Page 55 of Reclaimed By My Ex’s Bratva Brother

"You—"

She threw the water at herself. Her pearl-white dress immediately soaked through. Then, while I stood frozen, she shoved the empty glass into my hand.

Everything happened too fast. I watched her collapse into the chair.

"So hot..." Her tears spilled instantly.

The door swung open. Varlam stood in the doorway. I didn't know what scene had just burned into his eyes.

My first reaction wasn't panic. It was disbelief. This trick was too old. So old even third-rate novel villains would be embarrassed.

She actually thought Varlam would believe I'd attacked his... ex-girlfriend with a glass of lukewarm water in his own office? She wasn't just crazy—she thought we were both idiots.

"Varlam." She struggled to stand, gripping the chair, face pale.

"What happened?" Varlam strode over, past me, stopping in front of her.

He steadied her shoulders, urgently checking for injuries. When he saw her soaked dress and the redness on her arm, he glanced at the glass in my hand. I had no idea how water with no heat could leave red marks on her arm.

Brinny choked on a sob, her eyes flicking to me like she was trying hard to cover for me.

"Just a misunderstanding." She lowered her lashes. "It was my fault."

I almost laughed out loud.

"She saw you coming and threw the water on herself, then shoved the glass in my hand." I didn't think Varlam would buy this cheap act, but I explained anyway. "Then somehow she just collapsed on her own."

Describing it again, I still found it unbelievable.

After hearing me, Brinny didn't argue.

"If she says so, then fine." Her tears fell harder. "I'm okay. Really."

"Tell me everything. I need to hear all of it." Varlam's voice dropped.

Brinny finally broke, sobbing out her grievances.

"I asked Briony to get me water. She's your assistant—I wanted us to get along. But she said she hated me, that I'd stolen your attention. And then she..." Her words stopped at exactly the right place, making Varlam's eyes turn ice-cold on me.

"She's lying." I looked into his eyes.

Brinny's body trembled lightly in his arms.

"I don't blame her. Maybe she was just too angry. Lost control of her emotions." She continued being "understanding," each word making Varlam's expression darker.

"I didn't!" I raised my voice, as if volume could make Varlam listen. "She made it up. I adjusted the temperature specifically—it couldn't have actually burned her. She staged this whole damn thing!"

Varlam's jaw was rigid. He didn't speak immediately. But that moment of silence gave me no hope. I knew he was containing his anger—anger directed at me.

"Does it hurt?" He gently touched her arm, thumb avoiding the red spots.

Brinny pressed her lips together and shook her head.

Varlam brushed away her tears, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. The kiss was light, but it punched through my chest like a bullet.

"She's acting." My voice shook. "Varlam, can't you see it?"

Varlam finally looked away from her. When his eyes landed on me, his brow was low and dark.