Page 31 of Ruthless Daddies

Now those doubts are back. And this message—cryptic, chilling—feels like the missing piece of a puzzle I never wanted to solve.

“Do whatever it takes to trace that number,” I say finally, my voice steady but cold. “I don’t care what it costs.”

Dmitri nods again, his gaze hardening. “Consider it done.”

If there’s even a chance that Elena’s death wasn’t an accident, I’ll burn this city to the ground to find out the truth. And God help whoever had a hand in taking her from me.

13

ALICE

The garden is quiet, the kind of quiet that feels heavy, almost alive, as dusk begins to settle over the mansion grounds. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts—first the fact that I slept with Nikolai, and then let Dmitri finish me off in the hallway where anyone could have found us. What am I even doing? I wince at the memory, but at the same time, something inside me flares.

I wander through the garden, the familiar scent of roses and freshly trimmed hedges filling the air. The shadows are long now, the sun barely a sliver on the horizon. As I round a corner, I see him.

Ivan.

He’s in his usual spot, shirtless, his body gleaming with sweat in the faint light as he moves through his workout. His muscles ripple with each pull-up, his arms flexing with raw power, his focus unshakable. I stop in my tracks, my breath catching as I watch him.

There’s something magnetic about Ivan, something that draws me in no matter how much I try to resist. He’s intense, commanding, a force of nature, and seeing him like this—unrestrained, raw—makes my chest tighten in a way that has nothing to do with fear.

I know I shouldn’t be here. I should leave, go back inside, and pretend I didn’t see him. But my feet don’t move. Instead, I find myself stepping closer, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. The trees and hedges provide cover, but I’m too close. Too exposed.

The leaves rustle beneath my feet as I shift, trying to get a better view, and Ivan freezes. He looks up sharply, his eyes scanning the garden, his posture tense, alert.

My heart leaps into my throat, panic setting in as I realize I’ve been caught.Oh no.

I take a step back, hoping to slip away before he sees me, but the movement is too sudden. His gaze locks onto me, sharp and unrelenting, and I know there’s no escaping now. I turn and run, the adrenaline kicking in as I dart through the garden, my breath coming in quick, shallow gasps.

But Ivan is faster.

Before I can make it far, his weight slams into me, his arms wrapping around my waist as he tackles me to the ground. The impact knocks the air out of my lungs, and I gasp, the world spinning as I feel his body pinning mine, solid and unyielding.

I gasp, the world tilting as I land on the cool grass, my body pinned beneath his.

“Who the hell—” Ivan growls, his voice low and dangerous as he leans over me, his hands braced on either side of my head. It’sdarker now, the shadows of the garden masking my face, and for a moment, he doesn’t realize it’s me.

But I do.

His scent—clean, musky, unmistakable—fills my senses, and his weight presses down on me. My breath comes in short, frantic pants, my body hyperaware of every point of contact—his hands near my shoulders, his chest brushing against mine, the heat radiating off him.

“Ivan,” I manage to gasp, my voice breathless.

He freezes, his body going rigid. “Alice? What the hell are you doing out here?” he demands. His voice is rough, but his tone lacks its usual harshness.

“I…” I falter, my thoughts scattered, the weight of him making it impossible to think clearly. “I didn’t mean to…I was just walking, and then?—”

“Watching me?” he cuts in, his voice quieter now, almost teasing, though there’s a dangerous edge to it.

I swallow hard, my cheeks burning. “No—I mean, I wasn’t?—”

“You weren’t?” he repeats, his eyes flicking down to my lips before meeting my gaze again. His voice drops lower, a deep rumble that sends a shiver through me. “Because it sure felt like you were.”

“I…” I trail off, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure he can feel it.

He shifts again, his body pressing against mine in a way that makes my breath hitch. His chest is solid against me, his hands caging me in, and the heat between us is almost unbearable. Ican feel every inch of him, the tension in his muscles, the way his breathing deepens as he stares down at me.

“Ivan,” I whisper, my voice trembling, though I’m not sure if it’s from fear or something else entirely.

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