Page 27 of Bought By the Ruthless Pakhan

A soft knock at the door. Then Nadia's small voice. "Anna, are you asleep?"

I closed the suitcase, cleared my throat. "Come in."

The door cracked open. Nadia clutched that nearly bald bunny of hers, eyes darting toward me nervously.

She spotted the suitcase. Froze. Then ran over on bare feet.

"Anna, are you leaving?"

"Yeah."

"Because of me?"

Nadia's eyes went redder. She pressed an envelope into my hands carefully, still warm from her palms.

"Anna, I'm sorry."

That last stubborn bit of hurt in me dissolved. Like something soft had bumped into me—didn't hurt, just made everything ache.

I crouched down and wiped her tears. "Nadia, this isn't about you. I need to go back and finish school."

"But you're still leaving Dad."

Her tears fell in strings, like beads rolling off a broken necklace.

I sighed, kissed her forehead. "Nadia, your dad and I breaking up isn't what you think. We have too many problems. This has nothing to do with you."

"Then..." She choked. "Can you stay?"

I couldn't promise her that.

All I could say was, "Okay. I won't leave right now. But you need to go back to bed."

Hearing my answer, Nadia lit up. She bounced off the bed like a little rabbit, bare feet thumping across the floor as she ran out.

I watched her go.

Moonlight leaked through the window, cutting a thin silver line across the envelope. I stared at that line for a while before slowly tearing it open.

Inside was a note. Handwriting wobbly, the way only a kid's could be.

"Anna, I'm so sorry.

Mom made me say those things. She said you were destroying my family. But I know that's not true. You're making my family whole.

Mom hit me. Made me say those awful things I didn't mean.

Anna, please don't leave. You know I like you."

I read it once.

Twice.

Three times.

My eyes burned. Hot. Stinging.

So that was it.