Page 94 of Owned Bratva Bride

Was that why she got uncomfortable when Drew’s uncle mentioned his name?

Should I confront her?

Confronting her seemed like the least tenable option. As much as I didn’t condone betrayal, the thought of Lucien hurting her because she shared their plan or whatever didn’t sit well with me. Also, maybe it wasn’t what it looked like. There would be reason to confront her over a single text.

So, I decided to investigate.

I asked my men to get me the surveillance video of that night.

I could feel my whole body tighten in anticipation as I watched it on the laptop in my office.

Then I saw her move away from the women who were talking to her. I zoomed in as she brought out her phone. She looked over her shoulder before typing a text. Then she returned the phone to her purse, her face expressionless.

Could it really be Lucien?

If it’s not him, why did she act so jittery?

I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

“Get Marielle’s phone and track the sender of the text in the footage you sent me. Check every text exchanged with the sender and send them to me.”

Although I was shocked by all I was finding out, I was also wounded that she didn’t come to me. I wished she had told me about the text. I would have been sure we were in the same boat.

As I settled in bed beside her, her sleepy eyes fluttered open, and she gave me a small smile. She reached out to me, and I almost let her hand land on my upper arm. But I shifted away.

The hurt and confusion in her eyes pained me. She sighed, and I turned around.

I can’t risk weakness.

I had come so far to be here. I couldn’t risk softening toward a woman who might be leading me to my enemy. I would never let that happen. I couldn’t.

My eyes were wide open as I heard her breathing get even again. My hands itched to pull her into me and ask her about the text.

But I was investigating already. I would get my answers soon.

Unable to relax enough to sleep, I got out of bed and went to my home office.

I watched the surveillance video a second time.

I folded my arms as I paused the video on her unreadable face.

Am I married to a ghost from Lucien’s past?

It wouldn’t be the first time I was betrayed by a woman I had allowed to be important to me. It had happened before. And I had told myself that I wouldn’t let it happen to me ever again. That was why I struggled with letting Marielle in.

Although the woman who betrayed me was long gone, I couldn’t help but think if Marielle was another version of her. I didn’t know if I could mete out the same punishment to Marielle if she turned out to be a betrayer.

Chapter 19 – Marielle

“Oh, hey! I didn’t know you were back,” I said on sighting Eduard inside the study.

Still in his work suit, he stood by the window, hand in pocket, his head turning toward me.

His face was void of expression, and his lips were tight, the direct opposite of the Eduard who smiled at me just a few days ago.

“Just got back,” was his cold response.

I felt an all-too-familiar ache within me. It made me want to turn around and leave. I wanted to protect myself from what I desperately hoped wasn’t happening. But I couldn’t bring myself to leave.