Chapter 115 BECOMING A DAD

Chapter 115 BECOMING A DAD

••Roman••

We kept the secret for exactly one week. 

One week of stolen glances, private smiles, and Luciana catching me staring at her stomach like I was trying to see through her skin. But secrets in the Orlov house have a shelf life, and if we didn't speak up soon, the gossip mills would start churning.

“Are you sure about this, baby?” I asked her one last time as we stood in front of our bedroom mirror. 

I was adjusting my cuffs, but my eyes were on her. She looked radiant, though I could see the slight tremor in her fingers as she smoothed out her dress.

“Yes,” Luci said, taking a sharp breath. “Let’s do this, babe. I’d rather tell them now than have them figure it out when I start throwing up over the appetizer tray.”

I stepped behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against my chest. I placed my palms over her flat stomach, a protective instinct already anchoring me to the spot. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Just breathe. I’ve got you.”

“Okay,” she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against my shoulder. She let out a long sigh. “Okay. Let’s go.”

When we walked into the dining room, the heavy, oppressive silence of the Orlov breakfast ritual was already in full swing. 

My father sat at the head, looking like a king on a throne of granite. My mother, Nadia, was composed but distant, and Mildred was busy poking at her fruit. Theo was there too, looking much more relaxed lately. Things had finally begun to warm up between us; he’d introduced me to the girl who stole his heart—the baker—and seeing him happy made it easier for me to forgive the secrecy.

The meal ensued in total silence, the only sound being the clinking of silverware. I held Luci’s hand under the table, squeezing it gently. I was waiting for the perfect lull to drop the bomb, but Mildred, being her usual clueless self, beat me to the punch.

“My boyfriend will be coming over tomorrow,” she announced out of nowhere, her voice cutting through the quiet.

“Please, everyone, try to treat him like a human being and be nice. Especially you, Roman.”

I rolled my eyes. This clueless dumb-head. “Tell him not to bring any friends this time, Mildred. The last one tried to steal a bottle of 50-year-old scotch.”

“He had a lapse in judgment!” Mildred defended, huffing.

“A lapse in judgment is a bullet in the leg in this house,” Theo added, actually indulging her with a smirk. “He’s lucky he left with his hands.”

I decided I’d had enough of the boyfriend talk. I cleared my throat, the sound sharp and authoritative. “I also have news for everyone.”

The table went still. I looked at Luci, and she gave me a small, brave nod.

“Yes, that’s true,” Luci said, her voice steadying.

“We have news for everyone.”

Now they were all looking at us with those peering, judgmental eyes. Theo looked curious, Mildred looked annoyed at being interrupted, and my father… my father just looked.

I nodded to Luci. Go on.

“I’m pregnant,” she said.

The silence that followed was different from the one before. It was thick with shock. Everyone was taken aback. 

My mother was the only one who didn't look completely flustered; it was like she had already noticed the subtle shift in Luci’s glow and was just waiting for us to say it out loud.

My mother was the first to move. She stood up, a rare, genuine smile gracing her lips, and walked over to Luci. She pulled her into a warm hug. “Congratulations, Luciana. You deserve this joy.” She turned her smile toward me.

Mildred didn't stay quiet for long. She let out a high-pitched squeal that probably cracked the windows. 

“Oh my god! You’re giving us a baby! I’m going to have a niece or a nephew!” She jumped up and rushed to Luci’s side. 

“I’m going to have a sibling! Well, sort of. I’m going to be the cool aunt! I’m so happy for you, Luci!”

“Congratulations, Roman. Congrats, Luci,” Theo said, standing up to shake my hand. He looked truly happy, a mirror of the peace he’d found in his own life. “This is great news. The house needs some life in it.”

And then there was my father. He sat there like a rock for a long beat, his eyes unreadable. Then, slowly, he stood up. He walked over and gave me a stiff, firm hug. “Congratulations, son.”

He turned to Luci and patted her on the back. It was the closest thing to a grandfatherly gesture I’d ever seen him make. “Well done, Luciana.”

But the sentiment didn't last long. Lorenzo’s face hardened back into business mode almost instantly. “Roman. Theo. My office. Now.”

I looked at Luci and gave her a reassuring look. Don't worry. This was expected. She squeezed my hand one last time as I followed my father and Theo out of the room.

Inside the office, the door clicked shut, and the "happy family" atmosphere was left in the hallway. Lorenzo sat behind his desk, his expression grim.

“Do you have any idea how risky this is?” Lorenzo started, his voice a low rumble. “A pregnancy now? With Marco lurking in the shadows, waiting for a single moment of weakness? You’ve just handed him the ultimate target, Roman.”

“We didn't plan the baby, Father,” I said, standing my ground. I felt the heat of my own protective rage rising. “But it happened. And if you think for one second I’m going to treat this child as a liability, you’re wrong.”

“It’s not about how you treat the child; it’s about the reality of the danger,” Lorenzo snapped. 

“Every mercenary in Europe knows there’s a bounty on her head. Now she’s carrying the Orlov heir. The stakes just tripled.”

“I know the stakes,” I countered, stepping toward the desk. “I’m working every lead. Marco is losing men. He’s weak. He’ll fall into the trap soon, and until he does, Luci will be behind a wall of steel. I vouch for her safety. I’ll make sure she and the baby are sound.”

Theo stepped up beside me, his voice calm but firm. “I’ll also be watching out for her, Lorenzo. She’ll be in safe hands with me. I’ll coordinate the inner perimeter myself.”

“Yes,” I added, looking my father right in the eye.
“We will protect her at all costs. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is getting to her.”

Despite the warnings, despite the lecture on risk management, I stood my ground. I was taking full responsibility. I wasn't just a soldier or a husband anymore. I was a father. And in the Orlov world, that meant becoming the most dangerous man in the room.

Lorenzo looked at the two of us for a long time. Finally, he gave a short, curt nod. “See that you do. If a hair on her head is touched, it’s your neck, Roman.”

“I wouldn't have it any other way,” I replied.

As I walked out of the office with Theo, I felt a strange sense of clarity. The war was still coming, but now, I had the greatest reason in the world to win it. I went back to find Luci, ready to start the rest of our lives, no matter how many enemies were at the gates.