Page 72 of Bought By the Ruthless Pakhan

Victoria clearly hadn't expected me to talk back.

She froze for a beat, her expression locked in place, then the mask cracked.

Her face twisted. She trembled with rage, heels clicking as she lunged forward, nails nearly clawing my arm. "She's MY daughter! What are you, that you think you can interfere with us?"

The housekeeper stood to the side, wringing her hands, wanting to intervene.

I shook my head at her, then turned back to Victoria. Didn't move an inch.

"Nadia's custody belongs to Ivan. He's taking excellent care of her. If you want to see your daughter, you do it when Ivan's here, or with Nadia's permission."

Victoria laughed sharply, her mouth twisting in undisguised mockery. "Custody? Ivan's too soft. Does he really think just anyone can be the lady of this house?"

She looked at me sideways, contempt dripping from her gaze like I was garbage. "Anna, don't think I don't know what you are. You're nothing but trash Ivan bought at an auction for six hundred grand. A whore. You're not even worth our housekeeper, and you dare try to steal what's mine?"

Whore.

My chest felt like someone had driven a thin, sharp nail through it, piercing flesh and lodging itself in the softest space between my ribs.

I didn't say anything. But I felt the muscles in my lower back tighten like a drawn bow.

I'd heard these dirty words before. But coming from Victoria's mouth, they were poisoned ice picks, chilling me from the inside out.

I'd thought time would bury my past, let those shameful days rot unseen. But now she'd ripped them open again, and all that carefully suppressed shame and humiliation crawled up through my veins, choking my chest.

I took a deep breath, nails digging into my palms, trying to hold myself together.

Victoria watched me struggling, the satisfaction in her eyes burning brighter like a lit fuse.

"Don't think I don't know," she said, stepping closer, "you're using the kid to hold onto Ivan. Dream on. You're just a toy—when Ivan's done with you, you'll crawl right back to your filthy slum!"

I turned and pressed Nadia's face into my side, covering her soft hair with my palm, keeping her from seeing Victoria's twisted expression. Those filthy words shouldn't reach an eight-year-old's ears.

"You're lying! Anna's not like that!"

Nadia broke free and shouted at Victoria.

Victoria's face contorted further. She swung her hand at Nadia. Instinct took over—I stepped between them. The slap landed on my shoulder, so hard my shoulder went numb, pain exploding under the skin.

"Look! Look what you've done!" Victoria's voice was sharp enough to slice the air. "You've corrupted my daughter!"

I bit down hard, didn't move an inch, stared into her eyes. "Touch her again, and I'll have security throw you out right now. And I'll call Ivan immediately."

Victoria froze mid-motion. She clearly hadn't expected me to push back with such defiance. Her eyes were still bloodshot, the anger burning in them far from gone, but my words stopped her advance like an invisible wall suddenly rising between us. She collided with it, her body leaning forward for a moment, yet she never came at me again.

Her jaw clenched, relaxed, then clenched again.

She glared at me. "Then let go! I won't leave my daughter with someone like you. God knows what trash you'll teach her."

She reached out with her manicured hand and grabbed my arm. Her nails dug through the thin fabric into my flesh, sharp enough to numb my entire arm.

I gritted my teeth through the pain, protecting Nadia.

Victoria screamed. "Nadia, come here! Come to Mommy. We're leaving."

Nadia shook harder at her words.

"I won't go. I want to stay with Anna..."