Page 104 of Bought By the Ruthless Pakhan

In that instant, my mind went blank—my body just moved. I turned and walked quickly back to my room.

I closed the door. Locked it. Slid down against it to sit on the carpet, knees drawn up, face buried in my arms. Something lodged in my throat—couldn't swallow it down, couldn't spit it out.

She was right. What was I, anyway?

A tutor. Someone he'd bought at an auction.

He and his ex-wife had a tangled past—a child, a shared life. And me? I was just a shadow borrowing space in someone else's home.

I had no right to ask why he didn't push her away. No right to demand an explanation for why that woman could sit in his lap late at night.

But my heart wouldn't obey. It still twisted, burned, hurt.

Those words I had tried so hard to ignore came flooding back—Victoria's voice telling me that Ivan had called her a toy in bed. That he was only playing with me, and that when he grew tired of me, he would simply throw me away.

I had heard those words countless times, but I had never really believed them. Until what I saw today made the first crack appear in my certainty.

Was he really just playing? If he actually cared about me, why would he let his ex-wife sit in his lap without even pushing her away?

Footsteps sounded outside.

Quick, heavy, one after another, stopping at my door. Then Ivan's voice, muffled behind the wood, carrying an urgency I rarely heard from him. "Anna, it's not what you think. Open the door. Let me explain."

I buried my face deeper.

My nose pressed against the fabric of my pajamas, the fine texture pressing into my skin.

I heard my own breathing—rapid, unsteady, like something was yanking it back and forth.

I wanted to open the door. Wanted to let him explain. Wanted to hear him say that woman barged in on her own, that he did nothing. But I was afraid too—afraid he'd say something I couldn't accept. Afraid he'd admit he really had wavered.

"Anna, don't do this." His voice came again, lower now, like he was forcing down some emotion. "It's not what you saw. She barged in herself. Nothing happened between us."

I bit my lip. Said nothing.

I really didn't know what to say. That image filled my head completely, leaving no room for anything else. I just curled up on the floor, feeling the door vibrate slightly from his weight against it.

"You really don't need to." I finally spoke, my voice colder than I expected. "You don't need to report anything to me. I'm just your daughter's tutor. An insignificant employee."

The breathing outside paused. Then silence. Long silence, so long I thought he'd left.

"Anna." He spoke again, voice rough. "To me, you're not insignificant. Come out. Let's talk this through."

I didn't move. But something in his voice stopped me from shutting the door completely—that layer of exhaustion about to crack, like he was genuinely afraid. Afraid I'd misunderstand. Afraid I'd leave.

The hallway stayed quiet for a long time. Long enough for the clock on the wall to tick through a full circle. I heard him take a deep breath.

"Anna, give me some time tomorrow. I want to tell you what's in my heart. Everything—I'll tell you everything. Okay?"

I didn't answer. But his words dropped into my heart like a stone falling into deep water, sinking down, still descending.

He said everything. Those secrets he'd kept hidden. Those things he'd covered up, wouldn't let me touch. He said he was willing to tell me now. That sentence carried more weight than any explanation.

The footsteps outside finally receded, slowly disappearing down the hallway.

I leaned against the door, lifting my hand to wipe the corner of my eye, only then realizing it was wet.

I didn't know if I should believe him. But I knew the sorrow in his voice was real. His urgency was real.