Chapter 25 - Clara

Uncle Giorgio's men swarm into the room and I watch in panic as they surround Alexei and take him down, cuffing him and shoving him into the corner of the room.

"Uncle Giorgio, please let him go—don't do this." Tears are streaming down my face because I can't stand by and watch them hurt the man I love.

"Shut up, Clara. Is this the man who took you? Did he…is he responsible?"

I know he's asking about the baby, thinking that—shit.

I have to tell him.

But if I tell him Alexei is the one who kidnapped me, he might do horrible things to him. How do I make him understand? How can I keep Alexei safe?

I look between my uncle and Alexei. Back and forth, back and forth, trying to figure out how to calm this horrible situation down.

"Clara, speak, for fuck's sake. Is this the man who took you? Was he trying to take you again?" Uncle Giorgio yells loudly, and I flinch at the impact of his temper.

Then I get angry with myself.

Pull yourself together, Clara. You promised yourself you would be different. You promised yourself you would be stronger.

I look at Alexei with pain in my eyes, staring at him for a long time and hoping with every cell in my body that he understands and forgives me for what I am about to do.

"Alexei is the one who took me, yes," I confess, my heart leaping into my throat.

My uncle's temper flares, and he pulls a knife from his belt, running at Alexei.

I bolt forward and block him. "Stop," I scream. "Stop. Let me talk. Listen for a second."

Uncle Giorgio doesn't take his eyes off Alexei, but he speaks to me. "What? What is so important? Hurry up," he hisses.

"I could've left so many times—I could have come home if I wanted to. I chose to stay there. I wanted to be there. He kidnapped me, but then…it changed. I didn't want to go home." I'm struggling to explain this crazy thing that happened.

How do you tell someone you fell in love with the man who kidnapped you and not sound crazy when you say it?

"I'll fucking kill him." Uncle Giorgio doesn't seem to care that I wanted to be there. He doesn't seem to understand that I chose it.

"You can't," I scream as he tries to push forward again.

"Give me one good reason," he snarls, ready to pounce.

"Because he's the father of my baby. It's him. You can't kill him," I say desperately.

Giorgio spins towards me with shock burning in his eyes. They are wide and his brows are high. "This man is the father, and you chose this?" he sounds disgusted.

"I chose him," I say gently, my eyes move from Uncle Giorgio to behind him—to Alexei.

Alexei is staring at me with his jaw hanging open. His brows are also raised high. I don't know what he's thinking. I can't read it. I can see shock, but I don't know if it's good or bad.

My heart sinks low, into my stomach, flipping and churning like a wild array of butterflies has just erupted inside me.

"Alexei?" I say carefully.

He doesn't speak.

I walk around Uncle Giorgio to Alexei's side. I take his wrists in my hands and start untying the restraints. "Alexei?"

"You're pregnant?" his voice is barely a whisper.

"Yes," I nod.

"Don't fucking untie him. Don't let him go. I didn't say you could do that," Uncle Giorgio is yelling again.

He doesn't seem to care about the baby—he doesn't even seem to be able to see that I am in love.

I turn to face him. It's time for me to stand up to him properly.

I've been living fearfully in his shadow for too long.

I'm going to be a mother. Regardless of anything else, I have to be stronger, braver and louder about what I want.

"You clearly don't care about the fact that I am carrying this man's child, but think about the alliance. If you don't have the heart to think about anything else, think about your business. The way your business has grown since joining forces with the Dubrovs. You've been benefiting immensely. Whether your ego will let you admit that or not, you know it's true. So, no—you cannot do anything to Alexei." I speak loud and clear, making sure he hears every word.

I feel Alexei's hand run down my back. I feel the heat of his body against me.

"Clara is right. At least think about the alliance. She was safe the entire time she was with me. I shouldn't have done what I did, but at the end of the day, she chose to stay. Your niece is a very strong and incredible woman—"

"Stop. Stop talking," Uncle Giorgio snarls angrily.

He is pacing up and down my bedroom.

He turns to the guards. "Take him to the cellar. Restrain him again. He is going to pay for what he did."

The guards pull Alexei away from me and I shout in panic. I beg my uncle to stop. I beg him to see reason, but he pushes me back onto the bed and tells me to shut up.

Then all of them disappear out of my room and I am left alone, in shock, terrified of what is about to happen to the father of my child.

I have to think of something.

I need to stop this.

I need to save him.

I run back and forth in my room as my thoughts spin around in chaotic, useless waves.

Then suddenly, I know. I know what to do.

From my closet, I grab a beautiful dress. Red. Glittering and elegant.

