Page 81 of The Bratva Stalker's Ruthless Claim
Footsteps approach.
Slow.
Unhurried.
I feel her presence stop directly in front of me.
Then the bag is pulled off my head.
Light floods my vision.
I blink rapidly, my eyes adjusting.
And when I finally look up—
My stomach drops.
Because the woman standing in front of me is smiling.
She’s tall. Striking in a cold, unsettling way. Pale skin, hair slicked straight back from her face, not a single strand out of place. She’s dressed entirely in black from head to toe, the fabric sharp and tailored like armor.
The only color on her is her lipstick.
Bright red.
It makes her smile look even more dangerous.
“Sit,” she says calmly.
I realize I’ve half risen from the chair during the struggle. For a moment, I consider fighting again, but something in the room tells me it would be pointless.
So I sit.
This time, without a fuss.
My wrists are still restrained, but the men have stepped back now, standing along the edges of the room like statues.
I lift my chin slightly. “What does all this mean?”
She tilts her head, studying me as if I’m something fascinating under a microscope.
“Who are you?” I ask.
Then she smiles wider.
“I’m the architect behind your kidnapping attempts,” she says smoothly. “And Sergei’s silent partner.”
The words land like a stone in my chest.
She continues, completely unbothered, “You’ve been the leverage from the beginning, Ellie. Not merely against Mike…but against the entire Rusnak network.”
My brows pull together. “What does that mean?”
She walks slowly around me as she speaks, her heels clicking softly on the concrete floor.
“I can’t tell you very much yet,” she says lightly. “Not until I’m sure you’re all in.”
I let out a short, humorless breath. “I don’t trust anyone who tries to hurt my husband.”
