Forced to Marry the Bratva: Age Gap Mafia Romance (Zolotov Bratva Book 5)

Chapter 24 - Genevieve

I sink into the decrepit couch, my heart aching with a fresh sense of betrayal. Damien’s lack of trust and refusal to confide in me sting like a thousand needles piercing my skin. I had started to believe our relationship meant something, but now I realize that at the end of the day, he would always see me as Gerald Russo’s daughter before seeing me as his wife.

“Dammit,” I mutter under my breath as I wipe away the tears that spill down my cheeks.

As I sit there, my thoughts race, trying to make sense of everything that has transpired. I know I need to confront my father about his role in all of this chaos—I need to know if he’s being set up. My father has many flaws, but until now, he’s never embezzled funds. To him, his business is sacred… right?

I no longer know what is true or false. The thought of facing my father terrifies me, but I need to find out the truth for myself because I’m done with the lies that the men around me keep trying to play off as the truth.

“Enough is enough,” I whisper to myself. My fingers tremble as I reach for my phone. I stare at the screen for what feels like an eternity, contemplating my next move. I need answers, and there’s only one person who can provide them. Taking a deep breath, I finally muster the courage to dial my father’s number.

“Genevieve.” His voice sounds cold and detached on the other end of the line, sending a shiver down my spine. “To what do I owe this unexpected call? Are you calling to gloat?”

“Father, we need to talk,” I say, trying to keep this situation from escalating. “About everything that’s been happening.”

“Is this really the time?” he asks, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I’m quite busy, you know. Having been fired and all that…”

“Make time,” I demand, surprising even myself with my newfound assertiveness. “This can’t wait any longer.”

“Very well,” he sighs, clearly irritated. “What is it that you want to discuss?”

“Tell me about the embezzlement, Father,” I say, my heart pounding in my chest as I confront him head-on. “Have you been stealing from the Zolotovs?”

“Ridiculous!” he scoffs, and I can almost see the dismissive wave of his hand through the phone. “Why would I do such a thing? I have no reason to steal from them.”

“Because Damien made you look like a fool in front of all those people in the office,” I reply, my voice growing stronger with each word. “Because they’ve taken your daughter from you. Because you were forced by them to give my hand in marriage to them. Please, Father. Just tell me the truth.”

“Genevieve, you’re delusional if you believe that,” Father says, but I can hear a hint of desperation creeping into his tone. “I’ve done nothing but protect this family.”

“Protect us by throwing me in as part of a deal?” I retort, feeling triggered. “By forcing me into a marriage I never wanted? That’s not protection, Father. That’s manipulation.”

“Watch your tongue, young lady,” he warns, his voice dark and menacing. “I will not tolerate such disrespect.”

“Then stop lying to me!” I shout, unable to control the emotions that bubble to the surface. “I deserve the truth, Father. Tell me why you did it.”

Maybe it’s the tone I use or the way I demand the answer instead of asking, but the next thing I know, I hear him scream through the phone, anger whipping every word that comes out of his mouth.

“Fine. You want the truth? Yes, I embezzled money from the Zolotovs. After everything I’ve done for them, after the sacrifices I’ve made, I deserve a piece of their fortune. What they’ve made is because of my money. They owe me more than they can even fathom. Without my money, without my backing, they’re NOTHING.”

I sit there, stunned at what I have heard. All this time, in the back of my mind, I wasn’t just angry with Damien for just keeping things secret. I hadn’t realized, but a part of that anger was because I couldn’t believe he’d think my father could have embezzled funds from the very company he’d helped build. A part of that anger toward Damien now fades away and is directed toward my father.

“Father, you don’t have any right to what’s not yours,” I say, my voice shaking with disbelief at his confession. “It’s illegal and immoral.”

“Morals are for those who can afford them,” he snarls. “The world is not fair, Genevieve. Either you take what you want, or someone else will.”

“Is that really what you believe?” I ask, my heart aching at the realization that this is the man who raised me.

“Absolutely,” he replies without hesitation. “And if you were smart, you’d do the same.”

“How could you do this to me, Father?” I plead, my voice trembles. “How could you steal from the very family you married me into?”

“Genevieve.” His tone is dismissive, as if my feelings mean nothing to him. “You’re just collateral damage. This is business, not personal.”

