Page 9 of The Pakhan's Sold Bride

Roan is still talking to him, even though I’ve already decided that I’m in the mood for bloodshed this afternoon.

I might even make a spectacle out of him. Use him as a message for anyone else who tries to play me. Word will spread about what he’s done. I can’t have people thinking he got away with it without paying some kind of price. And he clearly has nothing to offer except his life.

I step forward, shaking my head. I’m over this. “Let’s finish this.”

“Wait,” Anton pleads.

“Last words, Anton,” I warn him, letting my fingers brush over the gun on my desk. I won’t use this weapon. Roan will wrap a cord around his neck and strangle him. It’s cleaner, less mess to deal with afterwards.

Roan is on the line to the receptionist girl. I want her out of here before we do this. She’s never seen anything especially incriminating, and I don’t want to start exposing her now.

“My daughter. You can have my daughter in exchange for the debt.”

“Yourdaughter,” I snort, laughing loudly. “What the hell makes you think I want your daughter, Anton?”

“You need an heir. You can marry her. She’s strong and healthy. She’ll give you lots of children.”

I narrow my eyes at him.

“What the fuck is up with everyone suggesting I get to work making heirs? People need to learn to mind their own business,” I snap, annoyed, but curious why it’s the second time today this suggestion has come up.

I’m not blind to signs from the universe.

Perhaps I do need to start looking into the idea of creating some heirs. But I can almost guarantee that I don’t want to be doing that with Anton’s daughter—this scum of the earth can’t possibly have the type of daughter I’d be wanting to have children with.

Roan returns, already wrapping the cord around his hands, pulling it taut.

“Kill him,” I say to Roan, with a nod.

Roan steps forward, but just as he does so, movement catches in the corner of my eye, and I turn towards the front of the office to find a woman walking towards us.

“Wait,” I demand, holding my hand up.

Roan follows my gaze to see what I’m looking at.

She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life.

She’s petite, with golden blond hair that hangs in loose curls over her shoulders, a narrow waist, and curved hips hugged by the tight skirt she’s wearing. Her features are sharp and feminine, her eyes piercing as she stares at me with confidence.

I told my arms across my chest, unable to hide the grin on my face.

In my life, I’ve never seen someone more beautiful than her.

“Who is this little fox?” I ask quietly.

“Anton?” she calls out, sounding annoyed.

I look at Anton in disbelief. “You know this girl?” I demand.

“That’s Lara. That’s my daughter,” he stammers, shifting awkwardly, trying to move away from Roan.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Roan says, also shocked to his core. “That’syour daughter? Not in a million years…”

“You can have her. In exchange for my debt,” Anton pleads. “Please, let me go.”

“What kind of a father tries to sell his own daughter?” I growl, angry at him, but already latching on to the idea ofmaking her my wife. Why shouldn’t I claim that magnificent creature as my own?

Even though she’s probably just like him—a con artist, here to try and talk the talk to get her father out of shit. I wonder if she knows her father would sell her. Or maybe this is all some plan they are in on together.

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