Maddy
MADDY
I sit on Cat’s bed, my knees tucked under me, still trying to process the argument we just overheard. Mihai’s voice is still ringing in my ears—sharp, angry, and possessive in a way that made my stomach flutter and my cheeks burn.
His words—his threats—weren’t just harsh; they were spine-chilling, the kind of thing you’d hear from someone capable of following through without hesitation.
“If you so much as look at the wrong way, I’ll make sure you regret it. You know what I’m capable of. You know why I have the highest body count of the Five Crown heirs. Don’t make me remind you.”
Chiara’s squeal cuts through the silence, breaking the tension in the room. She claps her hands together, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she looks between me and Cat.
“Oh my God, did you hear that? Mihai just told Sofia off like that! For you, !”
Cat nods, a small smile tugging at her lips despite everything. “I mean, Sofia’s Sofia. But it was… kind of nice to hear him defend you like that.”
I blink, still stunned, and glance at Marina, who is practically vibrating with excitement. “Nice?” she says, her voice louder than it needs to be. “That was better than nice. That was iconic. My twin brother just declared war on Sofia Reyes for you. And not just for anything—because he’s clearly head over heels for you!”
I groan, burying my face in my hands. “He wasn’t—he didn’t?—”
“Oh, he did,” Chiara interrupts, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “That was like, ‘claim your territory’ levels of possessiveness. The way he growled your name? Chills, babe. Absolute chills.”
I can feel my face heating up again, and I duck my head, trying to hide my blush. Mihai does care about me—I know that much—but hearing all of them talking about it so openly, makes it feel even more real.
Now I really can’t tell them about what happened this morning.
“Wait! Wait, hold the fuck on!” Chiara shrieks, looking at me with wide eyes. “Did you just talk?!”
Oh. Whoops, I forgot to tell them.
“Uh…yeah? Hi?” I say, grinning. “It’s a recent development.”
“Recent development, my ass!” Marina says and moves close. “When did this happen? How?—”
“Why do I feel like Mihai is the reason for this?” Chiara says with a wicked smile as she wiggles her eyebrows. “Tell us how he got you talking again.”
I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out, so I close it again while feeling like a guppie.
Cat rolls her eyes, but even she looks amused. “Leave her alone, Chiara. She’s already as red as my shirt.”
Chiara plops down next to me, her grin widening. “Okay, enough about Mihai and his knight-in-shining-armor moment. Let’s talk about my idiot stepbrother.”
Her gaze shifts to Cat, and our attention snaps to her as well like she’s just dropped a bomb. Cat immediately looks uncomfortable, her cheeks flushing as she avoids our gazes.
Cat groans, throwing a pillow at Chiara, but she dodges it with practiced ease. “Nope, not getting out of this one, little miss secret-keeper. Spill. Now.”
Cat covers her face with her hands. “Do we have to?”
“Yes,” Chiara says firmly, pulling Cat’s hands away from her face. “Because if you don’t tell us everything, we’re just going to keep guessing, and you know how creative I can get.”
Marina smirks. “She’s not lying. Chiara’s imagination is a scary place.”
Cat sighs, clearly resigned, and leans back against the headboard. “Fine. But only because I know you’ll bug me until I do.”
“Damn right,” Chiara says, nudging her.
Cat hugs a pillow to her chest. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything,” Marina says, scooting closer. “Start with why you’ve been hiding this from us. You’re Cat Cunningham. You don’t keep secrets this juicy.”
Cat’s cheeks darken further, and she buries her face in the pillow for a moment before looking back up. “It’s not like I planned this, okay? It just… happened.”
Chiara’s grin widens. “Just happened, hmm?”
Cat takes a deep breath, her hands twisting nervously in her lap as she looks at Chiara. “Alright. So… I told you Nikolai and I have been a thing, sort of, since he kept pushing me during the Day of Silence last year.”
Chiara nods, her expression softening. “Yeah, you mentioned that.”
“Well, it didn’t just stop there,” Cat says, her voice faltering. “It just… kept happening. Little things. It was just… fooling around.”
“Define fooling around,” Marina presses, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“Marina!” I hiss, smacking her arm.
“What? It’s a valid question,” she says, completely unapologetic.
Cat sighs, her fingers fidgeting with the pillowcase. “We kissed. Slept together a couple of times. I always had a crush on him, but I thought I could handle it, you know? Keep it casual.”
Marina snorts. “That never works.”
Cat shoots her a look but doesn’t argue. “Anyway, I thought I was being careful, but then… this happened.” She gestures vaguely, and we all know she means the pregnancy.
Marina reaches over, squeezing Cat’s hand. “What did your dad say?”
Cat lets out a shaky breath. “He wasn’t mad, exactly. Disappointed, maybe. But mostly, he was worried. About me, about the baby, about what this means for everything.”
“And Nikolai?” Chiara asks, her voice sharper now. “What did he say?”
Cat bites her lip, looking down at the pillow in her lap. “Nikolai was sweet about it, but he said we couldn’t have the baby. That it would break everything apart.”
“Sweet?” Chiara scoffs, crossing her arms. “That doesn’t sound sweet to me. That sounds like he’s manipulating the fuck out of you.”
Cat shakes her head quickly. “No, it wasn’t like that. He wasn’t mean or anything. He was just… practical. He said it would ruin everything for everyone.”
“That’s bullshit,” Marina snaps, her eyes blazing. “If he cared about you, he wouldn’t care about the consequences. He’d step up.”
“I think he’s scared,” Cat admits quietly, her voice barely audible. “Scared of what this will mean for him.”
I reach out, placing a hand on Cat’s arm. “That’s no excuse, Cat. You’re scared too,” I say softly.
She nods, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t even know if it can be fixed.”
Her tears start falling freely now, and I lean forward, placing a hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry, Cat,” I whisper. “I shouldn’t have blurted out Nikolai’s name to Connor like that. You deserved to have a moment to tell them.”
She shakes her head, her hair falling into her face. “It’s not your fault, . And honestly, this was bound to come out eventually. Better now than later, right?”
We’re all quiet for a moment, then Chiara clears her throat, her tone more serious. “You know he’s gonna have to face both your dad and Dmitri, right?”
Cat nods, her expression resigned. “Yeah. I know.”
Marina whistles low, shaking her head. “That’s gonna be brutal.”
“No kidding,” Chiara mutters. “And honestly? He deserves it.”
Cat looks up at her, her eyes pleading. “Chiara…”
“No, Cat,” Chiara says firmly. “I love you, but Nikolai fucked up. He doesn’t get a free pass just because he’s my stepbrother.”
Cat looks like she wants to argue, but she doesn’t. Instead, she wipes at her tears again, taking a deep breath.
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen,” she admits. “But I’m scared. For me, for the baby, for all of it.”
“We’re here for you,” Chiara says as she takes Cat’s hand. “Whatever happens, okay?”
Marina smirks, her usual fire returning. “And if Nikolai doesn’t get his shit together, we’ll kick his ass. Right, ?”
I blink, surprised to be included, but then I nod firmly. “Right.”
Cat laughs softly, wiping her eyes. “You guys are the best.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Chiara says with a grin, but then her expression sobers. “But seriously, Cat, you need to decide what you want. Not what Nikolai wants, not what your dad or Dmitri want. You. This is your life and your decision.”
Cat nods slowly, her green eyes thoughtful. “I’ll think about it. I promise.”
Chiara grins again, nudging Cat playfully. “And hey, if you need me to put Nikolai in his place, just say the word. I can take him.”
Cat laughs, a real laugh this time, and the sound is like a weight lifting from the room. “I’ll keep that in mind.”