“Collateral damage? I’m your daughter!” Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I won’t give him the satisfaction of hearing me break.

“Enough of this nonsense,” he snaps with irritation. “I need you to help me. You can smooth things over with the Zolotovs. Make them believe it’s all a misunderstanding.”

“But… that would be a lie,” I whisper.

“Then lie if you must. If you don’t think you can convince them without raising a red flag, tell them you’ve cut ties with me. Stay away from me, but spy for me from the inside. You can still be an asset,” he says coldly, his strategic mind thinking of nothing but himself.

At this moment, it becomes evidently clear to me just how twisted my father’s sense of entitlement has become. He truly believes that he deserves the Zolotovs’ wealth, regardless of the consequences, and nothing I say can change his mind. My hands tremble as I grip the phone tightly, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of his betrayal and deception.

He only ever wanted to use me. That’s why he’s been giving me more attention, dictating what I do. It’s not out of concern for me; it’s all been about him.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to say. “No, Father. I won’t help you. I refuse to be a part of your lies and manipulations any longer.”

“You ungrateful brat!” Gerald roars, his fury slicing through the air like a knife. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me? By turning your back on your own family?”

“Using your daughter to further your selfish goals is not love, Father. That’s not what family does.”

“Love is for fools,” he sneers. “And you, my dear Genevieve, are the biggest fool of all.”

“Maybe so,” I reply, my voice steadier now. “But at least I can look at myself in the mirror without disgust. Goodbye, Father.”

I hang up the phone, my hands shaking with rage and sorrow. The man I once looked up to, the man I thought loved me, is gone—replaced by a stranger consumed by greed and bitterness.

***

Tears burn my cheeks as I struggle to catch my breath, to make sense of this all. At this moment, there’s only one person who can truly help me: my brother, Gael. He’s the only one who knows what Father is truly capable of, who would understand the nuances of my pain. Besides, I need to protect him from the trickle-down effect of our father’s actions. Gael is innocent, and I don’t want the Zolotovs coming for him just because he is Gerald Russo’s son.

I quickly dial Gael’s number, my fingers trembling slightly. The phone rings twice before he picks up.

“Ginny?” His voice is cautious, filled with concern. “Are you okay? What happened at Boris’s office today? Father’s really upset.”

“Hey, Gael,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “I need you to come to the hideout we brought Damien to the night we escaped from the cops at the fight ring. You remember the place?”

“You’re there?” he asks quietly.

“I had nowhere else to go,” I admit, a lump choking my throat.

“Of course,” he agrees instantly, his loyalty never wavering. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Thank you,” I murmur, my throat tight with emotion.

As I wait for Gael, I can’t help but replay the conversation with my father in my head, the cruel words he spat at me echoing in my ears. My mind goes to Damien, and how confused I am by all of this.

After some time, a knock on the door startles me from my dark thoughts, and I hurry to let Gael in. He steps inside, his eyes immediately searching my face for any sign of distress.

“Genevieve,” he says softly, pulling me into a comforting embrace. “What’s going on?”

My tears start anew as I cling to him, the warmth of his presence offering a small measure of solace. “It’s Father,” I choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. “He’s been using me all along, Gael. He embezzled from the Zolotovs, and when I confronted him and said I wouldn’t help him any further, he turned on me.”

“He embezzled from the Zolotovs…” Gael mutters the statement, looking hurt yet not as shocked as I’d expect.

“Did you know something about this?” I ask, leading him to sit beside me on the sofa.

He shakes his head. “But it’s expected of Father, isn’t it?” Gael says. His arms tighten around me, and his anger and shock are evident. “I’m so sorry, Gen,” he murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “You don’t deserve any of this.”

“Neither do you,” I admit. “None of this. To think you’ve been forced into revealing things about Father to the Zolotovs. I know they pressured you; I heard a voicemail from Lev to Damien. I swear, Gael, had I known, I would never have let them take advantage of you like that. I can only imagine the tactics they must have used…” I shudder at the thought. I reach over and cup his face in my palm tenderly. “But you didn’t crack, did you?”

“Gen,” he shakes his head. “They didn’t really pressure me. They just asked me once or twice, and I told them the truth, that I didn’t know anything about Father’s plans. So, they let it go. In fact, Lev and I ended up having quite the night at the club,” he chuckles. “The man knows how to party.”

