Page 15

"I—" Terror choked me. "Please, I won't—I promise. I know they can't protect me from men like you."

"Men like me," he repeated, his mouth twisting into a cruel smile. "And what do you know about men like me?"

"Enough to be afraid," I whispered.

He leaned in with deliberate slowness, his breath warming my skin. His lips barely brushed my neck before trailing along my jaw.

"Your father's debt," he murmured against my skin. "How much remains?"

"Seventy thousand," I answered, my voice breaking. "Three years of payments and I've barely touched the principal."

He pulled back, studying me. "Three years of sacrifice." His eyes darkened. "All for an old woman who would rather die than see you enslaved this way."

A chill ran down my spine.

How could he know what my grandmother repeatedly said to me?

"I had a grandmother too," he said, as if reading my thoughts. Shocking me with this unexpected personal detail. "She would have cut off her own hands before letting me suffer for her."

"Please—just let me go," I pleaded, my eyes welling up.

"No," he replied, the single word crushing my last hope.

"What do you want from me?"

A slow smirk crossed his sharp features.

"This."

His mouth crashed down on mine, claiming me in a punishingly possessive kiss.

CHAPTER 5

PAVEL

Her lips had the faintest hint of obedience.

At first, she leaned away, attempting to melt into the wall behind her.

After she finally surrendered to my kiss, her curves sought support against me.

When I broke away, rebellion flashed in her eyes again.

The low hum of the office ventilation system was the only sound beyond her rapid breathing. The moonlight streaming through the blinds cast shadows across her face, highlighting those wide, fearful eyes that had occupied my thoughts for weeks.

The way her mouth had moved against mine told me everything I needed to know.

That a dutiful girl existed beneath the surface, and I would peel back every layer of hate and fear to find her.

Her fate was sealed the moment I first saw her, when she lied to me in that sweet, honeyed voice before fleeing.

Telling me a false name had been a bold move.

She had invaded my dreams since that day. Everymorning I woke aching to sink inside her while she called me "sir" repeatedly.

Her chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths, hinting at generous breasts hidden from view.

My cock stiffened, demanding more.