Page 138 of Sinful Bride

But it’s been three days of silence, only to get five seconds with him.

Three nights sleeping alone.

Three mornings waking up to a cold pillow on his side of the bed.

He didn’t abandon you. This is NOT a silent treatment. You are not being punished.

I glance over at the hallway leading to the guest room. Asya is napping, taking a break from worrying about her children so much that she spirals into panic attacks.

Pull yourself together, Daphne.

They need you.

He needs you.

49

DAPHNE

I stare at the burner phone laying on Pasha’s desk.

It’s got a full charge. It’s on. Now, I’m just waiting to see if anyone actually calls it.

The thing arrived last night, but it was several hours of Lev and Sofi running it through checks and scanning the package for any signs of danger before she brought it up to me.

Today marks the fifth day of the raids. Pasha’s still gone. Asya is still struggling to stay afloat mentally, and Sofi is our dedicated smuggler of all things news and noteworthy.

As for me?

I’m in my husband’s office while our daughter naps, enveloping myself in his warm leather and sandalwood scent. Waiting for this thing to?—

Bzzt. Bzzt.

“Hello?” I pick it up on the first ring. My heart is pounding so loud, I pray I’m able to hear the person on the other end.

“Daphne.”

I’m gonna throw up.

“Daphne, I need you to listen to me very carefully?—”

“It was you.” I swallow back the surge of bile. As much as I want to chew out the man I once called “Father,” I’m too stunned. “Everything. This is all your doing.”

“No, Daphne. This is all your doing.”

“The hell it is!”

“Shut! The fuck! Up!” Stewart booms into the phone. “Shut your goddamn mouth for once and listen to me! I am your father!”

I could hang up. I could hang up on his abuse and throw the phone out the window.

But if he has information that will end this chaos, I need to get it.

“Okay.”

I hate myself so much. I hate how my voice sounds.

Whatever it takes.

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