Page 47 of Auctioned to My Bratva Boss

"Riley, are you still dreaming?" She touched my forehead like I'd said the funniest thing in the world. "I just said you were smart. But you actually believed that bullshit deal?"

"Don't be stupid. That so-called transaction was just Matvey's whim. He can take it back whenever he wants, and you can't do a damn thing about it."

I wanted to argue back, but my throat locked up.

Face it, Riley. She was right. My fate, my second chance—just Matvey's charity. From the moment he bought me, he held all the cards.

"But... I'm his assistant. If you want me to go with you, he'd have to agree." I wiped my blurring eyes, making one last stand.

I still had so much work to do. No time for her little rich-girl games. And I had a feeling she was up to something. Only an idiot would believe she just wanted company while dress shopping.

Veronica's reaction wasn't what I expected. If anything, she looked like she'd been waiting for me to say exactly that.

"You're right." She pulled out her phone and dialed. "Maybe he'll refuse me. Who knows?"

But she was smiling when she said it. My heart dropped straight into my stomach.

Chapter Thirteen

Riley

The dial tone pressed against my ear until my breathing grew ragged. Just when I thought I'd suffocate, someone picked up.

"What?" Matvey's voice crackled through the speaker.

How long had it been since I'd heard him?

Veronica shot me a glance.

"Darling." The word dripped from her full lips like honey. "Mind if I borrow your little assistant for the day?"

I stared at the phone by her ear like it was a fraying rope. If Matvey said something—anything—"She needs to stay and handle work," I'd do whatever he asked.

But he stayed silent.

Veronica sensed it too. She switched to Russian, her tone turning syrupy and intimate. I couldn't understand the words, but I heard the lilt at the end—like a purr.

Each second of waiting scraped me raw.

Finally, his voice came through. "Do whatever you want."

He crushed my last shred of hope into dust.

"Then come pick me up when you're done. Don't keep me waiting." Veronica's eyes curved into crescents, her cheeks flushed.

She looked happy. Was Matvey happy too?

"Fine." He didn't refuse.

Why would he? This was how it should be—him and Veronica. They'd do what couples do: shop together, eat together, sleep together. Maybe they'd even have another wedding. The thought made my chest feel tight and hollow.

The call ended. The office went quiet. Veronica looked at me with the smugness of someone who'd already won.

"Let's go." She slipped on her sunglasses.

Something slid from my chest and crashed at my feet. Hard. Heavy.

Veronica brought me to a clothing store—if you could call it that. To me, it looked more like a museum.