Page 19 of Kidnapped By the Bratva

Her lips tremble, but she doesn’t back down. “He’s strong. He won’t let this happen. He’ll—”

“Kace is weak,” I snap, cutting her off. “He’s in debt up to his neck, Sophia. The American Mafia is crumbling under the weight of bad decisions, failed alliances, and enemies he made along the way. He can’t even save himself, let alone you.”

She blinks, her tears momentarily forgotten as she stares at me, stunned. I can see the disbelief in her eyes, the cracks forming in the pedestal she’s placed her father on.

“No… that’s not true,” she whispers, shaking her head. “He wouldn’t….”

I step even closer, my eyes narrowing as I hit her with the truth she’s been sheltered from. “Why do you think he’s trying to marry you off to Jackson Miller? He doesn’t care about you, Sophia. He wants money. He wants support. He’s selling you to the highest bidder because he needs to dig himself out of a hole, and he doesn’t care what that costs you.”

She freezes, her lips parting as if she’s about to say something, but no words come out. She’s starting to see it—the reality she’s been blind to all these years. I can almost see the pieces falling into place in her mind, the realization that her father is no hero. He’s a desperate man, scrambling to save himself, even if it means throwing her to the wolves.

“That’s why he chose Jackson,” I continue, my tone sharp. “Jackson Miller comes from money. He has influence, power. Kace thinks this marriage will save him. You’re nothing more than a pawn in his game.”

Her eyes widen, and I can see the denial flickering in them. She wants to fight back, to say something, but she’s struggling to grasp the truth. Her breaths come in shallow, shaky gasps, and I press on, making sure she understands just how much her father has failed her.

“Jackson?” I take a step closer, my voice lowering as I deliver the final blow. “Do you even know the kind of man he is?”

She looks up at me, her confusion clear. “What do you mean?”

“Jackson Miller was charged with the murder of one of his ex-girlfriends. The case never went to trial because he paid off her family, and the charges were dropped. Kace knows this. He knew Jackson’s history, and he still decided to marry you off to him.”

Her body tenses, her face paling as my words sink in. She shakes her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “No… that can’t be true.”

“It is true,” I say coldly. “Your father doesn’t care about your safety. He only cares about what you can do for him. Marrying you to Jackson is his way of keeping himself afloat, regardless of what happens to you.”

Tears spill down her cheeks again, but this time, they’re different. They’re not just tears of fear or sadness—they’re tears of betrayal. I can see it in her eyes, the way her world is crashing down around her. Everything she thought she knew about herfather is unraveling before her, and there’s no one to blame but him.

“I don’t believe you,” she says, but her voice is weak, hollow. She doesn’t believe her own words.

“You don’t have to believe me,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. “Deep down, you already know it’s true. You know your father isn’t the man you thought he was.”

Her shoulders slump, and she lowers her head, her hands coming up to cover her face as she sobs quietly. The weight of everything I’ve told her is crashing down, and there’s nothing she can do to stop it.

“What should we do with her now?” Artem asks from behind me, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. He’s enjoying this far too much.

I glance at him, then back at Sophia. She’s a mess, her once-pristine image shattered by the truth of who her father really is. As much as she’s broken, as much as I hate seeing her innocence, there’s no denying that she’s still valuable.

Still, there’s only one end for her. I can’t let her walk away after this.

“Leave her here for now. I don’t think she’ll give us trouble; lock her door just in case.”

Sophia’s sobs grow louder, more desperate, but I’ve already made my decision. She may be Kace’s daughter, but she’s not innocent. She’s part of this world, whether she likes it or not, and she’ll pay for her father’s sins.

When Kace finally falls, he’ll know that it was his greed, his desperation, that took everything from him.

Starting with her.

***

Hours later, I sit with my phone pressed to my ear as I update Ivan on the latest developments. The room is dimly lit, and the low hum of the city outside filters through the windows, a distant reminder that life goes on even as we plot our revenge. I can hear the satisfaction in Ivan’s voice as I recount what happened with Sophia—the way I broke her down, shattered her illusions about her father, and set the stage for what’s to come.

“Good,” Ivan says, his voice calm but edged with approval. “Kace won’t see it coming. He thinks he’s untouchable, that no one can get to him. Using his daughter like this… it’s exactly the kind of blow we need to deal him.”

I nod, though he can’t see it. “She’s broken, Ivan. She knows now that her father sold her off to Jackson for nothing more than money. I made sure she understands that she’s just a pawn in his game. And when Kace finds out we have her, he’ll be desperate. We’ll have him exactly where we want him.”

Ivan chuckles on the other end of the line. “You’ve always been good at playing the long game, Maxim. You’ve got the patience for it. Kace will crumble before us, piece by piece. You’ll get your revenge. Just make sure you keep her in line. No loose ends.”

I feel a dark satisfaction settle in my chest at his words. Revenge has been a slow burn, but I’m finally on the verge of getting what I’ve wanted for months. The thought of Kace Preston, panicked and desperate, losing everything he holds dear… it’s exactly what I’ve been working toward. And knowing that I’m the one pulling the strings, that I’m the one orchestrating his downfall, only makes it sweeter.

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