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The whisper of silent footfalls caught my attention in the wake of the platter’s demise. I froze to listen, then moved to glance out the kitchen window to the patio outside. The men were all accounted for, and there was Sophia’s snowy mane. Only the socialite was missing. It was possible Anya had gone to the bathroom, but something nagged at the back of my mind. To settle the voices in my head, I moved into the hall. The powder room’s light was off, and the door was open.Where did the little brat go?
Stopping to remove my sandals, I slid down the hall with silent steps. The rooms down here were empty. I frowned and looked back down the hall. Had the childish society girl gone upstairs? To what end? A pit formed in my stomach, and I ghosted up the polished staircase, wondering if she was actually going to seduce her fiancé, even though she barely knew him and with her father downstairs, no less.
Fingers wrapped tightly around the banister, I was about to charge up and shoo her out, but a soft whirring sound stopped me. I recognized it immediately—it was a computer fan as the device came to life. Relief was quickly replaced with horror. Sophia’s computers were a damn work of art—or rather, specially made tools for her todoher art. Either way, they weren’t to be touched!
I blasted through the unlocked door of Sophia’s office. “What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped, hands on my hips.
Some of the color drained from Anya’s face. She straightened, a small black and chrome object in her hand. “I wanted to do a quick search—”
“No one uses Sophia’s computers,” I seethed. “Get out!”
A cool smile was mustered in the next moment. “This is my house, Briana.”
“Not yet, it’s not.” I took a step forward. “Either you leave this room, or I’m going to get Viktor.”
“You think he’s going to listen to some floozy’s accusation?” Anya sneered. “You might have slept with him—and don’t bother denying it—we can all feel the tension between you two, but it doesn’t mean squat. There are forces at work beyond your comprehension.”
“Like the Russian mob? And an arranged marriage? Please!” I scoffed. “Those are so superficial.”
Anya’s eyes widened.
“What? You didn’t think I knew about your little transaction? Unlike my sister, I’m not stupid. The gallery being shot up was not a random act of inner-city violence, it was a targeted hit on your Bratva.”
“So you do know,” she breathed. “Papa was told you didn’t.”
“What I know is that you’re not making a splendid match; you’re being sold as chattel,” I crowed, my confidence backing me up. “Now, since the vows aren’t spoken, the contract is still tenuously grounded, so I suggest you leave Sophia’s sacred space before the whole arrangement blows up in your face.”
There was a moment where the socialite considered me. Those large green eyes weighed the battle before her. In the end, she stepped away from the computer. I flicked a glance at the screen, seeing that it was still booting up. Stepping aside, I gestured for the bitch to leave.
“If I’m not allowed to be in here, then surely you aren’t either,” Anya said testily.
“Best friend status trumps bought-and-paid-for bride,” I bit back as she moved past me.
The small object in her fingers was a USB stick. Anger spiked in my veins. I was ready to tackle the socialite and wrench the thumb drive from her grasp, but the voices of the others moving into the hall stopped me.
I quickly followed Anya into the hall and shut the door behind me. The latch didn’t catch, and I frowned. But the others were already calling out goodbyes, and Anya hurried to join them as they moved to the foyer and front door.
I caught Sophia’s eyes and gave her a pointed look. She separated from Viktor’s side and hurried over. I refused to look at the Russian bear as I shared what I’d found in a hurried exchange with my best friend. Sophia glared at the retreating guests.
“Let’s see what damage the bitch did,” Sophia said, and rushed into her sanctum.
I stopped to check the door. A thin piece of tape was over the latch, prohibiting it from catching in the frame. “Did you show Anya your space?” I demanded.
“Yes,” Sophia growled, already sitting on her throne and pecking at the keys.
“Well, she wanted to get in here badly enough that she prepped the latch,” I said, and then explained the tape.
Sophia merely growled again.
“Did she monkey with anything?” I asked softly, approaching Sophia. “She stole a thumb drive, I think.”
Sophia shook her head. “My external drives are all under lock and key. The safe is hidden in the wall—not something Anya would know about. No, the device you saw was one she brought.”
“Oh, thank God,” I breathed.
“Aaannnddd, we’re good. She didn’t manage to upload anything into my servers.” Sophia pushed away from the desk and scrubbed a hand over her face. “Briana, I can’t thank you enough. If you hadn’t caught her, it could have been bad.”
Ice trickled down my spine. But then hope flickered, bright and ugly. “Does this mean we can bust the marriage contract since she tried to play dirty with you?”
