Page 20 of Ruthless Daddies

And then she appears.

The door to the dining room bursts open, and there she is—Svetlana, wearing the tightest, most garish dress I’ve ever seen, paired with heels that could double as weapons.

“Ivan!” she cries, her voice shrill, the kind of tone that could shatter glass. “You’re avoiding me!”

I let out a groan, dragging a hand down my face.Not now.

Alice looks up from her seat, startled, her fork frozen midair.

Svetlana’s gaze sweeps the room, her sharp eyes narrowing as they land on Alice. She freezes for a second, her lips curling into a sneer. “Oh,” she says, her tone dripping with disdain. “So this is the new nanny.”

Alice stiffens, her grip on her fork tightening as she glances at me for direction. I feel a surge of irritation—not at her, but at Svetlana’s obvious attempt to start something.

“Take the children upstairs, Alice,” I say.

Alice hesitates for just a beat before nodding, her chair scraping softly against the floor as she stands. “Come on, Mila, Luka,” she says, her voice calm despite the tension crackling in the room. She reaches for their hands, guiding them toward the door.

But Svetlana isn’t done. Her eyes follow Alice like a predator sizing up its prey. “What’s wrong, Ivan?” she asks, her lips curling into a mocking smile. “Afraid she’ll hear something she shouldn’t? Or maybe you’re trying to keep her in the dark about the kind of man you really are?”

“That’s enough,” I snap, my voice cutting through the room like a blade.

Alice doesn’t stop, keeping her head down as she ushers the kids out, but I don’t miss the way Svetlana’s hateful gaze follows her, practically burning a hole in her back.

When the door finally closes behind them, I turn my full attention to Svetlana. “Leave her alone, Svetlana,” I say, my tone low and dangerous. “She’s here for the children, and nothing else.”

She crosses her arms, leaning against the doorframe like she owns the place. “She doesn’t look like ‘nothing else,’” she says, her voice dripping with mockery. “She looks like someone you’re keeping very close, Ivan. Does she know how disposable people are in your world?”

My jaw tightens, my fists clenching at my sides. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say coldly, stepping closer to her. “And you don’t belong here.”

“Oh, but I do, don’t I?” she counters, her voice softening into something almost sultry as she steps into my space, her manicured fingers trailing over the edge of my shirt. “I belong to you, Ivan. Or did you forget?”

I catch her wrist, stopping her hand before it can go any further. “This conversation is over,” I say, my voice colder than ice. “You’re leaving. Now.”

Svetlana’s eyes narrow, her lips pursing as she yanks her hand away. “Fine,” she spits, turning on her heel. “But don’t think for a second this is over.”

I watch her retreat, the tension in my body coiled so tight it feels like I might snap. Nikolai lets out a low whistle from his seat, clearly entertained.

“Well,” he drawls, raising his coffee cup in mock salute. “That was…colorful.”

I don’t answer, my gaze lingering on the closed door Alice disappeared through. Svetlana’s words echo in my mind, taunting me, twisting around the truth I’ve been trying to ignore.

Alice isn’t just here for the children.

And no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise, I know it.

9

ALICE

It’s been days since the night at the club, and to my surprise, Ivan hasn’t said a word about it.

But the quiet has only made my curiosity grow. Especially aboutthem—Ivan, Dmitri, and Nikolai. The Morozovs. The more I’m around them, the more questions I have, and no one seems particularly eager to answer them. Except maybe Nikolai.

Which is why I’m now walking through the grand hallways of this mansion, heading toward his study. One of the maids pointed me in the right direction but warned me against disturbing him, saying something about how “Mr. Nikolai doesn’t like interruptions.” I probably should have listened, but curiosity has a way of making me reckless.

The study door is made of dark oak, its surface intricately carved with designs I don’t recognize. I take a deep breath, raise my hand, and knock firmly.

“Come in,” his voice calls out from the other side. I push the door open and step inside.

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