TWISTED VOW

THE TRANSACTION

CHAPTER 2: THE TRANSACTION

Six hours earlier, Elena hadn't been in Lev's bed. She had been standing in the corner of her father’s luxury mansion, watching her life get sold away.

Her father, Arthur Cornelia, was sweating through his expensive suit. He looked old, desperate, and pathetic.

"Please, Lev," Arthur begged, wringing his hands together. "The shipping ports are yours. The money in the offshore accounts is yours. Just give me more time on the rest of the debt!"

Lev Volkov sat in the high-backed leather chair, looking like an absolute king. He was thirty years old, built like a brick wall, and ran the city's most feared Russian syndicate. He didn't yell. He didn't even look angry. That was what made him terrifying.

"You don't have any money left, Arthur," Lev said smoothly, tapping a heavy gold ring against the wooden armrest. "You gambled away twenty million dollars of my money. You have nothing left to give."

Arthur glanced back at Elena. Elena stood tall, her silver-blonde hair pulled back tight, her eyes completely cold. She knew what was coming.

"I have my daughter," Arthur whispered.

Elena felt a sharp spike of ice go through her chest.

Lev turned his icy blue eyes toward Elena. He looked her up and down slowly—taking in her sleek figure, her high cheekbones, and the quiet anger burning in her eyes.

"Elena is twenty-two," Arthur rushed on, sounding like a desperate salesman. "She has a finance degree. She’s educated. Marry her. It ties our families together. It makes the public think we are business partners, not enemies."

Lev stood up. He was six-foot-three and completely filled the room. He walked slowly across the carpet until he stopped right in front of Elena.

"Is this what you want, girl?" Lev asked her. His voice was a deep, rough rumble.

"My father is a coward," Elena said, refusing to step back. "He ran through my mother's money, and now he’s trading me to save his own skin. If I say no, you'll kill him. If I say yes, I end up in your house. Either way, I don't get a choice."

Lev picked up a strand of her hair, rolling it between his thick fingers. "You're smart. I like smart things. But in my house, I am the boss. You do what I say, when I say it."

"I'm not your dog, Volkov," Elena spat back.

Lev chuckled—a low, dark sound. "We'll see about that tonight."

He turned back to Arthur. "Sign the marriage papers. She comes with me now."