Page 42 of Owned Bratva Bride

“We were baking cookies and some other pastries. Going low on snacks causes some level of madness around here, I tell you. We’ll get started with dinner soon,” Agatha explained. “Maybe you could help us prep?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Sit down,” Sofia offered, pulling out the chair at the head of the second island for me.

“Thank you.”

“No problem,” she answered, sitting on the chair next to mine.

I noticed she had a dimple on her right cheek.

My guess was that she was the youngest, while Agatha was, of course, the oldest.

I was washing my hands and cutting potatoes and veggies before I knew it.

As we worked, Sofia gestured with her chin toward Mila, who was now doing dishes.

“Don’t mind Mila,” she told me. “She was brought here to pay someone’s debt, just like you. She hopes to catch Sir Eduard’s eye. Whenever any of his lovers come around, she’s always bitter. Anyone who has a bit of his attention is a problem to her.”

I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t here to pay anyone’s debt, but instead, I asked, “Eduard’s attention? How…?”

“The boss particularly asked us to feed you well. He only speaks to us once in a blue moon.”

Oh.

I looked over to Mila.

The reason was secondary; the fact remained that, just like me, she wasn’t in this house by choice.

I sighed.

I didn’t want to be Mila.

Whether or not she eventually caught his eye.

I couldn’t just sit in my captor’s house with his attraction toward me being the only thing I lived for.

No.

“She can relax. He just said so because of who he thought I was,” I told Sofia.

“He didn’t just say it once,” she insisted.

“Maybe we should do more of working and less of chatting,” Agatha said, suddenly showing up behind us.

Sofia and I chuckled like kids caught licking hidden candy.

I liked them.

But it wasn’t enough for me to choose to stay here.

Well, that would be assuming I had a choice.

***

Since Ruslan told me about the study, I knew it would become my second sanctuary. I didn’t just like reading books; I liked being around them. Reading was one of the childhood hobbies that I never stopped pursuing, unlike playing the piano.

After opening the wrong door, I finally found the study. I wasn’t even surprised at the impossibly large size of the room; this mansion had to be palace-sized.