Page 80 of Beautiful Deception

I told Mrs. Green about Natasha’s involvement in my kidnapping when I was healing in bed. She was rightfully horrified and only slightly judged me for being the reason Natasha went off the rails.

“What I did? I was doing the only sane thing a woman would do when another woman is encroaching on her man.”

“How did you find out?” I ask. “About me and Viktor. It just happened.”

She shrugs. “I have people watching you. When you came into this place, I knew. I knew Viktor had proposed to you. I knew it was you and not this wretched old hag.”

Mrs. Green gasps. “No need to be rude.”

Natasha ignores her to point her finger in my face. “You’re not going to win this round. You’re not going to marry him.”

“Or you’ll hurt me again?”

“Exactly. I have men watching you. They will attack at my command. So, if you don’t want that happening, then I suggest you don’t marry Viktor.”

I swallow hard. I can’t tell if Natasha is telling the truth or not. She’s lied so much. But she did successfully kidnap me so anything is possible with her.

“Viktor will protect me,” I say with more confidence than I feel.

“I will hurt you again.”

Mrs. Green steps in front of me, forcing Natasha back. “Enough. You have hurt this girl too many times now. Mr. Smirnov chose her, not you. He doesn’t want to marry you. Accept that. And even if he decided not to marry Inessa, he still wouldn’t marry you. Why in the world would you think he would marry a woman who kidnapped another woman and beat her almost to death?”

“You don’t get to talk to me this way. I am Natasha Morozov. I have more money than you women will see in your lifetime.”

“Viktor has more money than you,” I say. “And I’ll be married to him. So that will make me richer than you.”

Natasha’s smile turns colder. “You are making a mistake, little maid. You will regret this.”

“Try to hurt us,” Mrs. Green says. “But you are in a room full of people. If you try anything, we can have you arrested. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. You have lost. Now go.”

With a huff, Natasha leaves the boutique.

I slump into the nearest chair and hang my head low. “She’ll never leave me alone.”

“It’s ok. She’s gone now.”

“Viktor was going to kill her,” I admit to Mrs. Green in a low voice. Her eyes widen. “Because of what she did, he was going to kill her and I stopped him from doing it. I didn’t think more murder would be the right thing to do. But I thought after all that had happened, Natasha would leave me alone. She’s hell bent on making my life miserable forever.”

“You did the right thing in stopping Mr. Smirnov from…” She can’t even say the words. “I know he’s a part of some dark things. But that doesn’t mean I want those dark things coming home with us. Murder is never the answer. You were right about that. Once you’re married to Mr. Smirnov, Miss Morozov will go away. I’m sure of it. She only thinks she can hurt you now because you don’t have as much power as she does. That will change when you’re married.”

“Why are you being so nice to me right now? You don’t exactly like me, Mrs. Green.”

“I do like you, child. I don’t approve of your relationship with Mr. Smirnov but he is doing the right thing in marrying you, so I can’t complain too much. And I saw how much pain you were in for the past couple of weeks after what Miss Morozov did to you. I care for you, Inessa. I do.”

I pull her into a hug, even though it startles her. After a beat, she hugs me back. “I don’t have a mother any longer, so it’s nice to have someone looking out for me.”

“Oh, child. I am looking out for you. Now.” She pulls back from the hug. “I love this dress on you. I think it’s the one. Let’s return home. It will be safer there.”

I can’t argue with her on that.

I tell Mrs. Green on the way home to not tell Viktor about Natasha. If he knew she threatened me again, he would definitely go kill her.

And while her death would solve a lot of my problems, it’s not the answer.

Mrs. Green agrees to stay silent on it, even though I can tell it bothers her.

When we get back home, I’m shocked to see Finn in the foyer, staring at a painting on the wall.

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