Page 5 of Innocent Bratva Hostage

“Then you’d better start talking,” I say, my tone sharp.

Lily inhales shakily, her trembling hands clutching the hem of her jacket as if the words she’s about to say might destroy her. Her lips part, but for a moment, nothing comes out. I lean back, watching her, my patience wearing thin.

“Kris,” she finally begins, her voice small. “He… he met me at the club. I didn’t think anything of it at first. He was charming, and he said all the right things.”

I stay silent, letting her speak. The tension in the room is palpable, my anger simmering just beneath the surface.

“We… ended up at a hotel,” she says, her cheeks flushing with shame. Her hands twist together in her lap, and I already know what’s coming. “We had sex. I thought… I thought it was just a one-time thing.”

She swallows hard, blinking back tears. “It wasn’t. He recorded me without my consent. I didn’t even know until he showed me the videos.” Her voice cracks, and she pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“He started threatening me. Said he’d leak the videos if I didn’t do what he wanted.” Her eyes dart to mine, searching for any sign of empathy, but I keep my expression neutral, my rage contained for now.

“What did he want?” I ask, though I already know the answer won’t sit well.

Lily’s hands shake harder, her knuckles white. “He wanted me to… to serve some of the guests at the club. Not just serve them drinks.” Her voice breaks, and she lets out a choked sob. “He said they’d pay him for it. If I didn’t do it, he’d ruin me. My life, my reputation—everything.”

She breaks down then, her shoulders shaking as she cries into her hands. “I don’t know if you would care,” she says between sobs, “but I didn’t know what else to do. I had to come to you. You own the club. I thought maybe….” Her voice trails off, hopelessness written all over her face.

The room feels colder as her words settle. My jaw tightens, and the rage I’ve been holding back begins to seep through the cracks. Kris. That worthless piece of shit has been usingmyclub as a front for exploiting women. Women like Lily,who probably thought they were safe when they walked through the doors.

Using women? That’s beneath the Bratva. There’s no honor in it, no respect. It’s filth. It’s weakness. And Kris has brought that filth into my territory.

“Do you have proof?” I ask, my voice a low growl.

Lily nods, fumbling with her phone. She pulls up a folder, scrolling through images and videos before handing it to me. Her hand trembles so badly I have to steady it as I take the device.

What I see only fans the flames of my fury. The evidence is damning: messages from Kris, screenshots of his threats, even a partial clip of one of the recordings he made of her. She wasn’t lying. Not about any of it.

I slam the phone down on the desk, making her flinch. My fists clench as I fight the urge to unleash my anger on something—anything.

“You’ve done the right thing by coming to me,” I say, my voice rough but steady.

Lily sniffles, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. “What are you going to do?”

I look her directly in the eye, my expression cold and unyielding. “Kris will never contact you again. That’s my word.”

Her lower lip trembles, and fresh tears spill over. “Thank you,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion.

I stand, my movements sharp and deliberate as I step around the desk. “Andrei,” I call, my voice carrying through the thick walls.

The door opens immediately, and Andrei steps in, his eyes scanning the room before settling on me.

“Take her home,” I order, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Make sure she’s safe. No one touches her.”

Andrei nods without hesitation, moving to Lily’s side. She looks up at him, then back at me, her gratitude evident even as fear lingers in her eyes.

“Go,” I tell her. “You’ll be fine now.”

She hesitates for a moment, as if she wants to say something else, but then she nods, letting Andrei guide her out of the office.

When the door closes behind them, the silence in the room is deafening. I let out a slow, controlled breath, my hands flexing at my sides.

Kris has made a mistake. A fatal one.

I walk to the window, staring out at the city below. The lights twinkle like stars, oblivious to the darkness lurking just beneath their surface. Kris thinks he can usemyclub, my name, to line his pockets with the pain and humiliation of women like Lily.

He’ll regret that.

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