Page 85 of Ruthless Daddies

“I’m not lying, Ivan,” she says.

“You had a gut feeling about Svetlana too,” Nikolai says.

Alice’s gaze snaps to him, her cheeks flushing. “That was different,” she says, defensive now.

“Was it?” Nikolai presses, folding his arms as he leans against the wall. “You made it pretty clear you didn’t trust her. Andnow you’re shifting your suspicion to Sergei. You’re not exactly building a solid case here.”

Her jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think she’s going to snap back. But instead, she takes a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing just slightly.

“I’m not shifting suspicion,” she says, her tone more measured now. “I’ve noticed things. Small things. Luka and Mila act differently around him. He’s…unsettling.”

Ivan exhales sharply, shaking his head. “Sergei has been with this family longer than you’ve been alive. If he’s unsettling, it’s because he’s been through hell to protect what we’ve built.”

Alice hesitates, and it’s in that moment I see it—her doubt. Not in her instincts, but in whether she should say more. She’s holding something back, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why.

“Is there something you’re not telling us?” I ask, stepping closer, my voice quieter.

“No,” she says quickly. Too quickly.

I narrow my eyes, studying her. She’s hiding something. I’d bet my life on it.

Ivan sighs, running a hand over his face. “This is a waste of time,” he mutters, his frustration bleeding into his voice. “Sergei is loyal. Until you have something concrete, this conversation is over.”

Alice opens her mouth as if to argue, but then she closes it again, nodding stiffly. She doesn’t look at any of us as she turns and heads for the door.

As it closes behind her, Nikolai speaks up, his tone dry. “Well, that went well.”

“She’s hiding something,” I say immediately, my gaze still on the door.

“You think?” Nikolai drawls, pushing off the wall.

Ivan doesn’t say anything, his jaw tight as he stares at the desk.

“She’s protecting someone,” I say.

“Who?” Nikolai asks.

“Not sure.” I shrug. “But I think whoever it is might know something about Sergei that she doesn’t want to say.”

Ivan exhales heavily, rubbing his temples. “We’ll deal with Sergei. But unless she comes forward with something solid, I’m not entertaining her theories anymore.”

“She’s good at deflecting,” Nikolai mutters, breaking the silence. “But she’s not as good as she thinks.”

Ivan shoots him a sharp glance. “You’re not helping.”

“I’m not here to help,” Nikolai snaps, leaning against the wall. “I’m here to figure out if we’ve got a problem bigger than Vadim breathing down our necks.”

I glance at Nikolai. My brother is acting like a wounded dog.

“The night she went into the city, she was in the alley with one of Vadim’s men. That’s not exactly a coincidence,” Nikolai says.

“Maybe if you hadn’t shot him on sight, he could have given us some answers,” I shoot back sarcastically.

“He had a gun on her. What was I supposed to do? Invite him to tea?”

“You have other appendages to shoot at,” I say drily. “In case you haven’t noticed.”

Nikolai crosses his arms, his expression unrepentant. “I’d do it again. I wasn’t going to take any chances with Alice.”

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