All those soft promises, the way Fadir would pull me close after an argument and whisper that I am safe with him. It's all calculated. My charming boyfriend with the expensive watch and the easy smile is just another predator wearing a nicer suit.
The realization burns hotter than the gas flames in the fireplace. I want to scream. I want to drive back to that warehouse and smash every crate with my bare hands.
Instead, I stand here in this stranger’s perfect penthouse, shaking with a fury so pure it feels like it could light the whole city on fire.
“He targeted Katya the same way,” Alexey continues, still leaning against the island like we’re discussing the weather. “Thought he could break the Sokolovs by breaking the women around us. He is wrong. But he’s desperate now. Cornered animals bite hardest. And you?” I laugh, short and bitter that it tastes like ash. “You wired the building with explosives. Youstormed in like some black knight with a gun. What makes you any different from him?”
“I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. I protect what’s mine. And right now, hurting Fadir means making sure he loses everything he thought he owned, including you. So the entire city sees it.” His dark eyes meet mine without flinching.
The words hang between us. I can feel the weight of them pressing against my ribs. This isn’t a rescue. This is a new game, and I’m the piece being moved again.
I'm just a pawn in their ruthless competition to be the ruler of the city.
“Here’s the deal. Stay here for a few months. Live in the guest suite across the hall. In public, you pretend to be my lover. We attend events together. Let Fadir see you on my arm, smiling, moving on. Let him watch while his world crumbles… his suppliers turn, his accounts freeze, then his reputation turns to dust. Once he’s destroyed, you walk away.Free. With enough money to start over anywhere you want. Anywhere but here, if that’s what you choose.” He straightens, pushing off the marble.
I stare at him. The clinical detachment in his voice is almost worse than anger. No heat, no manipulation, just cold strategy. Like I’m a line item in a ledger.
My blood boils at the thought of being a minion, by another man deciding how I get used or how I get discarded when the game is over. I’m not some fragile doll to be passed between powerful hands. I ran away from home to escape this kind of control.
But beneath the wrath, something sharper flickers.
Fury. A pure burning rage at Fadir for every lie, every threat, and every time he made me feel small and trapped. Thesame fury that kept me from crawling back home with my tail between my legs. It’s the only thing I have left that still feels like mine.
“And if I say no?” I stop gripping the couch and lift my chin.
“Then I will drive you wherever you want to go tonight. But Fadir will find you. And next time, I won’t be there to pull you out.” Alexey’s expression doesn’t change.
The truth of it sinks in slow and heavily.
I have no job, no apartment, and no savings that could last more than a week. Hell, I don't even have my car. It's still back at the warehouse.
Going back home means facing the gossip. The whispers about my father’s failures, and my “big-city dreams” that ended exactly as everyone predicted.
Crawling back defeated. I’d rather die.
“Fine. I’ll do it,” my hands curl into fists at my sides
The words taste like surrender and victory at the same time, if that’s possible.
Alexey studies me for a long moment, those brown eyes unreadable. He crosses his muscular arms over his broad chest, his feet planted firmly.
“This is business, Anja. Nothing more. You stay in the guest suite. We appear together when needed. No physical expectations. No blurred lines. You share anything you know about Fadir’s habits, his accounts, his routines. In return, you get safety, resources, and the satisfaction of watching him burn. When it’s over, you leave with a new start. Clean break.”
He makes it explicit, laying it out like a contract on the marble island between us. No heat in his voice, no lingering gaze that makes my skin crawl. Just facts. Boundaries drawn in clean, sharp lines.
“Business. Got it,” I nod, even as my pulse thunders in my ears
Inside, the anger coils tighter. I’m not doing this because I trust the sexier than sexy Bratva enforcer standing across from me with his calm voice and his wired buildings. I don’t trust anyone right now.
Not even myself.
I’m doing it because the thought of Fadir’s face draining of color when he sees me on Alexey’s arm sends a deep, vicious thrill through my veins. Let him watch everything he tried to trap slip away. Let him feel what it’s like to lose control.
I’ll play the part. I’ll smile for the cameras and feed Alexey every scrap of information I secretly gathered while living under Fadir’s roof. Then, when it’s over, I’ll take the money and disappear. Far from this city, far from my hometown, and far from men who think they can own me.
“You should get some sleep. The guest suite is ready. Clothes in the dresser, toiletries in the bathroom. We’ll talk more tomorrow over breakfast.” Alexey circles the island and gestures toward the hallway.
I don’t thank him. I can’t bring myself to. Instead, I turn and walk down the hall, feeling his eyes on my back the entire way. The guest suite door clicks shut behind me with a soft finality. I lean against it for a long moment, breathing hard, with the weight of the night crashing down all at once.
