Page 53 of Used By the Merciless Bratva
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to find out!” he roared, taking a step toward her. “You’re too eager. You’re too damn curious these days. This cannot be coincidence. There’s been a link. You’re too tied up with everything, always trying to snoop into Danil’s life. What are you looking for, Irene? And Why?”
I felt a cold, righteous anger building in my gut. He was right. Every word of it. I had been too lenient, too trusting. I had dismissed her behavior as a simple annoyance. But it was more than that. It was a threat.
Konstantin’s frustration boiled over. He was a man of action, not an endless argument. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. “And that’s not the only thing, is it, Irene? What do you truly think about your father, Feliks?”
Irene’s face went to the lake. The name, spoken so directly, was like a slap in the face. “What about my father? He’s loyal! You’re insane to even think—”
“I think he’s acting weird,” Konstantin cut her off, his eyes hard and unwavering. “Other people have noticed. He’s been trying to take shortcuts. He’s not following orders the way he should be. He’s distracted. And you, you never seem to be following orders the right way either. You’re always deviating. Other people notice. But no one ever speaks.”
Irene’s façade finally crumbled. Her composure shattered, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. “You’re thinking too much, Konstantin! You’re just jealous! You’re always thinking something is wrong when nothing is!” Her voice rose, becoming shrill, a desperate, childish wail. “My father is loyal! He’s always been loyal to Danil’s family!”
And that was my cue. I stepped out of the shadows, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the stillness.
The moment I stepped out of the shadows, the argument died. Irene, who had been screaming moments ago, went completely silent. Konstantin stood there, his hand still on his cheek where she’d slapped him, his eyes fixed on me.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, my voice calm, but with an edge that cut through the tension.
Konstantin was the first to speak, his gaze unwavering as he looked at me. “She’s up to something, Danil. I caught her trying to break into your briefcase. And she’s been behaving erratically. She’s not following orders properly. I’ve tried to talk to her, but she just denies it. If you allow her to continue this way, she might cause a lot of evil.”
I turned my gaze to Irene. Her face was a mask of innocence, her eyes wide and pleading. “Danil, he’s misunderstanding! He hates me, he’s just trying to make me look bad! I wasn’t doing anything.”
“Is that so?” I said, my voice dangerously soft. I ignored her tears. They were a performance, and I was done watching her play games. “Konstantin saw you. He doesn’t lie. Not to me,” My eyes locked onto her, cold and unwavering. “What were you doing with my briefcase, Irene? And what orders are you not following?”
She flinched, her eyes darting away from mine. “I…I told him! I was just tidying up! I saw a loose paper and I—”
“Stop,” I cut her off. My voice was a low command that brought no argument. “You will ease up whatever it is you are doing. You will cease any unauthorized activities. And whatever you are involved in, Konstantin has a right to know. Just as I do. You will do exactly as I say. Understood?”
Her chin trembled, but she met my gaze, a flicker of defiance, quickly extinguished by fear. Understood,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Good,” I said, my eyes still fixed on her. “This is not a suggestion, Irene. This is an order. And you will follow it. To the letter.”
Irene stood there, her head bowed slightly, her silence a stark contrast to her earlier theatrics. My voice was low, and it was a direct order. “You understand, Irene? This stops now. Everything.”
She looked up at me, a flicker of something defiant, quickly extinguished by fear. “Yes, Danil. I understand.” She turned and began to walk away. Without looking back, she murmured, “Be careful who you trust, Danil. You might find you’re more alone than you think.”
And then she was gone.
I turned to Konstantin. He stood there, his hand still on his cheek, his face grim. The silence stretched between us, heavy with all the unsaid words, all the suspicions that now had a face.
“She’s right, isn’t she?” Konstantin said, his voice quiet. “This isn’t just about her anymore…. She didn’t get this far alone.”
“She didn’t,” I confirmed, my voice as cold and hard as stone. “Feliks is involved.”
Konstantin’s eyes widened. “Feliks? You’re sure?”
“I’ve had my suspicions since the beginning,” I said, a bitter taste in my mouth. “He was acting strange. Trying to push through an operation that makes no sense. Trying to sell a company that has no reason to be sold. And now…now I know “
Konstantin ran a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. “What are they doing, Danil? What is it? What are they trying to cover up? What would Feliks betray your father’s trust like this?”
“Power,” I said, the word a simple, brutal truth. “He wants power. He’s been laundering money. He’s been selling out assets behind our backs. And now he’s trying to cover his tracks.”
“I knew it,” Konstantin said, a cold certainty in his voice. “I saw him with his hands in the treasury two weeks ago, and he just brushed it off. I know something was wrong. But Irene…what is she doing? She’s his daughter. She would never betray him.”
“She’s not betraying him,” I said, my gaze fixed on the spot where Irene had stood. “She’s helping him. She was trying to get into my briefcase. What do you think she was looking for? She knew I was suspicious of him. She was trying to get a head start. She was trying to erase the evidence.”
Konstantin shook his head, a look of pure shock on his face. “This is insane. This is bigger than we thought.”
“It is,” I agreed, a cold resolve settling over me. “It’s a network. A betrayal from within. We have traitors in our own home, Konstantin.” I turned to him, my voice a low, fierce command. “Keep your eyes open. On everyone. But especially on them. You will not let them out of your sight. You will not confront them. You will watch. And you will tell me everything.”
