Their Villain, The Mogul's Beloved

It wasn’t too bad, honestly. The thugs got the worst of it.

E55 vouchers

If not for the guy who showed up–some shady dude with a slick lawyer–Natasha and her rescuer might’ve been the ones facing assault charges from those creeps.

The cop, a grizzled vet, still shivered thinking about those punks‘ battered state. Whoever did it was a total badass.

Everyone just assumed it was Alexei.

In their eyes, Natasha was just a quiet, gorgeous girl. No way she could be that vicious. Even Alexei played along, taking the credit.

But the cop smelled family drama and leaned in, twisting the knife. “Oh, it was rough.

“She was a mess when we got her–blood everywhere, head busted, arm jacked up. Barely said a word. Imagine being cornered at night by a bunch of tatted–up dirtbags hitting on you. Who wouldn’t be scared shitless?

“All alone, no family to call, just curled up in a corner, only talking when we pushed her. Broke my heart.

“She tried calling a few times, but no one answered. Said she’s on her own. That guy’s lawyer bailed her out. We thought she was an orphan–didn’t wanna pry. Turns out she’s got family. So, where were you all last night?”

The question hit like a jab, and the Clarks flushed red with shame.

They’d figured Natasha was just throwing a fit over her ruined engagement. With Olivia’s health crisis eating at them, they had no patience for her drama, so they all–without a word–turned off their phones.

Lucas’s mind flashed to last night’s call. Natasha’s voice, shaky, saying she was being followed, begging for help.

And he’d just told her to quit screwing around.

How scared and alone she must’ve been.

He remembered their promise: always answer, never go dark. He’d failed her.

was

throat. “Let’s have Natasha over

rattled that this wasn’t just Natasha’s usual antics, shifted, half–ashamed,

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8:17 pm

Chapter 7

nab those creeps, right?”

cop nodded. “Locked up

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was stone–cold. “We want those punks hit hard. And the guy who helped my sister- got his number?

to send a fat check. The guy stepped up

family nodded, on the same

*****

cop, Alexei, the “good

pages, eyes sharp and

life split into

Clarks‘ princess, spoiled rotten, full of

faded into a shadow, barely seen. Now, Olivia was the Clark family star,

a doormat–jumping through hoops for Olivia and the family, like

every trick in the book. It trashed her family ties,

assistant, sighed dramatically. “The Clark sisters are like night and day. The older one’s a sweetheart, talented, a

the sleek office chair, his sharp face cool

shading? No one could

his mouth shut–eyes down,

his fingers and the whole city would

to take it.

why is this guy suddenly so interested in some girl? No way the ice–prince actually gives a damn. Ha. Yeah right. The thought

himself took an interest in you? Game

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