Page 83 of Used Bratva Bride

Her lips curve slightly. “Maybe you’re more useful than I thought.”

James, however, doesn’t seem as amused. He steps forward, looming over me. “You’ve just declared war.”

I fight the shiver down my spine. “I did what I had to do,” I say, forcing strength into my voice.

Sophia and Dad exchange a look.

“He’ll come for you,” my father says finally. “When he does, it won’t be pretty.”

I swallow hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze.

“I know.”

I stand there, chest tight, as Sophia looks at me with something I can’t quite place. For the first time in my life, my sister—the cold, untouchable Sophia Spade—looks… proud.

“Sister… I am proud of you,” she says softly.

Then, to my shock, she pulls me into a hug.

I freeze for a moment, my mind struggling to catch up. We’ve never been close. Never shared the kind of bond sisters are supposed to. She was always the strong one, the untouchable one. And me? I was the afterthought, the shadow trailing behind.

Slowly, I lift my arms, hesitantly hugging her back. It doesn’t feel right, this isn’t what I came here for.

I step back, breaking the embrace. My hands tremble as I reach into my pocket, pulling out the USB. Sophia watches me expectantly, waiting for me to hand over the weapon she thinks I’ve stolen from Mikhail.

I place it in her palm.

She raises an eyebrow. “This is everything?”

I nod, but not in the way she’s expecting.

“It has all the pictures from my phone,” I say quietly. “Pictures I kept of you and us. Notes that I wrote for you and father but never gave you. My business idea that I wanted so badly but none of you ever paid attention to.”

Her fingers tighten around the device as I keep going.

“There are pictures from all my forgotten birthdays. Things I saved, things that mattered to me.” My voice shakes now, and I take a deep breath to steady it. “Take them. I will be leaving them behind now.”

Sophia blinks, caught off guard. “Julie, what—”

“I’m done,” I cut in, my throat aching. “I know what you really wanted from me. You didn’t come to save me. You didn’t even try. You came because you needed me. I was never your sister. I was just… convenient.”

Her brows draw together. “That’s not true.”

I let out a broken laugh. “Isn’t it?”

She doesn’t answer.

James watches this exchange with unreadable eyes, arms crossed. He hasn’t spoken since I gave Sophia the USB, but I can feel his judgment pressing down on me.

I shake my head, stepping back again.

“Just stop,” I whisper. My voice is thick, my throat closing up. I fight the tears burning at the corners of my eyes. “I’m not your pawn, Sophia. I was your sister.”

Sophia flinches, but she doesn’t deny it.

I turn away before they can see me break.

I take a step back, my heart pounding as their words echo in my ears.

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