Page 125 of Beautiful Deception

“You always use Mom’s death against me but I didn’t cause it. It was an accident. Stop guilt tripping me, please.”

“I deserve that money.” He points at the box. “I raised you. That’s my money.”

“I earned this money. Now, you can either come with me or not. But I’m going to stay with Elena for a couple of days and then I’m leaving the city. I want you to be with me.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because you’re my dad. I love you.” Despite how he’s treated me. “Just say you’ll come with me, Dad. We can make good changes. You can stop gambling. We can both get jobs. Help each other. Support each other. We can make it work.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“And you’re making it harder than it needs to be,” I snap. “Now, I’m leaving. Come with me.”

“That’s my money.”

I angle the box away from him. “Come with me. Or I’m leaving.”

“Not without my money.” He lunges at me and tries to take the box from me but I wrench away from him. In the scuffle, my back hits the wall.

And so does my head.

I fall right to the floor, seeing stars, my mind reeling.

“Inessa? Are you hurt?”

I slump to the floor. “I need… hospital.”

He looks between me and the box on the floor before snatching the box up. I know I was stupid to bring the money with me but I had nowhere else to stash it. No car anymore. No bedroom. No home.

I should have gone to Elena first. I know it. So why did I go to my dad? Because he’ll always have a hold over me. I can’t break free of him

His eyes turn gleeful as he counts the money in my box.Mymoney. “This will do. I can make this into something. We will become rich, Inessa. I just need to stop you from following me.”

He lifts me onto the bed, where I fall onto it with a slump. I think I have a concussion. Hopefully nothing worse.

The rope from when Finn tied my dad up is still in the room. He uses it to attach my wrists to the headboard.

“Dad,” I say weakly. “Please don’t. Please don’t do this.”

“I’ll bring back millions. I promise you that. Just wait here until I return.” He leaves the motel room and I know that my life is over.

All the money I saved is gone. My dad is going to gamble it all away. I had hope that he would come with me. I know it’s naïve but it’s hard to give up on my dad. I’m still that little girl who he protected when times got tough. When my mom was still alive.

Before he disappointed me.

I keep hoping that my dad will come back to me but he never does. I’m clinging onto a ghost.

Tears seep down my face and land on the pillow underneath me. I can get another job but it will never pay as well as Viktor did. I’m only qualified to be a maid and generally a newcomer doesn’t make a lot of money. I doubt Viktor will give me a good reference. He’d probably warn off any future employers, telling them I cannot be trusted.

I was naïve to believe Viktor loved me. I was naïve to believe he’d keep me safe forever. He’s a Bratva man. Danger thrives around them. I knew that when I met him and I still took the risk.

I try tugging at the ropes but it only tightens around my wrists. I’m officially stuck here. If my dad were to die, I could be here for days before a maid comes by to clean. How ironic. Found dead by the maid.

If I make it out of this, I guess I could get a job at a hotel as a maid. Work my way up. Become a manager someday. I think I’d be good at that.

If I make it out of here.

Night falls and still my dad doesn’t return. He’s either still out gambling away my hard earned money or he’s frantically trying to earn my money back. Or he made it rich and gambled it all away as soon as he had it.

---