Page 105 of His Forced Bride

Moonlight filters through the windows, illuminating a peaceful expression I wish would remain on her face in her waking hours, but until this fight is over, I don’t think that's possible.

She belongs here in my bed, in my arms, because she chose my protection over independence, my violence over vulnerability, my bed over the cold comfort of solitude.

Seeing her here, safe in my space, strengthens my resolve beyond any legal document or business calculation.

Viktoria will not take her from me.

Not through courts, not through manipulation, not through violence.

I will bury that woman before I allow her to destroy what belongs to me.

And she won't take what belongs to Inessa, either.

I won't allow it.

I'm not sure how I’m going to stop her and strip her of her rights, but I will if it’s the last thing I do.

I undress quietly, careful not to disturb Inessa’s sleep.

She shifts when the mattress dips under my mass, unconsciously moving closer until her body curves against mine.

Her warmth seeps through the thin fabric of the shirt, and her breathing evens out again.

This is what Viktoria threatens—not merely business profits or legal ownership, but the woman who finally made this house feel inhabited rather than merely occupied.

Inessa transformed these rooms from functional spaces into a home through her presence alone.

Her sketches are scattered across my desk, her books on my nightstand, her scent lingering on my sheets.

I will not surrender that transformation to a woman who abandoned her family for personal gain.

Tomorrow, I’ll begin gathering evidence of Viktoria’s connection to Kozlov’s organization because I know it exists.

I can feel it in my bones.

Someone arranged those attacks using inside knowledge, someone who understood exactly how to maximize damage while minimizing legal exposure.

Viktoria must've studied her daughter’s business for months before revealing herself.

In fact, my suspicion is that she put Kozlov up to the hit on Semyon's life too.

Which means Dominic's blood is on her hands and I, for one, am never going to stop until I find his killer.

If it's Viktoria Mirova, may God have mercy on her soul.

Once I prove her culpability, Inessa will see her mother’s true nature—not the wounded parent seeking reconciliation, but the calculating predator who sacrificed innocent employees to achieve personal objectives.

The romantic notion of maternal love will collapse under the reality of Viktoria’s evil.

Only then can I eliminate her permanently without risking Inessa’s emotional retaliation.

I pull my wife closer, feeling her body relax completely against mine.

She trusts me now in ways I never thought she would.

She trusts my judgment, my protection, my commitment to preserving what she built.

That trust is priceless.