Her brother smiled at me as he spoke again. “I noticed Sophia is pregnant. Congratulations! May I ask how the two of you met?”
I was about to answer when Sophia grabbed my arm and gave an awkward laugh. “That is a long story; maybe leave it for another time. Please go around and get to know everybody. They are truly great people.” She spoke.
Her brother nodded at her. I felt sure he had received the message as he took his wife, moved around us, and went to mingle with the family.
“I do not think we should inform them that my family and I, and now you as well, are bratva,” I whispered into her ear.
Sophia looked at me with wide eyes as she replied. “No, not yet.” She glanced over my shoulder, looking in the direction of her brother as she continued. “I do not think they will understand.”
“I shouldn’t let them wander alone. Your family can’t tell them about Bratva,” she proclaimed. Her tone was wavering.
Grabbing her arm, I pulled her close. “My family knows who they are. They will not speak of things that do not concern them,” I assured her.
Sophia looked at me, her eyes wide. “Please relax. Enjoy the party. I promise everyone will behave.” I added kissing her forehead
She breathed in deeply as she nodded. We joined the family, moving between them, chatting here and there. Most of the discussions were on pregnancy and babies. Everyone seemed to enjoy each other's company.
The day went smoothly without a hitch. It warmed my heart to see Sophia so happy. She was in her element. Sophia had a good heart. She was so loving that everyone enjoyed her company. Throughout the day, we kept eye contact. Now and then, she’d wink at me and smile.
Passing each other, we made sure to touch, even if it was only our fingertips. At some point, she grabbed my ass in passing, which was a nice change. I also had fun visiting with everyone and getting to know her brother.
As the day moved along and the sun started its descent, I knew there was still business to be done. Mikhel had called me yesterday asking if we would have some time. Some things couldn’t wait. They had to be done, he said.
I knew now wasn’t ideal. But it sounded urgent. So, we had to make time. I waited until Sophia was playing with her brother’s daughter on the grass. Walking up to Mikhel and Yogu, I nodded lightly. “Thank you, guys, for coming, for being here. Sophia really enjoys it,” I said.
“I must admit, this day has been the most fun I’ve seen in a while. It was past due,” Yogu added.
“Yeah, no problem, it was fun,” Mikhel commented. “But things are looming.”
Looking at how happy Sophia was, it filled my heart with peace. “Yes, I know,” I replied. “Spit it out then.”
“Melody got out of jail! She found another loophole.” Yogu said.
Staring at him in disbelief with wide eyes, I couldn’t believe my ears. Glancing over at Sophia, I spoke softly. “That is not good; she will be coming for Sophia.” Sighing deeply, I looked back at Yogu and Mikhel. “We cannot allow this.”
“Keep calm and let us handle it. Listen before you make any decisions.” Yogu added.
Mikhel grinned, then laid it out. “Kolya, I don’t want to make this all about business. But I found some more evidence. Enough evidence, I think, to lock Melody and Martin away for life. I found some actual crimes they committed. Not just falsifying papers, real dirty crimes.”
Feeling my mood shift, I replied eagerly. “Okay, that is some good news, tell me!”
Mikhel leaned in closer as he spoke again. “I have discovered, after a lot of digging, that Melody killed her own father. She had to do this to inherit the law firm. But that is not the worst. She made the entire thing look like a robbery gone wrong.”
I was astounded by this news. Folding my arms, I replied matter-of-factly. “Then it is no wonder that she found it so easy to pull a gun on Sophia. She is a heartless woman.”
Before I could add any other insight, Mikhel interrupted. “Yes, she is heartless. She set it all up, even injuring herself justto make it look real. The thieves were never found. She reconned the cops. She couldn’t remember what was stolen.”
Smirking, I tried to sound calm as I enquired further. “Where did you get the evidence?”
Mikhel smiled, seemingly very pleased with himself as he replied. “I found a maid who worked for her father back in the day. Apparently, after the murder, she was told to get rid of the security footage. But she has been holding on to it for all these years.”
“Why did she never go to the cops?” I asked, surprised.
Mikhel breathed out heavily as he replied. “She was too scared to do anything, as it may have looked like she had a part in it. I have to say she was very eager and happy to hand it over on the promise that Melody would go away for life.
“And Martin?” I asked.
Yugo stepped closer, his voice rising slightly as he spoke. “Well, he has been very careless. We have found evidence that he has been embezzling from the government. He has been placing operational money into different accounts all over the world. He has been using aliases to try to hide it. But he has not done a good job.”
