Page 5 of The Pakhan's Arranged Bride
There is a moment of tense silence between the two men, and I tilt my head to the side, considering my options.
Benedikt’s eyes are still piercing into me. It makes my heart beat faster, seeing him look at me like that. The smile of curiosity on his face is beautiful. I lean closer to the screen, drawn to him while I weigh up my options.
I’ve been obsessing over getting revenge against Miron for far too long without actually having a chance to do anything.If I married Benedikt, I’d move to Las Vegas and be right where Miron is. I’d also have the benefit of being a very powerful man’s wife—it would give me the tools and means I need to do whatever I want.
My revenge against Miron could go from being a frustrating daydream to a reality.
Benedikt’s jaw sets tighter. He leans back in his chair and says, with darkness in his voice, “You owe me, Nestor. Let’s not forget that I came to your aid the moment your wife was in danger, and you might not have her today if it wasn’t for me.”
“Benedikt, this is my fucking sister,” he shouts.
“The debt would be paid. We would be even,” Benedikt replies calmly.
Nestor becomes enraged. I haven’t actually seen my brother this angry in a long time. He stands up, shoving the chair away from the desk. “You’re asking too much, this request is going to damage our relationship if you try and force it. I won’t tolerate—"
“I’ll do it,” I say calmly, interrupting him.
Nestor stops mid-sentence and spins to face me.
“What?” he snaps.
“I’ll marry Benedikt.” I shrug and fold my arms over my chest.
With a quick glance at the screen, I notice that Benedikt is staring at me in disbelief, his mouth open, his eyes narrowed.
“You will?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say, and Benedikt’s face breaks out into a massive grin.
“No,” Nestor insists. “She doesn’t know what she’s agreeing to. I am the leader of this family—"
I place my hand on Nestor’s shoulder. “Nez, you’ve sacrificed so much for this family over the years. You’ve done everything to keep us safe, and it’s been amazing. But now I can contribute, too. And this marriage will strengthen the alliance, make us stronger, and at least youknowthe man I’m marrying, instead of me going off to some stranger. I’ll be safe there,” I say, voice light and even.
Nestor stares at me for a long while, trying to process everything I’ve said. My brother is the leader of this family, but I have my ways of handling him when I want something.
I smile when I see his resistance fading.
“Ulyana, you’ll have to move to Las Vegas,” he says, trying a different approach.
“I know, but I like Las Vegas, and I can come visit home anytime.”
“Anytime,” Benedikt chimes from the video call.
“Stay out of this,” Nestor snaps at him. But then he pushes his hand through his hair and sighs loudly. “Fine. If Ulyana is okay with it, then fine.” He’s not happy, but he’s outnumbered, and whether he likes it or not, it makes sense.
Benedikt goes straight into the details, not giving my brother the chance to change his mind.
“The entire wedding has already been planned. I’ll find out the information and send it to both of you. Ulyana, you may select any dress you want and put it on my account, of course, along with anything else you need for the day.”
“Thank you,” I say quickly.
Benedikt, my future husband, looks pleased with himself. I study his face for a moment, wondering if that mischief I see behind his eyes is because he got Nestor to agree to what he wanted—or is he looking at me?
I bite my lip and smile in amusement. This might even be fun.
“We still have business to discuss, Ulyana, so if you’ll please excuse us,” Nestor sighs.
I lean over the back of his chair and give my brother a quick peck on the cheek. He sneers in annoyance and wipes it off, rolling his eyes at me.
