Page 3 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride
Andrey looked vaguely surprised by my disbelief, and he shook his head. “I assure you, I’m quite serious. I think it would benefit us both, and you wouldn't need to search for a wife.”
“I’m not searching for a wife,” I bit back, unable to shake how quickly it all seemed to fall apart. Right when everything sounded perfect…
“No? That’s a shame.”
“You’re right, it is,” I mumbled before standing, feeling the grip I had on my patience begin to slip. “If that is your condition, then I can’t move forward with the arrangement.”
I caught Yuri’s slight look of surprise, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just glanced between the two of us, as if watching a car wreck unfold right in front of him.
Andrey narrowed his eyes at me slightly. Then, as if deciding he didn’t care, he waved me off. “I won’t sit here and beg, Novikov, but you’ll learn soon enough that you’re making a mistake turning down this offer.”
Bristling, I did everything in my power to remain civil. Even if I was angry and offended by the terms, I didn’t need to go around making enemies. Especially not when those seemed to pop up so easily.
“I’m not so sure about that…I’ll just have to take my business elsewhere,” I muttered, giving him one last look before shaking my head. I glanced over at Yuri and gestured towards the door. “Let’s go.”
Without needing to be told twice, Yuri got up, steeling his expression while following me out. We both ignored the curious and vaguely amused gazes of the other men in the room.
Andrey chuckled, the sound lingering in my head even after the door started to close behind us. “When you figure it out, you know where to find me…”
Like hell.
Clenching my fist tightly for a moment, I pulled in a deep breath to stay calm while the two of us moved down the empty hallway, prepared to leave.
“What…couldn’t stomach a marriage pact?” Yuri asked after a moment, his tone humorous.
Huffing out a breath, I didn’t even look at him. “He doesn’t really care about marrying his daughter off. He just wants an advantage over us. I know damn well he likes our proximity to the Levovs, but I won’t let him have that leverage over me, or the family as a whole.”
After a moment, he hummed. “How astute of you.”
“It’s obvious,” I mumbled, finally glancing over at him. As much as I tried, I couldn’t fully hide my irritation. “Besides…I’m not interested in being tied down to anyone.”
At that, Yuri grinned and clapped a hand against my shoulder. “That’s the spirit. To hell with Andrey. You’ll find someone else to handle things.”
With a decided nod, I pushed on, well aware that I could land a deal with anyone I wanted, given my family’s pull.
I just needed to shop around, and soon enough, Andrey and his irritating conditions would be completely out of my head.
Chapter 2 - Tia
The light scent of oil paint filled the small apartment while my brush made careful strokes against the rough canvas surface, moving with as much precision as I could muster.
It was a new project, and one that came with a lot more pressure than I would typically want.
But with the sun going down, I worked beneath those old studio lights into the night like I normally did, following my light linework.
As much as I tried to create things for the personal fulfilment and catharsis of it all, I couldn’t just wait around for the inspiration to strike, and I couldn’t just hope for everything to work out. I needed it to work, and I needed this painting to somehow bridge the gap between me and the success I was after.
That underlying need felt heavy, but if I was going to make it on my own, then I needed to be determined, no matter what it might cost me.
I didn’t need to be in that tiny New York apartment, painting desperately while searching for prospective buyers. I didn’t have to struggle and do everything I could to pave my own path.
Not when I came from a place of privilege.
My dad had money—more than he knew what to do with, at times.
He had more than his fair share of successful businesses in the city and beyond, and he had been more than willing to pay my way through just about everything.
But even with that being true, and me being aware of the rarity of that situation, it didn’t feel right to me. It was too easy. Too artificial and inauthentic. As tempting as that would be to anyone, I wasn’t interested in my dad being the reason for my success.
