Page 127 of Beautiful Deception

“No. That wouldn’t be right. I was naïve enough to bring my money here. I deserve to be stolen from.”

She gasps. “How can you say that? No one deserves to be stolen from. It doesn’t matter if you brought your hard earned money here. Your dad never should have stolen it in the first place. I will pay you everything you’re owed. It’s the least I can do after how my brother has treated you.”

“I lied, Julia.”

“So? My brother is a member of the Bratva. He’s done a lot worse than lie. He’s a hypocrite. I love him but he is. I can tell you’re a good person, Inessa. You don’t deserve to be thrown out like you’re trash. We’ll convince my brother to stop being stubborn and take you back.” She hesitates. “That is… if you even want him back. After how he treated you, I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Is it true that he’s going to marry someone else?”

She sighs. “There’s talk of a marriage arrangement between him and Aria Romano but I think he’s just doing that because he’s hurt. We need to stop that from happening before it gets too far. Come on. Let’s go.”

She holds my hand as we rush outside.

Only to stop when we see two men standing outside the room.

And Natasha is standing between them.

“Hello, ladies. Julia, how nice to see you again. But you’re in my way. I’m here for Inessa. Now that she’s been outed as a little liar and it seems Viktor wants nothing to do with her anymore, she’s all mine for the taking.”

Julia turns to me. “Run!”

Chapter Nineteen

Inessa

Idon’thesitatetolistento Julia. My feet pound the sidewalk and my arms move fast at my sides.

Now that I don’t have Viktor’s protection, if Natasha gets me, I’m dead this time. And any hopes I had for the future will be gone. I won’t have a future at all.

Julia screams and it forces me to look behind.

One of the men have her around the waist. “Don’t stop, Inessa. Keep going!”

But… I can’t. If I was in Julia’s shoes, I wouldn’t want her to leave me. And it’s me Natasha wants anyway.

With a deep breath, I turn around and run back towards the men.

“Let her go,” I gasp out. “Take me instead. You don’t want her.”

“Maybe I do,” Natasha says, trailing her finger down Julia’s face. “It would serve Viktor right for not choosing me. But apparently, he doesn’t want you anymore. How poetic.”

“If you hurt Julia, you know Viktor will kill you. I’m the only one who stopped him from killing you before. But if you take me, he won’t come for me. He doesn’t care about me anymore. You can hurt me to your heart’s content.”

Natasha eyes me over before she nods. “You make a good point. Owen, release her.”

The man holding Julia opens his arms and she stumbles forward.

“Inessa, run,” she says through a ragged breath. “Just run.”

“You’ll get hurt otherwise and I can’t have that. Viktor would never forgive me if I didn’t save you. Maybe this way he will.”

“But you’ll die. I know Natasha tried to kill you once before.”

“Shut up,” Natasha hisses to her. “Leave, Julia. Before I change my mind.”

“It’s ok,” I tell her. “Just go.” There’s no point in telling her I’ll be ok because we both know I won’t be.

Owen grabs me around the waist and shoves me towards Natasha.

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