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22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Aleksandr

The morning light streamed through the curtains, creating a soft glow over the room. Talia is asleep in my bed. The frown lines etched into her forehead suggest she isn't sleeping peacefully. Quietly, I tiptoed past her and ducked into the bathroom. I strip off the clothes I've been wearing since yesterday and turn the shower on. Steam fogs up the mirror as I examine the dark circles under my eyes. I didn't get much sleep last night on my office sofa.

I stepped under the stream of hot water, placing my palms on the cool tiles, allowing the water to ease the tension in my shoulders. All night, I thought about the baby, wondering if it was mine. Dr. Daria will be here soon to examine Talia, so we'll find out soon enough.

When I finished showering, I dressed in my favorite blue suit and stepped quietly into the bedroom. Talia was sitting up, examining her wounded shoulder. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted me, blazing with defiance.

"Good morning," I greeted calmly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'd feel much better if you'd let me leave this place," she huffed.

I ignored that remark, not wanting to get into an argument first thing in the morning. "Are you hungry? I can have Abram bring you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," she pouted, turning her face away from me.

"Talia, you must eat to keep up your strength and heal. Plus, the baby needs the nutrition."

She peeked at me from under her long lashes. "I am a little hungry."

I stood and walked toward the door. "Good. Abram will bring you breakfast." Pausing in the doorway, I turned to face her. "By the way, Dr. Daria is coming this morning to examine you. And she'll be performing a paternity test on the baby."

"Oh no, she won't!" she yelled. "I'm finished with you telling me what to do. This is my baby, and we're leaving right now!" Sitting up quickly, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed. Before she could take a step, I was at her side.

"Talia," I growled. "You're going to get back in that bed, eat breakfast, and allow Dr. Daria to examine you."

There is no way I'm letting this woman leave. The beast rose up in my chest, and fire burned behind my eyes. She's mine. And she's never leaving this mansion.

She shrunk back slightly, then squared her shoulders, leaving us staring at each other in a heated standoff. Reluctantly, she crawled back into the bed.

"Fine, I'll let the doctor examine me, but just so we're clear, Aleksandr, you don't own me."

"That's what you think," I replied through clenched teeth. "Nikolai!" I yelled.

Nikolai rushed into the bedroom, looking around for danger. His eyes landed on Talia, her face beet red with anger. " Pakhan? Is everything okay?" His eyes darted from Talia to me and back again.

"Watch her," I ordered. "She is not to leave this room until Dr. Daria gets here."

I left them alone and stormed off to my office.

Dr. Daria finished performing the paternity test and momentarily stepped out of the room.

Talia sat on the examination table, rubbing the bird tattoo on her wrist with her thumb. "You don't believe you're the father," she stated bluntly, her voice clipped with frustration.

"It could be Danny's or any other man's baby. We'll know in a few days." I straightened the cufflink on my crisp white button-down shirt, maintaining a cool exterior. The possessive beast in me decided that it didn't matter who the baby belonged to; Talia was staying with me. But the reality is that if the baby belongs to another man, Talia will want to leave. A slow, burning rage sparked in my core at the thought of losing her.

Dr. Daria returned and examined the wound on Talia's shoulder. I observed her movements with calculated interest, a flicker of concern tightening my chest.

"Take it easy, rest," Dr. Daria advised, her gaze penetrating as she addressed Talia. "The wound will heal, but you're dehydrated. Drink and eat. Stress isn't good for you—or the baby."

"Yes, doctor, thank you," Talia replied gently. She cradled her stomach as I wrestled with the need to have Talia and the baby belong to me.

Pulling me aside, Dr. Daria gave me explicit instructions on how to care for Talia. "She's in a fragile state. She's about ten weeks pregnant and needs to rest and stay calm. Keep her comfortable and make sure she drinks plenty of fluids. I'll recheck her in a few days."

"I want to remind you that no one is to know the results of the paternity test except for me. This remains confidential information."

"Yes, of course," Dr. Daria agreed, glancing at Talia. She left the room without another word.

"Let's get you back to bed," I encouraged, helping Talia off the examination table.

Talia led the way back to her bedroom and sat gingerly on the edge. Her gaze flitted restlessly around the room as I stood in the doorway. "Abram will bring you something to eat and drink. Get some rest."

"I want to see Sandy. She needs to know why I didn't meet her," Talia asserted, her eyes hard as flint.

"You're staying here," I replied sharply, my patience thinning like paper. "For your safety."

Talia's hands balled into fists, her anger palpable. "Safety? This is a prison, Aleksandr!"

Her accusation stung, but I hardened myself against it. "You're here because someone wants you dead. And the sooner we get answers about Mikhail's death, the sooner we'll catch the sonofabitch that killed him. That's when you can leave." It was a bald-faced lie. She's never leaving me. But she is safe here, safer than she'd be anywhere else.

I turned on my heel, intent on leaving her to stew. The sound of the TV remote shattering against the wall punctuated her frustration. The scattered fragments lay in a pile at my feet. She needed to speak to Sandy to unravel the tangle of miscommunication. Her voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"I need to see Sandy," she repeated, punctuating each word.

"Sandy will understand," I replied evenly, trying to quell the tension between us.

Talia's eyes flashed with frustration, her voice tinged with desperation. "You can't keep me here forever, Aleksandr."

I took a step closer, the distance between us closing like an unspoken promise. "I'm trying to protect you, Talia."

She stared at me stone-faced, the echo of her frustration lingering in the air. Until we find Mikhail's killer, she isn't safe; the baby isn't safe. They're mine, and nothing on Earth will stop me from protecting them both.

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