Knocked Up By the Russian Boss by Bella King

Chapter 38

MAXIM

The pregnancy is all I’ve wanted through this entire process, and I’ve finally got it. Now, I’m not just excited about a way into Steven’s estate anymore; I have a beautiful, empathetic, sincere woman to raise the baby with. I wasn’t expecting Ivory to have so much integrity or to be so genuine, but here she is, and I need to do everything I can to protect her and keep her by my side.

My joy is soured by the fact that my brother is still dead, and there have been no leads as to where his body is or who killed him.

The only new information I’ve found is that Emery located ten different phones associated with Chad Germaine’s name, but none of them have been tracked in any meaningful way. We know they’re in the city within ten miles, but that puts us right back where we started.

All of this is just so weird, and I’m frustrated that I haven’t figured it out.

Having Joey trail Ivory has given me some semblance of peace, at least. She’s been more or less safe on her own when I’m not around, according to his reports.

I’ve also been given a little more insight into her behaviors now that she’s been with me more often. She’s not flirty at all and seems to have separated herself more from her obnoxious friend group. Seeing her detach from people who have done nothing but cause her trouble puts me at ease.

Ivory is a smart woman, but it’s clear she’s spent her life being trained very closely to be the accommodating peacekeeper in every circle she’s in. Of course, being her father’s daughter has a lot to do with it, I’m sure, but it’s a habit I’ll have to break her from if I plan on being with her long-term. I can’t allow myself to be joined at the hip with somebody who bends over backward to make everyone happy.

Except me, obviously.

I call Joey to let him know that Ivory is pregnant, and everything is falling into place in a bizarrely elegant way. He’s happy for me, telling me that he’ll make sure to notify Emery for me to spare me from the wrath of his post-partum bride.

Along with the pregnancy announcement, I explain to him that I plan on acquiring a large amount of critical information about Steven Mae while I’m at his estate. While I anticipate that his security is top of the line, he’s also somewhat aged and out of touch, so hacking into his main computer shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

If one does occur, however, I’ll need Joey to ensure that a team of my best ground soldiers is assembled to combat any unforeseen obstacles. I’m so close to getting exactly what I want, and it’s almost too good to be true. Nothing can stand in my way.

There’s a tinge of selfish disappointment in me, something I’m sure any man would experience in my position. Ivory practically fell right into my arms. There was no chase from the beginning. Despite how well my plan is working, the conquest aspect of the mission was not fulfilled, and the minute insecurity in me wonders if Ivory has just always been desperate for someone to save her from the artificial fishbowl of a life she had known.

While she’s a nervous type for sure, she’s desperate for change, be it in lifestyle or scenery. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant so quickly, I could have taken her around the world to see how the great unwashed live their daily lives. She’d probably love Russia, but anybody with a brain would.

The excitement of the situation is starting to consume me, and against my better judgment, I’m ready to call Ivory and tell her I love her, but before I’m able to make any stupid decisions, I receive a phone call back from Emery, whom I intentionally didn’t reach out to.

“Hey boss, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Sergei’s body was found just about an hour ago.”