Page 38 of Innocently Imprisoned By the Bratva

Half an hour later, I look up to see Lev walking toward the elevator. This time, another woman, a redhead in a tight skirt and button-down shirt walks alongside him. She laughs and touches his arm. I flinch when he laughs back at something she said. The elevator opens. He lets her go in first before entering behind her.

The knot in my stomach tightens. At that moment, I can't help but let my mind wander to Lev's past relationships. I heard through the grapevine that he had some sort of fling with Boris's old secretary, and the thought gnaws at me, making me question my own desirability.

How many people has he hooked up with around this office?

Am I just another conquest, a challenge for him, or does he genuinely care for me? Everything comes tumbling into my mind. Lev and his supermodels, how he teases me so without ever going all the way, all these women he laughs with.

And suddenly, I feel small.

Chapter 15 - Lev

I sit at the head of the polished mahogany table, trying to focus on Anoushka and Pippa's presentation. My sister's enthusiasm is contagious as she pitches Pippa and her latest project for our social responsibility wing. Pippa, on the other hand, doesn’t seem like herself. For the past two days, she’s been avoiding me around the house. She’s been holed up in her room, always sleeping, or studying. I’ve eaten my meals alone and thought nothing of it. Maybe her school work has taken a toll.

But even around the office, she’s been listless.

"Imagine the impact we could make in underprivileged communities," Anoushka says, gesturing at the graphs projected on the screen behind her.

There’s a silence, and Anoushka clears her throat. “Pippa?” she says gently.

Pippa looks at Anoushka, surprised as though she’d forgotten where she was. “What? Sorry,” she mumbles. She steps forward, her dark, wavy hair framing her beautiful face. But, she doesn’t look at me. Instead, she faces the screen. "By investing in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, we can create a lasting positive change."

Her voice, so soft, sends shivers down my spine, and I struggle to keep my mind from wandering. Why isn’t she looking at me? After this meeting, I must speak with her.

Just as Anoushka starts detailing the budget allocation, Boris's previous secretary, Natalia, saunters into the room. She's dressed provocatively, wearing a tight black skirt and a stark white blouse unbuttoned just enough to tease. I grit my teeth, irritated by her interruption.

"Excuse me, Lev," she purrs, leaning over the table to offer me a file folder I had requested from a subordinate of hers. She touches my hand and gives it a squeeze as I take it. She has no reason to drop in. Her cleavage is on full display, and she makes no secret of her intentions.

"Please, go on," I say, trying to maintain my composure. I take the folder without looking at its contents, knowing it's just a ploy to get my attention. Natalia could have very well handed it to me after the meeting.

"Right, so…" Pippa hesitates, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. She clears her throat and continues, "We've identified several key areas where our investments would have the most significant impact." Her voice trails off, and she shuffles through her papers, almost like she’s forgotten there should be more.

"Such as?" I ask, gently urging her to refocus.

"Primary school education, for one," Pippa says slowly. "By partnering with local schools and providing resources and training, we can improve the quality of education for thousands of children. Studies show that the quality of primary school education can make or break a child’s future, so we think it’s wiser to strength the basics."

"Excellent point," I say, nodding. "And what about healthcare?"

Just then, Natalia walks over and begins to pour me some water. I ignore her as she lingers her hand over my shoulder and bends down to whisper in my ear. “I thought you might be thirsty.”

I see a flash of rage cross Anoushka’s face while Pippa looks pale. I shrug Natalia’s hand off my shoulder.

Anoushka jumps in, talking louder than necessary. "We can provide nutritious meals during school hours, with takeaway boxes. Many children struggle to get their dietary needs met. Apart from that, we will work with local clinics and hospitals to have awareness drives on personal hygiene in schools.”

"Sounds promising," I say, trying to ignore the secretary's lingering presence. But Natalia now proceeds to drop a box of pens on the floor in front of me, bending down on all knees to pick them up.

“Natalia,” I say calmly, at last. “Could you please go and line up my schedule for tomorrow morning’s briefing?”

I do not wish to have her handle my tasks, but I need her out of this room, stat.

She pouts, clearly disappointed that her attempts to entice me have failed. She slinks out of the room.

I catch Pippa's eye, silently urging her to continue. Pippa hesitates, her gaze flickering nervously to the door through which Natalia just left. I give her an encouraging nod, silently urging her to ignore what happened with the unwanted presence in the room.

"Finally, infrastructure," Pippa says, her voice trembling a little. "By investing in cool ventilation systems, state-of-the-art communications, and allocating personal computers and tablets to each student, we can bridge the digital gap in these communities."

"Agreed," I say, impressed by her thorough research and passion for the project. "Let's discuss this further after the meeting."

"Of course," Pippa replies, but there’s no smile on her face, no sense of that usual pride. Something doesn’t just seem off. It is off.

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