Page 46 of Forced Innocent Bride By the Bratva

Daniel had me hooked—so hooked, in fact, that I couldn’t help throwing myself at him the last time I saw him fight. Seeing all that he went through in the ring, I felt the need to help him relax—to ease his stress. That moment in the tub was the most intimate I’d ever shared with any man, and it would linger on the fringes of my mind for a very long time.

The taste of his lips still remained on mine, a subtle reminder of the hours we spent in that tub, just kissing and caressing each other’s bodies. The fleeting moment we shared that cool evening left a lasting imprint on my heart. It revealed one thing to me: that our connection went far beyond physical attraction and mere lust. It was something a lot more profound than that. As meaningful as it was, it was still a complex puzzle that neither of us had solved. The feeling was strange and undefined, unnamed.

These thoughts tugged at my mind, threatening to rip it apart, as I lay on the couch in the living room, confused. The opulent setting was warm, the gentle crackle of the fireplace filling the air as I lay on my back, staring blankly into space. It felt like the walls were starting to suffocate me, and I just needed some fresh air. Without a second thought, I sprang to my feet, footsteps padding on the fine marble floor while making my way toward the garden.

The scent of blooming flowers invaded my senses, the sunlight filtering through the tree leaves as I strolled through the perfectly manicured garden. I paused under an oak tree, drawing a deep, long breath, feeling the gentle breeze on my face. Fingers combed through my hair as I turned toward my usual spot, my gaze settling on the weathered bench.

But just as I was about to take a step further, I heard it: an underlying voice beneath the gentle wind and the chirping of birds. It sounded like Ilya’s, Daniel’s right-hand man, and it appeared that he was on the phone with someone. Whatever they were discussing wasn’t any concern of mine, and I should go on and mind my business.

However, I couldn’t help but wonder why he had to come all the way out here to make a phone call. Well, he probably was dealing with a personal situation. But wait, why was he whispering? For all he knew, he was alone out here, so why lower his voice? I didn’t need to be a psychologist to sense something fishy.

I stood there under the oak tree, contemplating whether to eavesdrop on Ilya’s conversation or just go on my way. However, something kept pulling me in Ilya’s direction. It wasn’t just my curiosity getting the better of me; it was more than that.

I braced myself and summoned the courage to draw closer, paying rapt attention so I could catch a few words from his lips. I stuck my head from behind the tree, and there he was, his back to me and the phone over his ear.

“Yes, yes,” he whispered, nodding his head, a hand in his pocket. “Everything’s going according to plan. Daniel doesn’t suspect a thing.”

My eyes narrowed, and suspicion settled on my gaze as I wondered what he meant by that. What plan was he talking about, and what didn’t Daniel suspect?

“You have my word. Daniel Tarasov will be dead by morning, and I’ll have your bride returned to you,” he said, his tone dripping with venom and disdain.

My eyes widened in shock, my heart hammering in my chest as my hand flew to my mouth, sealing my gasp. His words and the hatred in his voice cut deep like a knife, especially knowing that he was supposed to be Daniel’s most trusted man. My chest was heaving rapidly, my mind thinking of a million and one things at once.

Who was Ilya talking to? At first, I thought it was my dad, considering that I was somehow the center of the conversation. But then, Ilya had said,“...I’ll have your bride returned to you,”which only meant that Liam was the man on the other end.

I smoothed my hair backward, goosebumps crawling over my skin as I withdrew from the tree with quaking knees. If Liam was working with Ilya, then that would explain how Liam’s letter got through to me. He’d used Ilya as his inside man.

Daniel had no idea that he’d been betrayed by the one person he trusted the most. He had no idea that they were planning to murder him by tomorrow.

Shit! This was terrible, and now I wasn’t sure what to do. My first instinct was to run, but where would I go? I still hadn’t found a way out of here; besides, Daniel’s life was in danger. Could I really live with myself if anything happened to him?

My feet seemed to move of their own accord as I backed away, still processing what I’d just heard.

“Hey,” a familiar voice spoke behind me.

I yelped, almost jumping out of my skin as I turned around to face him, a hand on my heaving chest.

Daniel’s eyes squinted, suspicion flickering in her gaze. “Are you okay?” he asked, drawing closer, studying the fear on my face.

I clenched my jaw, my heart pounding like a drum. Should I tell him? Should I just lie about it? Would he even believe me, considering how long he’d known Ilya for?

“Scarlett?” he called, his eyes boring into mine, his voice stern and suspicious.

Keeping this to myself would make me just as guilty if anything bad happened to him. It didn’t matter whether he’d believe me or not. I had to at least try and save his life.

I swallowed hard, lips trembling. “I need to talk to you. Alone,” I said, my voice dripping with solemnity.

He stared at me, as if trying to read my countenance, but one thing was certain: He felt the weight of my words and the urgency of my tone.

Chapter 25 – Daniel

The urgency of her tone was unsettling, especially with the horrified look etched on her face. I thought we’d grown past the stage where she was afraid of me—but this wasn’t about me. No. It was something else. I just didn’t know what it was, and that bothered me, even though I appeared calm and collected.

For sure, she’d been a little distant since the night she came to me in the bathtub, surrendering her mind and body. But I figured she needed some time to adjust to whatever feelings we both had growing within us. Her action that night was just as shocking to me as well—although I loved every bit of it.

Aside from that, she’d been fine, and we’d been cool; no tension, no awkward moments, nothing. Even this morning, she seemed fine while sitting in the living room, alone with her thoughts. Then what changed? What was the reason for the sudden fear I saw in her eyes, and why did she switch the moment she went to the garden?

She requested to speak with me alone but wouldn’t say a word, even though there was no one else around us. Scarlett insisted that we move to my office. That was when I realized just how important this must be for her. I couldn’t find it in me to shove this under the rug or push the conversation to later. My curiosity was piqued, and I needed to know what this was about. But also, I was worried—concerned about the terror in her eyes. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

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