Page 83 of The Pakhan's Dangerous Secret
Sophia's eyes fill with fresh tears, but this time, they look different. Grateful instead of devastated. "Thank you. I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything." I stand and glance at Mariya. "We'll get one of the guest rooms ready for you. You can stay as long as you need."
Mariya nods, her hand still resting on Sophia's shoulder. "I'll help you get settled."
Sophia takes a shaky breath, wiping at her face again. "There's something else. Something I need to tell you."
I tense immediately, my instincts sharpening. "What is it?"
She hesitates, her gaze darting between Mariya and me. "I don't want my father hurt. Despite everything he's done, he's still my father. But…" She pauses, swallowing hard. "I do have some information that might help you."
The room goes silent. Mariya's hand stills on Sophia's shoulder, and I feel every muscle in my body coil with anticipation.
"What kind of information?" I ask quietly.
Sophia meets my gaze, and for the first time since I walked into the room, I see steel beneath the tears. "Information about his operations. Things he's been hiding from the other families. Things that could give you leverage."
My pulse quickens. But I also see the conflict in her eyes. The guilt and shame are warring with the anger and hurt. She'soffering me a weapon against her own father, and it's tearing her apart.
"You don't have to do this," Mariya says gently. "Not if it's going to hurt you."
Sophia shakes her head. "He hurt me first. He threw me away like I was nothing. I'm not going to protect him anymore."
I study her carefully, weighing her words. She's serious. She's ready to betray her father's secrets, to give me the tools I need to destroy him if I choose.
And part of me wants to. Part of me wants to take everything she knows and use it to crush the man who treated his own daughter like a failed business transaction.
But another part of me, the part that's been shaped by Mariya's influence, hesitates. Sophia is offering this out of pain and desperation, not strategy. If I take it now, I'm taking advantage of her when she's at her lowest.
"We'll talk about it later," I finally say. "After you've had time to rest and think clearly. Right now, let's just get you settled."
Sophia nods, relief washing over her face. "Thank you, Andrey. For everything."
Mariya helps her stand, and the two women head toward the hallway. I watch them go, my mind already spinning through the implications of what Sophia just offered.
Intel on her father's operations. Secrets he's been hiding. Leverage I could use to protect myself and strengthen my position.
It's exactly what I need.
But it comes at a cost. And I'm not sure yet if I'm willing to pay it.
39
MARIYA
Iwatch Sophia settle onto the edge of the guest bed, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. She looks exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and her shoulders hunched like she's carrying the weight of the world. I know what it feels like to have a father abandon you. True, my experience is completely different. My father left to keep me safe while Sophia's kicked her out because she didn't get the deal he'd wanted. It still hurts, though, no matter the reason, when a father abandons or rejects you.
"Thank you," she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "For letting me stay."
"You don't have to thank me." I sit beside her, close enough that our shoulders almost touch. "You're safe here. That's what matters."
She nods, but I can see the tension still coiled tightly in her body. Her fingers won't stop moving, picking at invisible threads on her jeans. I recognize that nervous energy. I've felt it myself more times than I can count.
"I heard my father talking," Sophia says suddenly, her green eyes meeting mine. "About you. About the bratva families."
My stomach tightens. "What did you hear?"
"They're split." She takes a shaky breath. "Some of them want to follow the old rules, the ones that say you don't attack a Pakhan’s wife. But others…" She trails off, her gaze dropping to her hands.
