The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 269

Vivian

After leaving Nikolai's hotel, Dmitri and I drive through the empty streets to handle our final preparations before departure.

The silence in the car feels suffocating, broken only by the rhythmic hum of tires against asphalt. The city lights blur past the windows like fallen stars, each one reminding me that we're driving away from everything familiar toward an uncertain future. After several minutes of this oppressive quiet, I can't hold back anymore.

"Oh god, I could kill that traitorous bastard Alexei with my bare hands," I spit out, my voice thick with venom.

Dmitri's hands tighten on the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. "Don't think my desire to murder Nikolai is any less intense than yours."

His tone carries such raw pain that I immediately regret my outburst. This arrangement isn't just difficult for me—it's torture for him. Working under the man who destroyed his life, pretending loyalty to someone he despises.

"If you really can't do this, we could run," I say impulsively. "Right now. Just keep driving."

A bitter laugh escapes him. "Run where?"

"I'm serious. Floor it and don't stop until we're out of New York. Hell, out of the country. Who could track us down?"

Dmitri shakes his head slowly, his profile sharp against the streetlights. "It's not about whether they could find us, Vivian. Could you really abandon the one chance Aveline has for a normal life? Could you walk away knowing that our disappearance would unleash Nikolai's full wrath on her and Orion?"

The question hits like a physical blow. I sink back into my seat, ashamed of my moment of weakness.

"You're right," I whisper.

"Besides," Dmitri continues, his voice becoming lighter, "I was getting tired of American gang politics anyway. Northern Europe—bitter cold, treacherous seas, conflicts that make this look like a playground dispute. It's exactly the kind of challenge I've been craving." He pauses, glancing at me sideways. "Plus, I can bring my Iron Wolves with me. Build something real instead of just surviving day to day."

He starts to say something else, then stops himself, leaving the words hanging unfinished in the air between us.

"More importantly what?" I prompt, my heart suddenly beating faster.

For a moment, I think he's going to say what I desperately want to hear—that the most important thing is having me beside him through whatever comes next. But instead, he shifts back into tactical mode.

"More importantly, I'll finally have the resources to build an organization strong enough to challenge Nikolai directly. Give me a few years in Europe, and I'll be ready for a real confrontation."

Disappointment washes over me like cold water. Is that really all this is to him? Another step in his grand strategy for revenge?

Dmitri catches my expression and smirks. "That wasn't the answer you were hoping for, was it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lie, but I can feel heat rising in my cheeks.

"Your face is completely red," he teases. "Were you perhaps imagining some romantic scenario where we build a life together in the fjords?"

I swat at his arm, flustered. "This is our last night here, and tomorrow we're leaving everything behind. How can you make jokes at a time like this?"

Dmitri suddenly pulls the car over to the curb and turns to face me fully. The playful expression fades from his features, replaced by something raw and intense.

"Vivian," he says quietly, "from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were cut from the same cloth as me."

My breath catches in my throat. The sudden shift in his tone makes the air in the car feel electric.

"You're stubborn and fearless and completely reckless," he continues, his green eyes holding mine captive. "Watching you navigate this world, seeing you refuse to back down no matter how impossible the odds... it does something to me. Something I've never experienced before."

I want to stop him, terrified of where this conversation is heading, but the words won't come.

"You have this fire inside you that matches mine perfectly. When I watch you fight, when I see that determination in your eyes, it's like looking in a mirror. But not just any mirror—one that shows me the parts of myself I actually like." His voice becomes softer, more vulnerable. "You make me remember what it feels like to care about something other than revenge."

"Dmitri, don't—" I start, but he reaches out and takes my hand.

"I need to say this before we walk into whatever hell awaits us in Europe." His thumb traces across my knuckles, sending shivers up my arm. "You've shown me that strength doesn't have to be solitary. That maybe, just maybe, two people can be stronger together than either could be alone."

My vision blurs as unexpected tears well up in my eyes.

"I love you, Vivian," he says simply. "When we get to Europe, when we've carved out our place in that frozen wasteland—marry me."

The words hit me like lightning. Without thinking, I lean forward and press my lips to his, tasting salt from my own tears. It's meant to be gentle, sweet, but he responds with an intensity that sets my entire body on fire.

"Who says I want to marry you?" I whisper against his mouth, trying to maintain some semblance of defiance even as my heart pounds against my ribs.

Instead of answering with words, Dmitri slides his hand into my hair and pulls me into another kiss. This one is deeper, hungrier, filled with all the passion and desperation of two people facing an uncertain future. I can taste the metallic hint of blood from his split lip, feel the heat of his body through his shirt, smell that distinctly masculine scent that's become so familiar. When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard.

"Of course, we don't have to rush into marriage," he says with a wicked grin. "First priority is establishing ourselves as the most powerful crime family in Northern Europe. Then we can have a son who inherits both our ruthless intelligence and complete disregard for authority. Can you imagine how terrifying that child would be?"

I burst out laughing despite everything. "You're completely insane."

"And you love it," he shoots back.

"Drive," I command, pushing him away playfully. "Before you say something even more ridiculous."

Dmitri starts the engine again, chuckling as he pulls back into traffic. "I'll drop you at Aveline's so you can say your goodbyes properly. I need to gather my Iron Wolves and prepare them for relocation."

As we approach the familiar brownstone, my chest tightens with emotion I wasn't prepared for. Light spills from the windows like liquid gold, creating a warm beacon in the darkness. Inside those walls are the people who've become my family—not through blood, but through choice.

"Take your time," Dmitri says softly, understanding the gravity of this moment.

I sit in the car for a long moment after he drives away, staring at the house that's represented safety and belonging for the first time in my adult life. The thought of leaving Nana, of saying goodbye to Aveline, creates an ache in my chest that's almost unbearable.

It's strange how deeply I've come to care for Aveline. Somewhere along the way, she stopped being just my employer or even my friend. She became the sister I never had—someone who saw past my rough edges to the person underneath. Someone who trusted me with her life and her family's safety.

Taking a deep breath, I step out of the car and walk toward the door, knowing that in a few hours, everything will change forever.