Page 2 of Married to the Bratva

Her voice softens. “Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. Just… promise me you’ll think it through.”

“I will. I promise.”

I hang up and shove the phone into my bag, my pulse pounding in my ears. The bathroom feels too small, the air too thick.

I open the door, expecting to see Evan waiting for me, but the hallway is empty. The only sound comes from the bedroom.

What is that sound?

“Evan?” I call, my voice trembling with sudden dread. “Lila?”

My feet move before my brain can catch up, rushing me down the hall and through the half-open bedroom door.

Lila is on her knees, her blonde hair spilling forward like a veil, hiding her face as her head bobs in a rhythm that makes my stomach churn.

My breath snags in my throat, the sound of it loud in the suffocating silence.

Then Evan sees me staring. His eyes widen, panic flashing across his face as he stumbles back, his cock swinging obscenely like a grotesque punchline to this sick joke.

“I thought you were still getting ready,” he says.

“I’ll just head back to the bathroom, shall I?” The words tear out of me, sharp and brittle, as I laugh—a sound so hollow it makes my chest ache. “Give you two some privacy to finish up?”

Lila jerks back like I’ve slapped her, her wide, guilt-filled eyes shimmering with tears. Her lips part, then press together, opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Sophie,” she tries, her voice soft, pleading.

But for once in my life, I interrupt her.

“How long?” My voice is cold. “And don’t lie to me. Not this time.”

Her gaze drops to the floor, her face pale, her hands trembling as they clutch the edge of her dress. The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, before she finally whispers, “Six months.”

The words hit like a sledgehammer, knocking the air from my lungs. Six months. Half a year of stolen moments, of lies, of betrayal. I laugh again, a sharp, bitter sound that makes her flinch.

“Six months,” I repeat, the taste of the words sour on my tongue. “And you let me plan a wedding, buy a dress, and stand there smiling like you cared.”

Lila looks up, tears spilling down her cheeks now. “It wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t mean?—”

“Don’t.” My voice cuts through hers like a whip. “Don’t you dare try to explain this away. You don’t ‘accidentally’ crawl into bed with someone’s fiancé for six months.”

Her mouth closes, trembling as more tears fall, and for the first time, I see her for what she really is: not the friend I thought I had, but a stranger who never cared enough to stop.

And Evan?

My stomach turns as I glance at him, standing there with his pants still half-undone, his face a picture of awkward guilt.

“You.” I turn on him, my voice shaking with fury I can barely contain. “Was I just a convenience? A safety net while you had your fun with her? A joke?”

He shrugs. “Men have needs and you don’t exactly put out a lot. What do you want me to say?”

“Nothing,” I say, like I’m seeing the real him for the first time, seeing him the way Grandma does. I shake my head, the weight of betrayal crashing over me like a wave.

“I hope it was worth it,” I add, my voice low but sharp, as I turn and walk out without looking back.

2

SOPHIE

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