Page 75 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride

Then I figured out it was Belle.

It made me curious, so I started watching the videos as well. What was she looking for?

But in the end, she led me straight to the truth.

I only had to watch two of them before I knew, without a doubt, that it was Benedikt behind the attacks. We all train in the same way. Our allies have a distinct pattern of attacks. We all learn the same tactics so that we can work together when we need to.

It was obvious. I was being attacked by someone inside my alliance, and the only possible person it could be was Benedikt.

I kept an eye on Belle’s movements on my laptop. She watched every video, then searched around the program as though she was looking for more. I couldn’t understand what she was doing, but I didn’t like it.

Then, when I was notified that she was leaving the mansion in a hurry, I had to have my men follow her. I couldn’t ignore it.

Even if I want to believe in her, I have been in this business for far too long.

Trust is earned and quickly lost.

My men didn’t go into the coffee shop with her, but they watched from a distance, sending me photographs of her sitting with her brother and Ulyana.

I’d seen enough.

I had all the answers I needed.

Leaving the scene at the warehouse, I put my team manager in charge of cleaning up the mess, and I headed home to wait for her.

To confront her.

And all the while I waited, my anger simmered deeper and hotter.

Now, Belle is standing in front of me, staring at me as though what I’ve said is a surprise.

“Ardalion, please let me explain.”

I’m staring at her, the beautiful girl I’ve been obsessing over for the past few months, this gorgeous, kind, happy soul—and I don’t recognize her.

After all this time, I realize I was right in the beginning.

It was too easy to take her. She was too easy to keep and too easy to please.

All this time, she was a spy, planted in my home, in my life, to feed information to her brother.

My heart is shattered as I stare into her beautiful blue eyes.

Right now, she is like a siren, a temptress of evil. But her soothing words and attempts to calm me no longer have any effect on me.

I’m furious.

I’m angry with myself for falling for everything.

And I’m angry at her for being so good and luring me in.

All this time I’ve spent preparing for an enemy, when the enemy was right in my bed, in my home.

Belle opens her mouth to plead again, and I shake my head, holding my hand up to silence her. “I don’t want to hear a word of it. Everything that comes from your lips is a lie. They sent me a beautiful, yet deadly temptation, and I was so fucking stupid I fell for it. I fell for your softness while all this time you were a spy, a snake, cold-hearted and dangerous. You are a disgusting human being, Belle. I have never met someone so efficient at being devious. I believed you. I believed everything.” I snort, laughter bursting from my lips. Angry, in disbelief at how efficient she was.

Belle’s mouth drops open, and her brows knot as she glares at me.

I’d be angry too if I were caught.