Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
My eyes widen with shock and I stare at her, feeling something shift inside me. I’ve always seen Ivan as closed-off, someone who keeps people at a distance, but this… this changes everything. The way his staff think about him, their willingness to help—it’s not something you earn with money or power. It’s something deeper, something real.
“Have you told him this?” I ask softly, wondering if Ivan even realizes how much his people care about him.
“No, not yet,” Muriel says, her eyes full of the wisdom she has gained over decades. “He’s a proud man with a deep well of resources and talents, and I’ll only step forward if and when I see that those petty men have abused their office and might to unfairly crush him. Only when I see that it is absolutely necessary.”
I don’t know what to say. I feel like I’m learning a whole new side of Ivan and Muriel. And it makes me feel closer to both of them in a way that I can’t quite explain.
I smile at Muriel, feeling a strange sense of comfort. “He is lucky to have you,” I say quietly.
“And he’s lucky to have you. He needs someone like you right now.” She picks up her cup and saucer and stands. “Well then, I’m off to bed. Goodnight, Miss Fitzpatrick.”
“Lara. Call me Lara.”
She shakes her head. “No. It wouldn’t be proper. I come from a long line of servants. My grandmother served as a charwoman in Winston Churchill’s home. I am what I am. I don’t need to pretend to be something I’m not. I’m proud to be here serving Mr. Ivanovich and you, Miss Fitzpatrick.”
I yield to her wish with a small nod, and she moves away.
Once she is gone, I head to the terrace, feeling the cool night air hit my skin. The pool reflects the moonlight, and I slip into the water, Muriel’s words echoing in my head. Muriel taught me something today. Help is saying, I want to help if I can. Help is doing something concrete, no matter how small. Stroke after stroke, I let the lesson swirl in my mind.
When I am tired, I float on my back and gaze at the stars until I feel a little cold. I swim to the edge of the pool and I see him sitting on a lounge chair, his expression unreadable, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. The sight of him makes my heart race, though I’m not sure if it’s relief or something else.
I pull myself out of the water, the cool air hitting my skin as I walk toward him. And for a moment, we just look at each other, the silence stretching between us.
Chapter Forty-Eight
IVAN
Ispotted her the moment I stepped out into the cool night air. She was floating lazily in the pool, her skin catching the faint glow of the moon, and something in me shifted. I decided to sit and watch her. Just watching her calms me. The world outside matters no more. They can’t take this moment away from me.
I’m not drunk. I’m just a little… smooth. The rough edges are gone.
I walk over slowly, bottle in hand, not wanting to break the spell. Water slides down her skin in shimmering trails. I don’t say anything. I just watch her, this woman who’s somehow become the only quiet in the middle of the storm.
“I was heading to the office to get the market to dance with me,” I say, breaking the silence between us, “but I heard the splash. Figured she’ll dance with someone else for a bit. I’d rather be here.”
She takes the bottle from me, her fingers brushing mine, and takes a small sip, her eyes never leaving mine. “Great decision. I… I wanted you here as well.”
There’s a pause. We’re both searching each other’s expressions, trying to figure out what to say without saying it. She hands me back the bottle, and I take a long drink.
“You um ... look quite… distant,” she notes softly.
I can’t help but let out a quiet laugh, though there’s no humor in it. “That’s one way to put it.”
She’s waiting. Not pushing, just... waiting for me to trust her enough to share. There’s something in her eyes, something that makes me want to let down my guard and stop pretending that I have everything under control.
I shake my head and run a hand through my hair. “Everything’s falling apart, and it’s happening too fast for me to stop it.”
Her brow furrows, concern written all over her face.
I take a deep breath, feeling the words like stones in my throat. “You’re already aware that the British and French authorities have frozen the assets I have registered in Europe. The yacht, the properties, the shares... they’re all locked away. And now...”
“And now?”
I smile bitterly. “And now… they want more blood. They have got their American brothers coming after everything else—my reputation, my businesses, my assets in this country. If I don’t clear this up soon, I’ll lose everything that’s not in Russia.”