Ruthless Reign: A Dark Mafia Forbidden Romance (Tarnished Reign Book 1)

Chapter 42

I can’t believe it.There”s a million dollars in my trading account. I’ve made enough money to pay Anatoly back.

I stare at the numbers on my screen. I check once, twice, refreshing the app to make sure it’s not just a glitch or my eyes playing tricks on me, but it’s real. A one with six zeros following it sits in my account. Money I earned myself.

A day ago, I invested in a high-yield, high-risk tech stock that I sensed was going to soar, and it paid off in spades. Excitement courses through me. I could cut Anatoly a check today if I wanted to and walk away from him forever.

Freedom is within reach.

My chest explodes with something bright and happy, and my first instinct is to run and tell Roman. To fall into his arms and celebrate with him.

But I can’t do that. At least, not about this.

I”m about to put my phone away when Sofiya’s number flashes on the screen. A wide smile spreads across my face—she”s probably calling to tell me about the play.

“Hey! How did it go?” I press the phone to my ear. “Did you wow the audience with your rendition of Do-Re-Mi?”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

My blood freezes to ice the moment I hear my mother’s voice through the line.

“Mama?” I choke. “What happened to Sofiya?”

”You selfish brat. I took Sofiya’s phone because I knew you”d only answer a call from your sister. What kind of ingrate hides out days before her very high-profile wedding and refuses to take calls from her mother and fiancé?”

A cold sweat coats my skin, and a tight discomfort knots in my chest. “You know why I had to?—”

“You expect me to believe that you”re hiding because of an attack you clearly weren”t the intended target of? You’re using this as an excuse to avoid wedding duties. Where are you and Kira? A spa in Budapest or skiing in Gstaad?”

“Nothing like that.” I harden my voice. I refuse to let her speak to me like this, not after all I’ve sacrificed for her and my father. “I’ll be home in time for the rehearsal dinner. You and Talya have done everything; you never asked for my input, so I don’t understand the issue.”

“Anatoly is losing his mind,” she scolds. “I honestly don’t know what’s gotten into you lately. You’re acting like it’s a chore to marry one of the wealthiest men in Russia.”

Bitterness scorches the back of my throat, and I can”t hold back the words that spill out. ”It is a chore! Worse than a chore. He”s terrible. I”ve tried everything to make it work. I did everything to make him happy, but it’s never enough. And you don’t care, as long as the money keeps flowing into your bank account.”

My mother makes an irritated tsk in the back of her throat. ”You sound like a whiny child. Well, consider yourself warned. If you don’t come home now, Anatoly will marry your sister instead.”

The air leaves my lungs in a steady whoosh. “No … you can’t. She’s seventeen! How could you agree to that?”

My mother’s voice drops to an ugly hiss. “She’ll be eighteen soon enough.”

“Does she know? Have you told her yet?” I ask, breathless.

“No. We don”t plan on giving Sofiya time to run, like her sister. She”s at school for the time being, but if you have any hope in hell of fixing the damage you’ve done, I suggest you pack your bags and come home now. Honestly, Anatoly is beside himself; you’ll have to do everything in your power to gain his forgiveness.”

A crushing tightness grips my chest. Every instinct in my body is screaming for me to stop this madness right now. To set my mother straight.

“Listen to me, Mama. It doesn’t have to be this way. I have the money to pay back the Petroviches what we owe them. We can finally be free. Don’t fall for his lies anymore. This is our chance to cut ties and no longer be dependent on them.”

My mother”s cold, cruel laughter echoes in response. ”Can you hear yourself? Do you actually believe what you”re saying? You think Kira will just lend you the money to pay back Anatoly what we owe his family? If that”s the case, you really are delusional.”

“It doesn’t matter where the money is from, just that I have it. A million dollars. We don’t need to live under his thumb any longer.”

“It’s not just about the money! You should know that. His family is highly respected; the name Petrovich means something. I”m sick of being a social pariah. Taking the Petrovich name changes everything for us. If you won”t merge our families, your sister will be forced to.”

I sink to my knees, a cry flying from my lips, but I quickly muffle it with my hand.

How did I not see it before? I convinced myself that I had a real chance at freedom. But now it’s clear. There’s no escaping him. Not when my family wants this union more than anything.

Anatoly always intended to use Sofiya to keep me under his thumb, and my parents, the sycophants they are, just played into his perverse games.

I should have protected my sister better, but I didn’t. I’ve failed her.

“Please. Leave her out of th?—”

“This isn”t up for discussion. Be home by tomorrow if you want to fix the mess you’ve made.” Those are her final words to me before she hangs up the phone.

Hot tears sting my eyes as I curl up on the floor. I tried so hard, sacrificed so much, and it wasn’t enough in the end.

They win. They always win. Because they know I’ll do what I have to to protect my sister, even if it means marrying Anatoly.

Forcing several deep breaths into my lungs, I stand up and splash some water on my face in the bathroom. I’m still blotchy and shaken, but I do my best to pull myself together.

Roman can’t learn the truth because I know in my gut that he’ll fight for me. For us. No matter what his business ties are to Anatoly, I know he’ll do everything in his power to keep me safe.

That’s why I need him to believe that our time is up. Even though it will tear my heart out, there’s no other way.