Page 80 of The Bratva Enforcer and His Virgin Bride

And again.

Creed is Sofia’s father.

And his real name is Andrei Morozov.

The room feels quieter than it did a moment ago.

Ben watches me carefully now, like he’s waiting for the reaction to turn into something useful.

I force myself to keep reading.

The report continues.

Details of Creed’s operations. His involvement in developing our layered financial systems. Offshore structures. Encryption pathways. Code frameworks designed to move and hide assets across jurisdictions without leaving a trace.

And then another detail settles into place. A detail that makes the back of my neck tighten.

Creed didn’t just exist in the same world I’m operating in. He helped build parts of it. Which means Sofia isn’t just a political or personal complication. She’s a direct link to something much larger than I initially believed.

I glance up at Ben. “Are you certain this is accurate?”

He nods once. “Triple verified.”

Silence stretches between us.

My thoughts are no longer on Sofia alone.

They shift. Reorganize. Recalculate everything.

Karl’s disappearance stops looking like an isolated problem and starts looking like a calculated move.

If Creed was involved in systems like this, then Sofia might not just be a distraction in my house.

She might be the key to everything I’ve been trying to find.

I close the file slowly, my thoughts moving faster than my hands.

Karl never had the code. The bastard orchestrated this entire situation, knowing exactly how I would react.

He dangled a problem in front of me. Created a threat. Created urgency. Then delivered Sofia directly into my house. Into my reach. Into my fucking bed. A cold laugh escapes me.

“Son of a bitch.”

Ben watches me from across the desk. “You figured something out.”

“Yeah.” I drop the tablet onto the desk. The pieces are finally aligning. “The marriage was never the price.”

His brow furrows. “What?”

I lean back in my chair. “He wanted me close to Sofia.”

Understanding dawns on Ben’s face.

I continue, “He knew I’d do whatever was necessary to get the code.”

“Which meant keeping Sofia close.”

“Exactly.”