Page 52 of Innocently Imprisoned By the Bratva

"Quite the catch, our young Lev," Mikhail says, patting me on the back. "Hold onto her."

"Trust me," I reply, my eyes never leaving Pippa's, "I fully intend to."

I look at the woman by my side with sheer admiration. Pippa Anderson can truly knock an insult pitched her way out of the park.

As I watch her, something stirs within me—an emotion I don’t believe I’ve ever felt before, one I think could be love, but I can’t be certain. What I know of love is that it’s complicated, messy, all-encompassing.

It’s something I’ve never thought about before.

It’s different, isn’t it? Being in love with someone and truly loving someone? In this moment, I wonder, have I crossed the line to the latter?

No. It can’t be.

So why is the thought now lingering, festering in my mind?

I’m pulled out of my thoughts when I hear my name.

"Lev must have done something right to win your loyalty," Ivan remarks, a hint of approval coloring his tone.

"Or maybe I just see him for who he truly is," Pippa counters with a small smile, her gaze flicking to mine for a moment before returning to Ivan. "A troublemaker with a soul.”

That simple statement sends a shiver down my spine, and I struggle to suppress the urge to pull her into my arms right here, right now.

"Ah, young love," Audrey sighs wistfully, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "It's so refreshing to see."

That darned word again.

"Indeed," I reply dryly, trying to reign in my emotions as I shoot her a teasing grin. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some dancing to attend to."

As Pippa and I make our way to the dance floor, I can't help but steal glances at her, marveling at how effortlessly she has managed to win over my family, and with that, my admiration.

Chapter 20 - Pippa

I burst into Boris's office, not bothering to knock. The room falls silent as Lev, Damien, and Boris turn to stare at me, surprise etched on their faces.

"Look, I know you guys have found Lenny's daughter," I blurt out, my heart pounding. "I just saw the correspondence from your intel team on Boris’s secretary's desk."

Lev smirks, obviously amused by my entrance. "Ever heard of privacy, Pippa?"

"Save it, Lev," I snap back, ignoring his sarcastic comment. "We don't have to kidnap Lilah. I swear I have a better plan."

“This again?” Damien says, ice-cold.

“Let her speak,” Lev insists.

I look at Lev, and he gives me an encouraging nod. I suddenly feel calmer. The minute I saw the correspondence that they traced to Lenny’s daughter, Lilah, I went into panic mode. I cannot allow another innocent woman to survive a horrific kidnapping like I did.

"Go on." Boris's voice sounds disinterested, but I can tell he's curious.

"Like I said before, instead of kidnapping her, I'll befriend her. Get close to her, gain her trust, and find out everything we need to know about Lenny's activities."

"Are you forgetting that girl's father is the reason we're in this mess?" Damien asks skeptically, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Besides, she knows you worked for her father. What if Lenny told her what happened? What makes you think she won't recognize you as the girl who was kidnapped by Lev?"

"Because Lilah doesn't know anything about her father's business," I reply with conviction. "She's completely unaware of what he does. Trust me. I worked in that house for two years and never knew. I've met her before. She's innocent. She once told me her father was a stockbroker, and now, looking back, he had all his meetings behind closed doors. He would never have told her the truth. He would have wanted to protect her from this world."

Boris leans back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You're certain she won't suspect anything?"

"Positive," I assure him. " I'm good with people. I can get her to trust me. And I know her from before, remember? We’re well acquainted. This is the perfect opportunity. If the information comes from her, we can take him by surprise. If you kidnap her, on the other hand, Lenny could retaliate and take you by surprise."

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