“Really?” I gasp, relieved that Gael wasn’t traumatized by the ordeal. At the same time, I feel like a fool for assuming the worst of Damien and Lev. If only I’d confronted Damien in time, most of my anger could have been prevented.

“Truly. They’re wonderful guys,” Gael mutters. “In fact, they never brought it up again. But when the night ended at the club, I couldn’t get Lev’s question out of my head. I always knew something was off about Father’s sudden interest in their family, so I took it upon myself to find out what I could.”

“What did you find out?” I ask, my face going ashen white, wondering if I am truly prepared for the answer.

“I discovered…” Gael’s usually playful eyes pool with tears as he takes his hands in mine. “I discovered that the Zolotovs never forced your hand in marriage. I was digging through his papers, emails, and previous call logs, and I found a voicemail from Boris trying to reason with Father to rethink the marriage. However, Father insisted he’d ruin them if they didn’t accept, so Damien stepped forward to protect his family.”

“No…” I whisper, feeling the world shake around me. All this time, I thought Father’s hand had been forced to give me up, only to now learn he was the one who orchestrated the whole thing.

With a sickening sense of clarity, I realize that my father has been using me all along. My heart clenches with pain at his betrayal. I remember the moment he announced my arranged marriage as if it were yesterday. The cold, calculating gleam in his eyes as he spoke of securing our family’s future suddenly takes on a sinister new meaning.

“I wish I could have protected you, Sister,” Gael says, his voice choking as he does.

“Oh, Gael,” I stop him from speaking further. “You’ve always protected me, but in your own way, you’ve been manipulated, too. We both tried our best,” I say, pulling him into a hug.

“There’s one more thing,” Gael says into my shoulder. I pull away and look into my brother’s eyes.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“When I started digging, I found that Father has spies trailing the Zolotovs. He had a folder marked as highly confidential about Damien’s underground fighting. That’s what Father was after—leverage against the Zolotovs.”

My heart clenches at the mention of Damien. Despite our rocky start, the forced nature of our marriage, and my anger toward him, I know I love him. Learning the truth about Father, I recognize that Damien is a good, kind man who was forced to marry me yet still tried to give me his all. He never told me the truth; he tried to shelter me from it. And me? I walked out on him without any explanation and without giving him the opportunity to explain.

Panic rages in my heart at the realization that while he shouldn’t have kept secrets from me, I should have given him the benefit of the doubt and tried to clear the air.

“Father knows about his fighting?”

“He knows everything. How he fights, who he fights, where he fights,” Gael tells me.

Knowing that my father has his eyes set on him, planning something sinister, threatens to break me apart. The thought of him using Damien’s dark secret against him fills me with fury.

I love Damien Zolotov, and I’ll do all I can to protect him. If Father has this information, I can’t even begin to comprehend all the evil ways he could use it against Damien.

My mind races as I consider our options, the weight of responsibility heavy on my shoulders. “We need to do something, Gael. We can’t let Father hurt Damien or his family.”

Gael sits up and looks at me, his eyes filled with concern. “I know, Gen. But we need to act fast if we’re going to help him.”

I stare down at my trembling hands, willing them to be steady. It’s time for me to take control, to put an end to my father’s destructive machinations. My decision made, I reach for my phone, dialing Anoushka’s number with newfound determination. I know I should call Damien, but I’m afraid he might lose control and risk bringing harm to himself. This time, Damien needs his family, and I trust Anoushka since she helped me out the last time around. She’ll know what to do.

“Genevieve?” her voice sounds surprised as she answers. “What’s going on?”

“Anoushka, I need your help. My father’s planning something terrible, and I don’t have much time to stop him.” The words spill out of me in a torrent of desperation, and I take a deep breath to steady myself.

“Slow down, Genevieve. Tell me what happened,” she says, her tone calm and reassuring.

“Father knows about Damien’s underground fighting,” I explain, my heart racing. “He intends to use that information against him, against our family.”

There’s a brief pause before Anoushka responds, her voice laced with anger. “That son of a... I knew he was up to no good, but I didn’t think he’d stoop so low.”

“Neither did I,” I confess, my voice cracking. “Anoushka, I don’t want to see Damien hurt. He’s been kind to me, and I think... I know I love him.”

“Don’t worry, my dear. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect him,” she promises, her fierce loyalty shining through.