Page 53 of Ruthless Daddies

Dmitri shakes his head, his lips pressing into a thin line. “But nothing,” he says, his tone sharper now. “Elena’s gone. Vadim’s not worth talking about.”

Nikolai’s hand finds mine, his touch grounding. “Let it go, Alice,” he says softly. “This isn’t something you need to get involved in.”

It’s late afternoon,and I’m watching Luka and Mila play ball amongst themselves. Usually, I would record them playing—Luka’s smiles are rare, and Mila looks infectiously happy, but my mind is elsewhere.

Nikolai and Dmitri’s words from last night won’t stop playing through my head.

Mila giggles every time Luka fumbles a catch and grins sheepishly. It’s good to see them like this, especially Luka.

“Catch, Mila!” Luka shouts, throwing the ball a little too hard. It soars past Mila and crashes into the table in the corner, knocking over a delicate vase. The sound of shattering glass snaps me out of my thoughts.

Luka freezes, his eyes wide with panic. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he says quickly, his voice trembling. “Are you going to tell Marta?”

I kneel down, taking his small hands in mine. “No, sweetheart,” I say gently. “It was an accident. Marta doesn’t need to know.”

His lip quivers, but he nods, his fear easing slightly. I give him a reassuring smile before turning to the mess. “Stay back, both of you,” I say firmly. “I’ll clean this up.”

As I pick up the larger shards of glass, something catches my eye. A loose floor tile near where the vase shattered. It’s barely noticeable, but the edge is slightly raised, as if it’s been pried up before. I pause, frowning. The Morozov household is nothing if not immaculate—everything in its place, nothing out of order. A loose tile feels…odd.

Curiosity buzzes in my mind as I brush the area clean. Carefully, I pry the tile up, the cool porcelain giving way easily. Beneath it is a small, black rectangle wrapped in a protective plastic sleeve. My heart pounds as I pull it out, realizing it’s a phone.

The model is outdated, the screen cracked, but it’s still intact. It’s clear that this phone has been hidden deliberately.

“Hey, guys,” I say, trying to keep my voice light. “Why don’t you go play in the other room for a bit? I’ll finish cleaning up here.”

Luka hesitates, but Mila tugs at his hand. “Come on!” she says brightly, dragging him out of the room.

Once they’re gone, I sit on the floor, staring at the phone. My hands tremble slightly as I press the power button, not expecting it to turn on. But to my surprise, the screen flickers to life, and the home screen appears.

The phone is locked, but there’s no password—just a swipe to unlock. I hesitate, a small voice in my head telling me this isn’t my place. But the other voice—the one that’s been tugging at me ever since I stepped into this house—wins out.

If this phone was hidden, there’s a reason.

I open the messages app. The most recent thread is with an unknown number. My heart pounds as I scroll through the texts, the words leaping off the screen.

Unknown: Are you ready, E?

E? Elena?

Shit! This was Elena’s phone? My mind buzzes. There’s no way.

Elena: I don’t know. I’m scared.

Unknown: You don’t have to be. Just leave it all behind. You can have a new life.

Elena: What about Luka and Mila? I can’t leave them.

Unknown: Bring them. We’ll figure it out. Just get out of that house. It’s not safe for you anymore.

My breath catches.Elena.This phone was hers. These messages—they’re hers.

The conversation continues, and the words grow more frantic.

Unknown: You’re running out of time. If you don’t leave soon, you won’t get another chance.

Elena: I can’t. They’ll find me. I don’t want to bring trouble to my family.

The last message makes my blood run cold.

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