Page 36 of The Pakhan’s Unwanted Bride

"I'm taking the side that keeps you breathing." Benedikt steps into the room, his hand resting on the weapon at his hip. "If someone wanted to hurt your father, they'll want to hurt you too. You're the heir. You're the next target."

The betrayal stings almost as much as the news about my father. Benedikt has been my bodyguard for years. He's always been protective, always sided with me, always put my wishes first. Seeing him agree with Samuil feels like losing an ally I desperately need.

"Fine." I force the word out through clenched teeth.

The next few hours crawl by with agonizing slowness. I pace the sitting room while Samuil makes phone calls in his study, coordinating with his security team and gathering information about the attack. Gregory arrives within the hour, his expression dark as he confers quietly with Samuil in the hallway.

I catch fragments of their conversation, but not enough to understand what's going on. By early evening, headlights sweep across the front windows. I'm at the door before anyone can stop me, watching as multiple black SUVs pull through the gate and up the circular drive. Armed men pour out first, scanning the area with weapons drawn. Then my father emerges from the center vehicle.

Relief hits me so hard, my knees nearly buckle. I suck in a sharp breath and take a step, intending to run to him, but his sharp glance at me warns me to stay put. He'll come to me.

I meet him at the door and he pulls me into a brief, tight embrace. "I'm fine, Ana. I'm fine."

But he's not fine. I can feel the tension in his body and the way his eyes keep scanning the surroundings even inside Samuil's secure estate. My father has always been unshakeable, a man who commanded respect through sheer presence and confidence. This shaken version of him is someone I don't recognize.

I take a moment to look him over, making sure there aren't any injuries no one told me about. He seems whole and healthy, but I can't stop trembling. This was a close call. Too close for my peace of mind.

Samuil leads us to his private study and closes the door. Gregory positions himself outside while Benedikt takes up a post near the window. My father sinks into one of the leather chairs and accepts the whiskey Samuil pours without a word.

"Tell me what happened." Samuil settles behind his desk, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp.

"It was a professional hit." My father takes a long drink. "There was a sniper positioned on a building three blocks from where we left a business meeting. He waited until we were at the intersection, caught in traffic, with nowhere to go. He took out my driver first, then two of my guards. If my head of security hadn't reacted as fast as he had, I'd be dead right now."

"Do you know who ordered it?" I ask.

My father's silence is answer enough.

"You have suspicions." Samuil leans forward slightly. "Who?"

"That's the problem." My father sets his glass down with more force than necessary. "The shooter knew my route and schedule. He knew exactly where to position himself for maximum impact. That kind of information doesn't come from the outside."

The implication settles over the room like a heavy blanket.

"You think it's someone in your organization." Samuil's voice is flat.

"I think it's someone close to me." My father meets his eyes.

I sink into the chair beside my father, my mind racing. He doesn't look too shocked, and suspicion starts to rear its ugly head. "How long have you suspected this?"

"Months." He looks at me, and I see genuine fear in his eyes for the first time in my life. "There have been other incidents. Small things that could be explained away as accidents or bad luck. A car malfunction that nearly caused a crash. A structural collapse at one of my properties that I happened to miss by ten minutes. Food poisoning that put me in the hospital for three days."

I remember when he got sick. At the time, I'd made the cook throw out all of the food and replace it. I'd been ready to fire the cook and the entire staff, but my father stopped me. He said they don't know where he'd gotten it and that it could have been from a coffee shop he'd gone to earlier that day.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demand. The fear of almost losing him is still riding high, making my voice sharper than I meant.

"Because I was trying to protect you." His voice softens. "I was trying to keep you out of it until I could identify the threat and eliminate it."

Understanding crashes over me like a wave. "That's why you pushed the engagement so hard. That's why you insisted on the marriage happening immediately."

Samuil jerks his head in my direction, and I see the intelligence there, as well as surprise. If we'd known someone was trying to assassinate my father… well, it makes a lot more sense why he was so intent on this marriage happening.

"I needed you somewhere safe." My father reaches over and takes my hand. "Somewhere with security I could trust absolutely. Somewhere the threat couldn't reach you."

"You were trying to protect me." The realization shifts everything I thought I understood about the past two weeks. This was never about politics or business alliances or strengthening family ties. My father genuinely feared for my life.

"I still am." He squeezes my hand once before releasing it. "Which is why you're staying here until we identify who's behind this."

The rest of the evening passes in a blur of security briefings and strategic planning. Samuil's men coordinate with my father's remaining guards to establish new protocols and security measures. Gregory reviews footage from the attack, and I watch it all from the corner of the study, feeling useless and frustrated.