Page 37 of Bought By the Ruthless Pakhan

A crayon drawing. Three figures—me, Nadia, and a long-haired woman. Nadia had colored the hair pale yellow, but left the face blank.

I knew who it was.

Anna.

"Daddy, I miss her so much."

Anna's absence didn't just trap me. It trapped Nadia too.

She'd carried guilt all this time.

"Me too."

"I want to frame it." I held up the drawing against the living room wall. "Hang it here. What do you think?"

Nadia looked up at me. "Really? That would be wonderful."

Suddenly, Nadia tugged at my sleeve. "Daddy, I want a tutor."

"A tutor?"

"Yes." She was serious. "My classmates say good teachers teach you a lot. I want to learn."

She gazed up at me, eyes shining. How could I refuse an angel?

"Alright. I'll have Antonia arrange it."

Antonia had watched Nadia grow up. She'd served my mother for years, managing every detail of the estate. When I moved to New York, I brought her along.

Nadia beamed, eyes crinkling like a bird who'd finally gotten its sugar. She bounced off to find Antonia.

I looked down at the drawing. The faceless woman stood in the center, her hair colored in warm pale yellow—like a patch of sunlight.

Hey, kitten.

Running away from your master—very naughty.

You'd better stay hidden, or else...

I paused. Bitterness flooded my mouth. I didn't even know where she was. What could I do to her?

Anna

Five years.

I'd graduated. With the tutoring experience I'd built up, I'd earned a reputation among Manhattan's wealthy families. My clients paid well and gave me flexibility—enough to support Alex and me in Queens.

We'd moved out of that cramped Brooklyn studio into a two-bedroom apartment. The pothos on the windowsill was our third. This one thrived. The vines hung down, nearly touching the floor.

Chris came by often.

When he first found out I was pregnant, it took him three months to process.

Now he was used to watching cartoons with Alex, building blocks, occasionally fixing a leaky faucet.

I knew how he felt about me. And I'd told him clearly—I couldn't give myself fully to a new relationship. I just wanted to raise Alex in peace.

He never pushed. Not once. He stayed beside us, quiet and steady. An old-fashioned, dependable friend.