Page 64 of Auctioned to My Bratva Boss

Sending Riley back to her old position might be the right call. If I kept her here now, she'd be dragged into the danger with me. Only by staying away from the center of the storm would she be safe.

"Riley, go back," I said it finally.

I watched the light in her eyes die the moment the words left my mouth. She lowered her head and ran out.

Veronica looked smug.

"Matvey, I knew it. That little girl was just a plaything to you." She reached toward my crotch.

I dodged her.

"She is just a plaything," I said. "But you chased away my assistant and caused me a lot of trouble. I need to focus on work now."

"Also, our cooperation isn't going smoothly. I've been building the narrative that we're getting back together, but you haven't fixed my transportation routes. Remember, public opinion can shift." I left it at that.

Veronica knew she was in the wrong and finally dropped her act.

She grabbed a thin trench coat from the rack by the door and threw it on. "I've taken care of things at the police station. I'll push them to move faster."

She had better follow through.

Her footsteps faded down the hall. I stayed standing. That damn sofa needed to go too.

I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, Riley's heartbroken expression flashing through my mind again. My office no longer had that small, bright presence in it.

But this was better for both of us.

Chapter Eighteen

Riley

I ran for a long time before I realized I'd left everything behind.

Truth was, most of what sat on that desk had been arranged by Matvey anyway. Except for my sketchbook. That was mine. Every line on those pages soaked through with my dreams, my blood.

Even if no one had ever recognized it, it was mine.

I turned back, planning to grab the sketchbook and get out. But with every step, the scene from earlier became clearer in my mind. Veronica in lingerie—more naked than if she'd worn nothing at all. Her hand on Matvey's belt. Matvey's hand covering hers. Their bodies pressed tight together.

My timing couldn't have been worse. A few minutes later and they probably would've locked the door. Just like that day. What surprised me was that maybe having been through it once, it didn't hurt as much as I'd expected.

By the time I reached the door, I'd braced myself for Veronica's high-pitched moaning.

"Matvey, I knew it. That little girl was just a plaything to you." Her voice dripped with seduction.

Then I heard his answer.

"She is just a plaything."

Matvey's voice was low, calm, matter-of-fact.

Just a plaything? I should've known, right? But until he said it out loud, I could still pretend he cared. This time, I had no excuse to deceive myself with.

I couldn't deny the brutal truth—to him, I was nothing. My heart shattered into a million pieces, the sharp edges slicing me from the inside out. If I stayed any longer, I'd break down sobbing.

I backed away mechanically, turned around. The hallway stretched endlessly. The floor felt like it was sinking beneath my feet, ready to swallow me whole.

I don't know how I made it to the twelfth floor. Whatever strength I had left had been drained. The office area buzzed with its usual noise. But the moment I walked in, the whole world went quiet. Uncomfortable stares shot my way. I could smell the schadenfreude in the air.