I toss my clothes off and pull the dress over my head.

Quickly, I pull my hair up into a bun. It's messy and a little wild, but it will have to do.

Then I bolt downstairs.

I am going to a party.

The guests are all laughing loudly, music drifting through the garden and the living room as they dance and talk. I smile as I push past them, saying hello, pretending to be super happy. Ignoring the terrible dread in my heart.

One of my uncle's guards is watching me closely. I have to do this before he has a chance to stop me.

Up near the DJ booth, I whisper in the DJ's ear, and he stops the music, handing me a microphone.

I giggle nervously. Holding it in my shaking hands, I lift it to my mouth.

"Hello," I say, and my voice grabs everyone's attention over the speakers.

I blush as they all turn to look at me.

"Hello," I say again. "Thank you all for coming out tonight. I am so glad you are all here, because I have some really exciting news to share with everyone." A little murmur goes through the crowd. The bodyguard runs out of the party, obviously going to find my uncle.

"Tonight is a very special night for me, because I got engaged to the most amazing man in the world—and we are going to have a baby together," I say excitedly.

"Alexei, where are you?" I say into the crowd. "My gorgeous fiancé—we wanted to share the news with you."

The crowd erupts in applause and shouts of congratulations fill the party. I look around as though I am waiting for him to come and join me. Obviously, he isn't here, and after a moment the crowd starts getting overexcited.

"Okay, let me go find him, then we will come and mingle and say hi to everyone." I giggle, then hand the microphone back to the DJ.

I skip off the stage, back into the crowd, surrounded by people who are wishing me all the happiness in the world.

From the back of the party I see my uncle walk through the door with a look on his face that I can only describe as absolute defeat. Rage and defeat.

Next to him is Alexei. I walk to both of them happily.

The guard obviously told him what I just did—that, or he heard it all himself.

Now he has to play along.

He has to be the happy uncle who knew about it the entire time.

Otherwise, he will look like a fool.

He walks through the crowd and I watch as his allies and friends congratulate him, and he plasters a smile on his face.

Alexei comes straight over to me. I can see he has a hundred questions he wants to ask, but my uncle is right there next to him, and we are surrounded by all of the guests.

So we play along. I stand close to him, and he wraps his arm around me—the loving couple, about to be married.

Uncle Giorgio follows us around the party and pours champagne for the guys and sparkling grape juice for me as we toast, and the entire party turns into our engagement party.

Alexei's brothers and his sister, Anya, are the only ones who don't look convinced. They aren't saying anything to go against the announcement, but I can tell by the way they are watching us that they know something else is going on here.

I guess what I just did was kind of crazy, but it worked. It stopped my uncle dead in his tracks with whatever he was about to do to Alexei.

Alexei is the most brilliant actor. He is all over me, holding me, brushing his hands over my cheeks, leaning down to kiss me at every opportunity he has. He is the perfect fiancé. I guess he has to be the best actor here because he knows his life depends on it at this point.

It's really difficult having him this close to me but not really knowing what is going on between us. He knows about the pregnancy, but I have no idea what his thoughts are regarding it. We haven't had even a second alone to discuss it, and every time I try to pull him to the side where we can talk, someone interrupts us. And my uncle—he's always nearby.

Leon is glaring at me, and Yefim and Oleg have been staying close. I am not sure why, but they seem on high alert.

My plan worked to stop Uncle Giorgio from hurting Alexei, but it has clearly caused some other issues.

I am going to have to sort this out.

I have to resolve this once and for all.

I march straight over to Oleg and Leon, who are standing together.

"Oleg."

"Clara." He glares at me.

"Can you please join me for a meeting in the upstairs sunroom? Please bring all of your brothers, and Anya. I think we need to talk."

"Yes, I think we do need to talk. I will get everyone together and head up there right away."

"Thank you."

"What are you doing?" Alexei asks, having overheard everything.

"I'm fixing this," I say, biting my lower lip nervously. I have no idea what to say to everyone, but I guess I'll figure it out once I'm there. "Come, we have to get Uncle Giorgio upstairs, too."

Alexei follows me back towards Giorgio.

"Uncle Giorgio, the Dubrov siblings are headed upstairs to the sunroom. I've asked for a private meeting with them all. Please, will you join us?"

He leans close to my ear. "You've left me no choice but to agree, haven't you, girl?" he hisses.

I take a deep breath. There is no point in even replying to that.

I grab Alexei's hand and start heading towards the sunroom.

My stomach is twisting nervously.

But this has to happen. For my baby.