Page 46 of Auctioned to My Bratva Boss

"You're finally here! I was starting to think you'd be late."

She flashed a brilliant smile that made every hair on my neck stand up.

"Do you need something?" I slid into my seat without a word.

Today, Veronica wore a wine-red dress, auburn hair loosely pinned back with a few strands falling against her neck. Stunning. If I'd seen her on TV, I would've admired her beauty.

"I just think you're interesting." She stood and walked over to my desk, her slender fingers landing on my files. "You're a bit tougher than I expected."

I looked up and met those seductive fox eyes.

"You haven't quit yet—guess all this work must be easy for you."

Easy? Maybe she should try it herself.

"You know what?" She didn't wait for an answer, voice lazy. "When Matvey and I got married, you were probably still in school."

"So? Why are you telling me this?"

Marking territory? But I was just his bed partner at best. And after Veronica showed up, he couldn't even be bothered to look at me.

"I know about your deal with Matvey." Her tone was gentler than I expected. "You probably think you're special to him. That you've got a shot."

I did think that. But now, like Matvey said, I knew my place. He didn't give a damn about me—proved by how easily he'd told Veronica about our arrangement.

"He's a charming man, isn't he? Especially when he's cold and hard with everyone else, but shows you just a hint of warmth—you'd fall for it completely."

I felt exposed. Naked.

"You know him well?" The question escaped before I could stop it.

"We've known each other for over a decade." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. "He never falls for women. Except me. We had a... misunderstanding, so we were apart for a while."

Every word tore through my insides.

"But he never got over me. And I couldn't forget him. So I came back. We're getting remarried soon."

My ears stopped working. Veronica's voice grew distant. If Matvey couldn't let her go, why the hell had he been so good to a hookup? Good enough to make me think he actually cared.

"Riley, you're a smart girl." She looked at me with pity. "You understand that Matvey was just amusing himself with you, right?"

Of course I understood. She and Matvey were in love. I was just in the way. They had love. Maybe even a baby. All I had with him was a transaction.

Acid burned through my nose, spreading through my whole body. I bit my lip to keep from crying.

"Are you done?" I forced the words out. "I need to work."

"Your main task today is coming with me to pick out a gown for the gala."

I froze. What the hell was she playing at? Shouldn't someone like her have designers creating custom pieces? Why would she need to try anything on?

"But... I've got a mountain of work to finish." I gestured at the piles on my desk. "You assigned all this. It's due tomorrow morning—"

"If you say no, don't bother coming in tomorrow. Bykov Group doesn't need employees who don't follow orders." Her voice was light. "And your sister's hospital bills? I suppose those can stop too."

Using my sister against me. That was low.

"That's between me and Matvey." Anger pounded through me. I shot to my feet. "The deal's already in effect! You can't just cancel it!"