is that ? It must show on my face , because a mocking smirk suddenly blooms on Matveys lips . Nothing worth mentioning , anyway . 25.0 % Chapter 25 I fist my dress . So it wasnt all business after all . I force myself to take a breath . Theres no reason to get worked up over this , I tell myself sternly . Either Matveys messing with me in which case , I wont give him the satisfaction of taking the bait or his arrangement with Petra is slightly more than what Yuri made it out to be . And if it is , so what ? Whats it to me if Matvey Grozas having fun with his bride to be ? I see . I answer coldly . Honestly , it makes sense . It was silly of me to think hed leave a woman like Petra untouched in the first place . He didnt hold back with plain old me ; why should he have held back with someone who so clearly belongs on the cover of Vogue ? I get that . I do , truly . What I dont get is why this bothers me so goddamn much . I hear you two met , Matvey mentions casually . Like hes talking about the weather or something . I trust she behaved . I could tell him my hand still hurts . That Ive actually had to ice it after that harpy was done with it . Instead , I tuck it in . I may be new to this Bratva thing , but I know how the mob feels about snitches . And say what you want about me , but Ive never been a snitch . Charming . I reply with my fakest smile . Ive already made myself very clear with her anyway . What about ? Matveys eyes pry into me from the other side of the table . Once again , I feel incredibly small . A rabbit in the clutches of a wolf . Youre carrying my child , April . My blood . And as long as thats true , no one will be allowed to hurt you . It would almost be romantic . It would almost make me feel warm again . Instead , all I can think of is that teensy little disclaimer in the middle of his promise : As long as thats true . And after ? Matvey remains unfazed . After , he answers , clearing away our plates , youll be the mother . He makes it sound so simple . None of this is easy to me , though . 21:40 And what does that mean to you ? I force myself to ask . If I have to spend my time here wondering whether Matvey Grozas gonna get rid of me once Ive served my purpose , Im going to drive myself crazy . Everything . Matveys standing now , looking for all intents and purposes like a predator ready to jump . But he doesnt . He just walks to the fridge and plucks two small trays . Then he continues , Blood is everything to me , April . Thats why Im here tonight why Im planning to be here every night . I want my child to grow up with a family . He pauses to place the trays on the table . And that starts with this . Dinner ? I blurt out . Family dinner . He sits back down . For a moment , I retreat inside my thoughts . Thats a tradition of yours , I take it ? The opposite , Matvey clarifies . I never had the chance . That takes me by surprise . I cant understand this man at all his motives , his reasoning . And yet , I can understand this : wanting to be different from the people who raised you . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!