Page 39 of The Pakhan's Sold Bride

“He’s trying to take over. My—uh, my businesses. He didn’t build them up; he hasn’t offered any value to anything, but in his mind, he just deserves it. He’s been trying to push me out of power for a long time. He and his father work together, and I suspect that it was their plan from the moment Sergei met my mother.”

“That’s terrible. But your poor mother, surely she should just kick them out?”

“She doesn’t see it as clearly as I do. She thinks Sergei loves her.”

“Oh,” Lara says, her brow furrowed, her heart clearly full of pain for my mother. “That’s horrible.”

“I need to stay in control of these businesses because it’s how I take care of and protect my family. My mother and my sister. They mean the world to me.” I sigh loudly, pushing air out of my lungs in a huff.

She gently squeezes my leg. “I can see that—how much they mean to you. And they’re both wonderful.” Her smile is warm when I glance at her.

A grin steals its way onto my lips as my eyes take in her beauty.

She’s special.

In a flash, I realize just how much I’m opening up to her, and it catches me by surprise. I don’t talk to anyone about what’s on my mind. Roan knows me the best, but that’s only from one business-related perspective. He works with me on a daily basis, but I don’t exactly share my fears and dreams with him.

A sense of vulnerability washes over me, and I clench my jaw, feeling the muscles feather over my face.Focus on the road, not on her.

“What does Ulyana think about all of it?” Lara asks.

“She hates Miron as much as I do. We both tried to give them a chance, for our mother’s sake, but we’re both over it now.”

“Your mom is lucky she has you guys—and you’re really lucky you have her,” Lara says, and I feel her emotions shifting. She lifts her hand to softly touch the small pendant on her necklace.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my mother,” I tell her, knowing that’s what she’s thinking about.

“I’m glad she’s not in pain anymore, especially after last year. It was horrible to watch. But I miss her terribly. Every single day. Spending time with your family this evening reminded me just how much I miss her. I really like your mom and your sister. They’re both so sweet. And they made me feel really welcome.”

“I knew you’d like them.” I smile, full of pride. “And I knew they’d like you, too.”

I reach my arm across the car and wrap my hand over her leg. Her skin is warm, soaking heat into my fingers. Her body feels incredible beneath my touch.

A bright, piercing light draws my attention to the right as tires scream against the tarred road, the loud, high-pitched sound aching in my ears.

Immediately, I lift my arm, pressing it over Lara’s chest to hold her in place as a car smashes into us, jolting us, spinning my car off the road.

Lara screams and lifts her hands to cover her face as the window crunches, and she expects it to rain glass over her—but it’s protected by a shatterproof, bulletproof coating.

The car skids to a halt, balancing awkwardly with one tire stuck on the edge of a pole.

“Are you okay?” I ask when the car comes to a stop.

Lara turns to answer me, her eyes wide with fear, and I see another set of headlights racing towards us.

I reach out and throw my body over hers.

The second car slams into us and our car flips.

Lara screams again and her voice breaks in the panic.

The car is still rocking as I unclip her from the seat. She slumps, upside down, onto the roof of the car, trying to maneuver herself around. I kick my door open, expecting gunshots to smack against it any second.

“Come on, we need to move,” I shout, dragging her from the wreckage.

She’s clearly in shock, but she nods, her face expressionless.

“Lara, can you hear me?” I ask.

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