Kervyn moves closer and takes my hand in both of his. He kisses my fingers. “Is it a bo…”

“No,” I cut him off. “I told you, Asher, Luka, and your mom are planning a gender reveal party. We can’t know until then.”

He frowns. “I should know. What if I want to decorate the nursery?”

“It’s in three weeks,” I say. “You will not die.”

Sofia smiles and continues the scan. “I bet you it’s a girl,” he says gruffly. He glances at Sofia, who holds a hand up. “You’re not getting anything from me, Mr. Milov.”

I smile at him triumphantly.

As promised, the three weeks fly past, and before we can even think of names, we’re at the club on a Saturday. It’s weird to see people there having drinks during the daytime.

I have invited some old friends of mine, but it’s mostly the Milov family who attend, along with some connections through other families.

Kervyn doesn’t like that we’re out in the open like this and still wants to keep me behind closed doors most of the time.

I don’t want to, though. I want people to see me and know I’m pregnant and we’re a couple. He thinks it’s dangerous, but I think he’s the most dangerous person I know. Who would mess with him?

The club is decorated in pink and blue, and there are games to play scattered around the club. We’re broken into couple teams, and start to rotate playing the games together.

Kervyn and I whip everyone at the Pictionary station, but we both falter at the station where you have to guess the boy band from the pictures they’ve put there. We only get two of those right, and they are both obvious.

I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. The lesser joy of being pregnant is the constant need to pee. I get into a bathroom stall and sit there, contemplating how much fun I’m having when two of my previous work colleagues come in.

“Are you sure? Like the Milov family?” Kara asks. I’m wondering who she is talking to when Mila answers.

“Yes. Like that is the Kervyn Milov. The mob boss. And did you notice how easygoing she is around all these Russians? She isn’t that meek little girl that I remember her being.”

I smile to myself.

That’s right, ladies. Definitely not the meek little chubby girl everyone picked on. Though I invited people I liked from work, I wonder if I did it with the purest intentions. I gave this list to Asher, knowing some of these people would put one and one together and realize how powerful I have become.

I wait for the girls to leave the bathroom before I wash my hands and leave.

“Let’s switch teams,” I announce. “Teams of four this time,” I say.

Everyone starts to separate, but I go through them and put at least a friend or two of mine in each group. It’s fun to see how everyone tries to win with their new partners. I was always made to feel uncomfortable, but with my new status I don’t want to stoop to their standards, I want everyone to have a good time.

No one ever went out of their way to ease me into situations or introduce me to new people except for Asher. I wanted these people here to see my new life. Maybe I chose them because I wanted them to see how powerful I am but I’m still kind. Perhaps I don’t really have that many friends.

But I have a family now, and that family is one hell of an important, powerful one.

I team up with Kara and Mila and Luka. Luka is trying to flirt with the girls, but they’re looking at him as though he’s grown two heads or something.

I smile, and as we move from table to table, I talk to Luka about how awesome the party is that he’s organized. Mila and Kara realize that Luka is Kervyn’s brother and deem it in their best interests to play a lot nicer with him.

Luka seems to be enjoying this side of me, and all too soon, we reach the crux of the party. I’m called up to the front, where everyone stands. Some people film on their phones, while others have video cameras at the ready.

Kervyn and I stand side by side as Asher hangs a giant balloon above our heads. She hands us each a needle, and the countdown begins.

Everyone shouts. “Three….Two…one…”

Kervyn and I prick the balloon at the same time, and it pops. Blue confetti rains down upon us both.

Kervyn looks surprised until he suddenly takes me in his arms and kisses me deeply. There’s an awkward silence at first while we kiss, then I hear the rhythmic beating of hands clapping, and then there’s whistling and catcalling.

Still, Kervyn doesn’t let me go for a while. When he does, I’m a little unsteady on my feet from the long kiss.

I smile at everyone but immediately notice Danil looking at us angrily. I don’t know what we’ve done. If it’s just because of a kiss, then I feel like it’s a bit of an overreaction.

Kervyn takes my hand and squeezes it, and I turn my attention back to him happily. I notice Danil moving toward us, and I’m a bit worried something has gone wrong. It takes him a while to get to us, but when he does, he doesn’t congratulate us. Instead, he touches Kervyn’s shoulder. “We should talk.”

“Later,” Kervyn says, his eyes flashing with anger. I have obviously missed something between them.

“What’s up?” I ask quietly as people are still coming to congratulate us.

Danil walks off, and Kervyn sighs. “He’s in a mood.”

“He sure is moody because that’s what you always say. Maybe it’s got to do with work,” I say. “You can go if you need to.”

“My place is here right now,” he says, taking my hand and turning to his family, who want to congratulate us again.

When everyone is milling about, he excuses himself, and I see him and Danil disappear outside. I go over to Asher, who is talking to Kara.

“Hey, Penny. I was just telling Kara how absolutely stunning your wedding dress is.” She looks at me pointedly, “Carmen tried to get her dress custom-made but can’t afford to pay it off, so she’s had to buy a dress donated to a charity. What’s worse is that all those dresses—although stunning—were for the fuller figure, and Carmen had to have the one she wanted to be taken in for her scrawny body.”

I try not to scoff, and I purse my lips. “Oh. What a pity.”

“The dresses donated were brand new, so I mean, it’s totally fine, but you know she was bragging to everyone how much money her fiance makes, and it turns out he was living off his parents, and they’ve cut him off now,” Kara says. “It’s all the latest scandal.”

I smile. “Really? That’s so sad to hear.” I turn to Asher. “We should donate something to her wedding. Maybe offer to do her makeup.”

“Apparently, she’s having a simple chapel wedding,” Kara says. “But that’s so sweet of you, Penny. I’m surprised because I thought you and Carmen didn’t get along.”

“I’m letting bygones be bygones. I don’t want her to feel less than her worth.”

I notice Kervyn coming back in, looking annoyed and heated, and through the doors, I see Danil going toward his car.

“Ladies, please forgive me. I need to go see what my fiance is up to.” I leave the two of them and walk toward Kervyn. When he sees me approaching, he plasters a smile on his face.

“Hey, beautiful. Are you having fun?”

“You’re not. You don’t have to hide it from me,” I say. “I told you I’m in.”

Kervyn kisses my forehead. “We’ll talk about it later. I believe Luka has some gifts he wants you to open.”

“Gifts?” I grin. “People brought gifts.”