Page 144 of Sinful Bride

But more than scared, I’m pissed.

Really.

Fucking.

Pissed.

“So you know what?” He laughs darkly. “I’ve decided on how you can pay us back for everything you’ve done. Since you love spreading your legs so much, you’ll be?—”

I don’t give him the dignity of a returned backhand.

I punch him right in the jaw.

Ophelia screams and catches him as he stumbles back. Stewart sputters blood, and when he touches his nose, I see the way his fingers tremble.

Good.

“I came here to talk.” I pivot my stance and sink into the fighting position Sofi taught me. Elbows in, chin tucked behind my fists, eyes level. “But if you want to put hands on me, I’ll return the favor.”

“This is ridiculous! Both of you!” Ophelia squeezes his arm. “She is our daughter, Stewart! We are family!”

“You stopped being my family the first time you tried to sell me,” I spit in disgust. “I was what, eight? How much would that have brought you if it actually went through?”

She rolls her eyes. “Stop making it sound so terrible! All we did was pair you up with a successful, stable business associate who would have given you the world once you were old enough! And honestly, I can’t believe you’re still bringing that up?—”

“I was eight! I was a child!” I glare at her. At both of them. “Do you even hear yourself? How sick and fucked in the heads you both are?”

“Maybe it’s because you made us this way, you ungrateful slut!” Stewart spits at my feet and takes a step toward me despite his wife clinging to him. “Everything we’ve done has been for you! For you! We tried with your sister, but she was even worse than you! At least you could be grateful for the sacrifices we made!”

I thought Lev would have come in by now, but I’m kind of glad he hasn’t yet. I have a few things to say before this all goes too far south to salvage.

“So what you’re telling me is you’re delusional.”

Stewart barks a laugh. And then just… keeps laughing. And laughing.

It’s deeply unsettling.

“I am! I must be!” He slaps his hands to his chest. “How else could anyone describe my constant attempts to keep this family together? To give us the best life possible? Hell, I betrayed my own boss just to make sure everyone could enjoy life in the lap of fucking luxury—and this is the thanks I get?”

I frown at him. Even Ophelia takes a step away from him. “Stewart? What are you talking about?”

Again, he laughs. “What the hell do you think I’m talking about, woman? What, did you think Kostya Chekhov fired me for no reason? He was dead! And I helped pull the trigger!”

I feel like something just punched me in the gut. “You… wait, what?”

“It’s how I know his son is no good for you. I swear to you, Daphne, I know what that man is like. What all those Chekhovs are like. Kostya couldn’t keep it in his fucking pants, and he was a complete jackass even without doing his best friend’s wife on his desk! So yeah, I turned him in! And I got an incredible payout for helping his rival take over the company. Who the hell do you think paid for our vacation to Mykonos that year?”

My brows are firmly wedged along my hairline. I don’t think they’ll be coming down any time soon. “You… You aren’t joking. You seriously did that. You got Kostya killed.”

“I did the world a fucking favor. Just like I’ve been trying to do you the favor of making sure his bad seed doesn’t taint our family.” Stewart takes a calming breath and holds up a hand. “Yes, I know, you’ve already given birth to his child. We can overlook that. You just have to leave him and his world behind, okay? No one needs to know your daughter is a bastard. She can be… well, it actually works out that Conrad is dead. People won’t pry.”

I’m going to throw up. “You can’t be serious.”

“The Ewings need an heir,” Ophelia softly chimes in. “We’ve already spoken with them. They’re willing to overlook everything and they’ll give her a comfortable life?—”

“You cannot be serious.”

I must be asleep and having a horrific nightmare, because I did not just hear my own parents say they’re giving my baby away to some strangers I don’t even like.

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