Page 13 of Forced Innocent Bride By the Bratva

And just like that, the little hope I’d been holding on to vanished into thin air.

Chapter 7 – Daniel

“She couldn’t have gotten far. We’ll find her,” one of the men outside the restroom said to me, his voice tinged with determination.

Without a word, I let out a soft scoff, my shoes clicking against the pavement as I walked back to my car, a hand buried in my pocket.

“We have eyes and ears everywhere. Should I alert the local authorities?” my right-hand man, Ilya, asked, following up behind me.

I thought for a moment while in motion, a faint grin playing on the corners of my lips. She had some nerves, and I couldn’t have been more interested in her. The fact that she wanted to run away from me, from her fate, only made things more interesting. This was a game to me, and she’d proved to be a formidable player—one who was worth my time.

At first, I hadn’t given the bride much thought; my attention was on her father and Liam. This was a punishment for what they did to my cousin. It had nothing to do with the O’Sullivan girl; she just happened to be a pawn. I never took her seriously, never even bothered to know her name because I thought it was inconsequential, considering that she was never my target.

Now, she’d piqued my curiosity, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her than just perception. I realized I didn’t even know what she looked like—well, not necessarily. I just hadn’t bothered taking note of her physical appearance. Now, she had my attention; she had myfullattention.

“Boss.” Ilya’s deep voice cut through my thoughts like a knife as he repeated his words. “Should I alert the local authorities? Or maybe our men in the streets? They can keep an eye out for her.”

I didn’t respond. I just opened the car door and sat behind the wheel, unable to suppress the grin on my lips. He got into the vehicle, sitting in the front passenger seat.

“You seem fascinated by her,” Ilya said, looking in my direction, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.

I hesitated for a second and turned to face him. “She tricked me, Ilya.” An intrigued scoff escaped my mouth. “She fucking ran away.”

He stared at me in silence, his brows knitting together, and wonder colored his eyes. “You overestimate her, Boss,” he said, his voice low and polite.

“No, Ilya, I underestimated her; that’s why she tricked me and ran away,” I replied, starting the car, my tone laced with fascination.

The gentle hum of the engine filled the car’s cabin as I drove away, the headlights shining in the dark night.

“So, do you think she’ll be easy to find?” Ilya asked, mild sarcasm creeping into his tone.

I chuckled, glancing at my phone’s screen after a message popped up from one of my men in the local police station.

Ilya’s eyes darted between my face and the phone in my hand. “Lemme guess, she’s been found.”

“Indeed,” came my reply as I showed him my screen.

He met my gaze, and a mischievous grin played on both our lips. Minutes later, we arrived at the station, and I pulled up by the parking lot, killed the engine, and stepped out of the vehicle. The cool night’s air brushed against my skin as I headed to the building under the starry expanse. Ilya opened the door for me, and I stepped inside.

The officers rose to their feet and slightly lowered their heads in reverence. More than half of the policemen on shift tonight worked for me, and the remainder of them knew better than to stand in my way. So, they all stepped aside.

“Where is she?” I asked them.

They all pointed me toward a cell where the loud voice of a lady screaming to be let out echoed. It was her. I reveled in her shouts and pleas as I approached her cell with a deliberate slowness. The closer I drew to her, the more silent her voice became. I hadn’t seen her yet, but I could sense her fear; I could almost smell it. She must have recognized the footsteps, and now she was horrified, unsure of what punishment I had in store for her.

Good.

I halted outside the bars that separated me from her, my lips twitching at the corners, with both hands in my pockets. She stood frozen in place on the other side, intimidated by my presence. In her green eyes, I saw fear but also a spark of defiance. Her red hair was a tangled mess, and her white silk lace was torn at the hem. There were bruises on her legs, and her bare feet seemed to be bleeding—clearly, Cinderella had ditched her heels. All of this just because she wanted to escape from me. Fascinating.

What I found even more fascinating was that despite how unkempt she looked, her stunning beauty still shone through. She wasn’t just a pesky little brat with a knack for deception; she was also a pretty face.

“Did you honestly think that you could run away from me?” I started, unable to tear my eyes away. “I control half of the city. There’s nowhere you can run to that I won’t find you.”

“You have to let me go,” she said, a scowl settling on her face.

“And why would I do that?” I asked, signaling the officer behind me to unlock her cell.

“Because I haven’t wronged you in any way. I’ve never even met you before,” she said, her voice cracking, a hint of desperation creeping into her tone.

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