Page 15 of Mafia Prince's Secret Baby

The line goes silent, and I think she’s hung up on me again. “What do you want?” she sighs finally, sounding defeated and tired. I’ve never heard her voice sound so small. She always gave the impression of being larger than life. “Will you forget about Sofiya if I take care of your men?”

“I don’t know under which rock you’ve been living, but that matter’s already settled,” I reply, noting that she’d break the law to keep me at bay. Maybe she offered to do it because she knows there was a mistrial and hoped I wasn’t aware yet.

“For now,” she replies. “I can use my connections to make the case go away. I give you my word that the prosecution will drop it.”

I stay silent for a moment, letting her think I’m considering it. The way her breathing changes is too much for me. I can’t hold it back anymore and laugh.

“You’re funny,” I tell her when I catch a breath. “It’s almost cute that you think you could bribe me into forgetting I have achild.”

“Just go back to New York,” she taunts. “We’re not discussing this anymore. There’s nothing to talk about.”

She again hangs up on me, and it takes all the strength within me not to toss the phone out the window and slam it against a random passerby.

If I were an irrational man, I would hunt her down, kidnap my daughter, and bring her to the States.

If Katya keeps pushing me, that’s exactly what I’ll do. I won’t let her get her way.

Now I’m annoyed as hell at how reckless I was six years ago to have unprotected sex. If I had put on a damn condom, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Still, she should’ve told me.

I mull my options over, weighing their benefits and risks. Katya’s probably hoping I’ll just up and leave, but I won’t abandon my child so easily. My blood flows through Sofiya’s veins. I don’t need to wait for Katya’s permission to see her.

It’s time I meet my daughter.

6

KATYA

Igor won’t give up. He won’t let it go.

I grab my bag, throw on my coat, and leave my office in a rush, my heels clicking against the marble floor. I have to get to Sofiya before he does.

Of course, the universe decides to test my patience. Right as I round the corner, I nearly collide withSud’yaKozlov, my colleague—the same sleazy asshole who’s been trying to weasel his way into a date for months.

“Sud’yaVolkov,” he says, his slimy smile plastered across his face as he deliberately steps into my path.

“Sud’yaKozlov,” I reply, my urgency dissolving under the weight of my irritation. I force a polite smile, though it feels like my jaw might crack.

“If I knew you had such urgency to see me, I would’ve come sooner,” he jokes, completely misreading—or ignoring—my obvious attempt to escape.

God, why does every man feel entitled to make everything about himself? Another selfish prick. Just what I needed to top off my already hellish day.

“What do you want?” I snap, my tone sharper than I intended. “I’m in a rush.”

He either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. His grin only widens as he steps closer, his beer belly practically invading my personal space.

“You know what I want,” he says, his voice dripping with misplaced confidence.

I don’t back away, refusing to yield. Instead, I lift my chin and stare him down, my forced smile vanishing into thin air.

“You and I sharing a nice meal. What do you say?”

“I don’t date coworkers,” I say flatly, shuffling around him before he can trap me further.

I don’t stop walking until I reach the elevator. As soon as the doors close behind me, I finally exhale the breath I’ve been holding. God, I hate dealing with idiots like Kozlov. I love my job. But the people who come with it, that’s a whole other matter.

Shaking it off, I speed toward the park where Sofiya spends her afternoons with Annette, our English au pair. I have to see her, hold her, make sure she’s safe. I need to remind myself that Igor can’t take her from me. She’s mine. She’s always been mine. And I willendhim before I let him change that.

Soon, I spot her on the swings, her laughter cutting through the noise of the other children playing nearby. Annette is close, keeping a watchful eye.

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