WREN“What do you mean, ‘You gave me the wrong sperm sample?’”I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing. I take a look around the room to check my surroundings and confirm that this is in fact reality and not just some terrible, twisted, Häagen-Dazs-fueled nightmare.Unfortunately for me, everything seems to be in order.The placard on the wall reads SAEDER & BANKS FERTILITY CLINIC OF CHICAGO in a sleek, modern font. The fluorescent lights overhead sound like buzzing mosquitos, casting pale white light over every inch of the exam room. There’s not a speck of dust to be found. Normally, I’m the last person to complain about a clean room, but in this case, it’s just contributing to the sense that none of this is real life.I pinch myself. It hurts.Shit. Maybe this is real after all.Dr. Saeder blinks down at me. Or up, rather. He’s perched on his gleaming black wheely stool and I’m sitting on the edge of the exam table with my feet dangling in the air like a naughty kid in the principal’

Last Updated : 2026-01-29

He freezes and the words die on his tongue. The only sound in the room is the irritating fluorescents—my God, I wish they’d just shut up already!—and the sound of his gulp.“Don’t you dare suggest I get rid of this baby,” I continue. I jab a finger in his direction. “My sister is gone. I buried her, Dr. Saeder. She and her husband are ashes six feet under the ground right now—and you want me to get rid of the only piece of them I have left? You want me to put this baby there, too? I. Don’t. Fucking. Think. So.”He gulps again. His throat is so scrawny that I can see every inch of the motion. “V-very well, Ms. Turner. I only meant to explain your opt⁠—”I hold up a hand and he stops talking once again. My head suddenly hurts so, so badly. And the fluorescent lights just will not stop. “There are no options, okay? I’m having this baby. I just—fuck, my head is pounding—I just want to know one thing. One thing, okay? And you’re going to answer me—because if you don’t, I’m going to leave t

Last Updated : 2026-01-29

Apropos of absolutely nothing, my mind immediately fills with images of all the things he and I could do if we “stepped into his office.”I could plant his toned ass in his chair, wrap his tie around my fist, and shove his face up my skirt to see how well he can tell time with a face full of lady bits.I could knock him flat on the ground, rip open that infuriatingly well-tailored button-down shirt, and graze my nails down his abs while riding him ‘til the cows come home.I could make him devour me.I could make him worship me.I could make him beg me to let him finish—and beg me and beg me and beg me, just for the sheer pleasure of leaning down, brushing my glossy lips up against the shell of his ear, and whispering one of his favorite words right back to him: “No.”“ … Ms. Turner?”For the second time today, there’s a man snapping his fingers in my face and asking if I can hear him. Admittedly, this one is much easier on the eyes than Dr. Saeder.But despite my little hate-crush on

Last Updated : 2026-01-29

When I get to Lifelines Bistro, I order a margarita immediately. If I don’t, I’m gonna have a nuclear meltdown. My nerves are frayed beyond belief and I can’t stop my hands from shaking.Alcohol usually does the trick in these kinds of situations.Unfortunately, no sooner have the words “make it strong” come to the tip of my tongue than do I remember that the entire reason I’m here in the first place precludes me from getting drunk at all.So with a sigh, I amend to say, “Make it… virgin.”I pick a table in the corner with a vantage point of the front door and sit down. It’s quiet in here tonight, which is a little weird for a Chicago Business District bar on a Wednesday at happy hour, but that’s one of the reasons I picked it.I want as few onlookers as possible to witness what might be the most awkward conversation of my life.Uh, yeah, so we don’t know each other, sir, but it seems like we’re about to have a baby together.Cue cringe vomiting.The virgin margarita disappears down t

Last Updated : 2026-01-29

WRENThis can’t be it, can it? He can’t possibly be my baby’s father? That would just be too cruel for words and fate can’t be that vindictive a bitch. I mean, surely I’ve maxed out my quota of bad luck for one lifetime.Dmitri probably just walked into Lifelines, saw me, and decided to fuck with my head like he usually does. A little after-work entertainment.I mean, why not? He’s a god amongst men and deities tend to pursue their own twisted pastimes. Torturing mortals being one.“‘Discuss’?” I repeat in a croaky, pipsqueak voice that makes me sound like Elmer Fudd. “Did I miss something in the board meeting today? I took extensive notes. I even⁠—”“Why are you here?” he interrupts impatiently.“I’m, er… meeting someone.”One eyebrow arches gracefully as he slides into the table I was just attempting to vacate. “Sit back down.”I stare at him uncertainly. “I really can’t⁠—”“Your meeting has begun.” His gaze flickers over my chest. “Red is eye-catching, but green is more your color.

Last Updated : 2026-01-29

All Chapters of Tangled Innocence - A Mafia Romance: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

1

2

3

4

5