Chapter 18 - Vivian

I was more than happy for the chance to spend time with Ari and to show off some of my skills, especially since I felt in my element again. His clumsiness was the cherry on top.

Ari was a wall of muscle—brutal in both size and strength. But he couldn't play tennis to save his life, and that was just fine with me. I did as much as I could to conceal how funny it was to watch him fumble around the court, but in truth, it made the experience even better.

After our break, we made our way back to our places, and I was feeling good for the most part, even if I had something plaguing my mind.

From his side, Ari bounced the tennis ball against the ground several times, and he looked contemplative. "Do you think your brothers would ever take over your dad's business?"

As I digested that question, I couldn't help but get the feeling he was trying to make some sort of connection. It seemed like he had been testing the waters with his previous question, which I initially brushed off until I put those pieces together.

I was concerned about why he would be asking about my family, but at the same time, I didn't mind answering. It was good for us to be transparent with each other, even if the topic was a sore spot for me. However, his prying gave me a funny feeling.

"Since Dad never let them in on any crucial information before, I wouldn't think so," I answered, standing in position while I waited for him to serve the ball. "But I can't say anything for sure."

"And you're sure he wouldn't have a change of heart?" he asked, finally sending the ball to my side.

Tracking it, I aimed and swung my racket, sending it right back. "He didn't seem interested in changing his mind before. That's why they were always frustrated with him."

Ari did his best to not trip over his own feet as he went after the ball, managing to return it, much to his delight.

Even if Ari was out of his depth and not the best competitor to play against, I was still having fun. Ever since he came back home the night before and was determined to have a good weekend with just the two of us, I was more than happy about it.

Although, I hadn't forgotten about the positive pregnancy test, and I knew it would have to come up eventually. That night would've been the perfect time, but Ari seemed so relieved to be done with work and excited to focus on just us. I didn't want to sour the mood if a child wasn't something he wanted yet.

We were doing much better than before, and Ari was certainly putting in the work to make something genuine happen between us, but throwing a newborn into the mix would complicate everything. Especially since we were still working out the kinks.

I couldn't hide the news forever, but I was trying to put it in the back of my mind in the meantime.

I wanted to enjoy our time together, even if hiding it from Ari was slowly eating at me.

When the tennis ball eventually hit his side of the court, Ari chased after it in a light jog. "That's interesting. Usually, kingpins train their sons to take over the business…"

As much as I was trying to answer his questions to the best of my abilities, I couldn't ignore the skepticism moving through me. I didn't know what he was getting at, but seeing as he didn't ask about them often, he had to be on to something he wasn't sharing with me.

"I suppose so," I murmured, watching as he bounced the tennis ball several times before catching it again.

As he looked at it in his hand, many thoughts moved through his eyes as if fighting some internal battle. He squeezed it, looked like he was about to serve it, then didn't. His hesitation was worrying me.

Ari let go of a deep breath and looked over at me. "If they were to surround this place right now and ask you to come with them, would you?"

My brows furrowed at that, confused as to what he was talking about, and I relaxed out of my poised position. "What?"

I genuinely wasn't expecting him to ask me anything like that. He didn't seem to work in hypotheticals, and seeing how much it seemed to weigh on him, I knew something was up.

He ran a hand down his face, gazing at me with an expression I couldn't read. "What I mean is, would your loyalty be with me or with them?"

Aware of how much weight that question carried, I knew I had to get to the bottom of his questions. I didn't understand why all of that mattered so suddenly.

"What's going on, Ari?" I asked, approaching the net again.

Ari looked away, not meeting my eyes like he normally did. It seemed out of character for him as he absently fiddled with the tennis racket. "I shouldn't concern you with this…"

But that only made me more concerned. Lifting the net, I walked beneath it so that nothing stood between us. With the game completely out of our minds, I looked at him directly.

"If something is happening with my family, I should know about it," I said, determined not to be left in the dark.

I didn't mind not knowing the gritty details of his work, and I honestly preferred it that way. But knowing how things went down with my family, I felt like I had a right to at least be told if anything was going on.

If we were married and planning on making it mean something, then I didn't want there to be any glaring secrets between us. Even if I wasn't the greatest at following that philosophy myself just yet.

Ari still didn't say as he bounced the ball, only to let it go as it rolled across the court aimlessly. "I know, and you're right. It's just…I don't want you to worry any more than you need to."

"But now I'm going to worry until you tell me," I told him, hoping he could hear my sincerity. "I don't mind answering your questions. I just want to know why you're asking in the first place."

Knowing I was right, he sighed and looked at me as if I had worn him down. "Alright. We've been getting reports lately of your family looking into us. We're still monitoring the situation, and we haven't pinpointed exactly who it is, but it seems like they're trying to gain insight into our operations."

Those words settled into my skin, hitting me at once.

While it wasn't a complete surprise due to the way Ari had stormed into our home and forced everyone into submission, I couldn't imagine any of my family going to that extreme or planning anything against the Levovs.

It would complicate everything.

Not knowing what to say, I could only think about what that would mean, and how that might make our situation worse.

Ari relaxed his shoulders at my visible shock, and he reached for my free hand. While he seemed empathetic, his eyes were serious and almost silently pleading. "Vivian, I need to know. What would you do if they tried to interfere?"

The question hit me even harder after knowing more about it.

In the beginning, I would've gladly gone with them. I had been silently begging for them to come take me back home, even if I'd be returning right back to the poor situation I was already in. A part of me wanted to believe they would do that for me, but as time passed, I assumed they wouldn't.

But if they really were out there, looking for an angle to get me back, I didn't know how to feel about it. It was a bittersweet thought now.

Before, I thought there was nobody worse than Ari. I thought he was a brutal monster who only cared about landing on top. But with time, and after we managed to connect after everything, I realized he was so much more than that.

Beneath that hard, mob-boss exterior, there was a gentle, thoughtful man who was actively doing everything he could to not only earn my trust but also to make me feel the love and affection I had never known before.

There were more layers to him than he let show, especially around others, but with me, he was becoming someone I missed when he wasn't home. His touch made me feel some type of way, and there was certainly no denying the mutual attraction.

He made me see how being his wife wasn't the worst punishment in the world, and with his child actively growing inside me, there were too many elements to consider all at once. I had no idea what my brothers would do if they knew I was pregnant, or what Ari would do, for that matter.

If they were to interfere…I didn't know what I'd do.

My stomach turned at the thought, knowing Ari was still waiting for a response.

But as that nausea cloaked me completely, forcing me to cover my mouth with a hand as my skin went cold, it took everything in my power to hold it down.

Concern stitched Ari's brows together as he inspected me closely, reaching out to steady me on my uncertain feet.

"Vivian?" he questioned, dropping everything else to make sure I was alright.

All the while, I couldn't stomach the idea of having to choose between my blood and the man who was trying his hardest to give me everything I never had.