Page 147 of Cruel Demands

“That happens when you’re pregnant.”

“I can monitor it here.”

I laugh. The sound is ugly. “Oh God, Mikhail, well of course you can.”

His eyes flash. “What would you prefer? That I ignore it?”

“I would prefer that you trust me to know when I need help.”

“You refused a doctor while visibly ill.”

“Because I knew what was wrong.”

“And chose not to tell me.”

“Because I knew you would do this.”

His expression twists. “Do what? Care?”

“Take over.”

He turns away from me, dragging a hand over his face. For several seconds, he says nothing. Then he looks back. “And my money?” he asks. “Is that a leash too?”

I frown. “What?”

“Do you think your family feels leashed by me now that they are out of debt?”

The floor seems to shift beneath me. “What did you do?”

“I paid for it. I bought your father’s restaurant.”

My ears ring. Nikita closes her eyes.

“You did what?”

“You were sending money you could not afford. The debt was crushing your family.”

“That is none of your business.”

“It became my business when it was hurting you.”

My hands begin to shake. “You went behind my back.”

“You refused my help.”

“So you did it anyway?”

“There was a problem I could solve.”

“And you solved it.”

“Yes.” He says it as though that should end the conversation.

“You think you are proving something right now saying this, don’t you?”

Uncertainty flashes across his face for just a moment. He looks at Nikita, then back at me. “You should be grateful.”

Nikita groans.