Page 82 of Beautiful Cruelty

"What? Why?"

"Why?" Irina's mouth purses in a line, and her eyes narrow in rage. "Because he could. Because it was a reminder to Daddy that he owned both of us."

The jealousy I felt towards her transforms into crushing shame. Here I was, acting petty over some perceived competition when she survived something unspeakably traumatic.

"When Vadim found out, he came looking for me." Irina continues. "But he wasn't fast enough. It took him two years to find me."

Irina's emerald eyes finally turn towards me again, shimmering with tears.

"By then, nothing could undo what my buyers did. All Vadim could do then was make sure that every one of them paid a price."

The weight of Irina's story crushes my chest until I can barely breathe.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, my voice cracking. "I had no idea..."

Irina finally squeezes my hands, and I notice that her fingers aren't so icy anymore. “But now you do."

"That's why you worship him." I run my thumb gently over her hands, and blink away the tears that have started to well in my own eyes. "That's why you agreed to his plan, to design this dress for me."

"How can I not worship the man who gave me a chance at life?" She stands up, faces the dress, and smooths down the fabric with reverent hands. "How can I not help when he asked me to help him in this?"

"Thank you." I look at her. "For sharing that with me. I'm such an idiot for being jealous of you. I judged you without knowing."

"Your jealousy is natural, Lacey." Irina smiles warmly. “But trust me when I say that you have nothing to worry about from me."

The weight of what Vadim is truly fighting against settles over me. This isn't just about revenge or power. It's about stopping monsters who prey on innocent dreams.

Now I understand the protective fury I've seen in Vadim's eyes.

And finally, I understand why he chose me. It's exactly like he said when he took me from Nathan's apartment that rainy morning.

"Because I know you'll fight and defend those who needs defending the most. Because eleven hours and twenty-eight minutes after your engagement ended, you were fighting for a dry cleaner that you didn't need to fight for. When you were cornered, you didn't back down or beg for mercy. You fought even when you knew you couldn't win. That's why it can only be you."

This is personal for him. Deeply, viscerally personal.

"How long has he been doing this?"

"Five years before Pyotr's death," she says. "Fifteen years total."

Fifteen years.The weight of those words crushes me under the implication. Almost two decades of fighting these monsters. Of trying to save as many girls as he could.

"Svoboda." I start slowly. "He started it when Pyotr was still alive?"

"Yes. Though Pyotr never knew the true purpose behind it." Irina's lips curve in a small, sad smile. "Vadim used his father's own greed against him. Convinced him it was just another way to expand the operation."

I remember the night on the couch with Megan in what feels like forever ago, when she was furiously helping me google everything about Vadim Stravinsky.

Neither of us had any idea about this. He kept it a secret from the world.

My chest tightens as I think about Vadim carrying this burden alone for so long. Fighting these battles in the dark while pretending to turn a blind eye to the horrific business Pyotr conducted.

No wonder he refuses to call that monster his father.

"How many?" I ask.

"Thousands." Irina squeezes my hands. "There's nothing and nowhere in this world that's untainted by these monsters. That's why Vadim refuses to rest until he's taken them all down."

"Will he?"

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