Drawers ripped from the tables and cabinets. Files scattered like leaves in a storm. The desk lay on its side. Photos torn from their frames, garbage strewn across every surface. This wasn’t mere violence! It had a purpose, but I didn’t know what it was.
They didn’t just come to kill. They were searching for something. My head spun as my mind tried to piece it together. Bile rose in my throat. Was this massacre a message, a cover-up, or more?
Beside me, Sophia was already on her knees. Her hands moved swiftly as she gathered papers. They were shaking but moving. My gaze softened for a moment as I watched her. Her quiet strength amidst the chaos soothed me. Glancing up, shecalmly ordered my cousin to lift the desk and place it upright. Even now, in all this ruin, she was steady.
Turning, I saw some of the kitchen staff exiting the cold room. Sophia appeared fine enough to cope, so I turned to go and assist.
Chapter 18 - Sophia
I watched as Kolya walked out to assist his men. Even the kitchen area was a mess. Hendrik softly touched my shoulder. Turning, I raised my brows, looking inquisitively at him. I laughed nervously as I spoke. “Sorry, Hendrik. I was distracted for a moment.”
My heart sat in my throat. I had never seen so much blood, so many dead people. It was disturbing. Yet, I knew Kolya needed me now more than ever. I would try to stay strong for him.
“Yes, I could see so,” he replied. His tone was light and soft.
“Kolya isn’t taking this very well, is he?” I inquired.
“No,” he said, looking down. “These people aren’t just workers to him, or a source of income.” He looked up past me into the kitchen area.
“Please tell me more,” I begged. Moving closer, I squeezed his arm, hoping he would open up. I had a foul taste in my mouth, and the odor in the air was sickening. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure.
Hendrik looked at me as he spoke. “Ninety percent of these people, the workers. They come from foster homes. Kolya took them in when no one else would. Once they turned eighteen, they were forced to leave. To make their own way. He rescued them, helped them build a life. He educated most of them himself.”
Taking a deep breath, he turned and started to pick random things off the floor. As he placed them on the table, he continued to speak. “Kolya gave them a place to feel welcome,a place they could call home. He bought a block of flats not far from here to provide homes. Most of these people live there with their families. Some of the people he trained and educated left. They have made their way across the ocean and gone to work abroad.”
“Wow,” I breathed out, interrupting him. “Kolya has done a lot for them.”
“Yes, he has. They mean a lot to him. The ones who stayed, that didn’t leave, they all found work here or somewhere in the business. Some are employed in the restaurant or were…” he breathed out heavily. “Some work at his offices, others in the gardens, or as guards. Anything he could find to offer them, he did.”
“Thank you for telling me all of this, Hendrik. I appreciate your honesty,” I replied. Looking back at the kitchen area, my heart ached for Kolya.
I realized that the deaths of these people were personal to him. They weren’t mere workers. My heart bled as I watched him kneeling down to the body of a young woman. He pulled her into his arms, looked up, and closed his eyes.
My chest ached. My hands trembled. I wished I could take his pain and ease his heart. Leaving Hendrik to finish cleaning the office, I went to join Kolya. I swallowed the lump as I entered, the stench making my stomach turn. Maybe I should wait outside, I considered. But I wanted to be here for him. It felt like the right thing to do.
The kitchen still had a lot of work to do. It took most of the day. But once we were done, the place returned to some semblance of normality.
There was a lot of damage that would need fixing, but time was required. Hopefully, I helped in some way. We drovehome in silence. I could feel Kolya’s heavy energy. I was shocked and felt shaky. Kolya was truly taken by what had happened. I waited till we got home, had supper, and were sitting with a drink before probing.
After he settled and had a couple of sips, I cautiously started the conversation. “Kolya, tell me what happened at the restaurant? Tell me what’s going on there? What kind of business is it really?” I needed to know to soothe my conscience.
He looked at me for the longest moment, then lowered his gaze. His voice sounded raspy as he replied. “Simply a restaurant, like any other.”
I knew I had to push a little. I wanted to know everything. “You said we’ll be honest with each other. It’s all I want. I’m here to listen. Tell me what’s weighing so heavily on your heart?”
He sighed. There was heaviness in the way he did it. “Yes,” he confessed. “The restaurant did some illegal dealings. But you have to know that the workers themselves never did. They were good people. They used their salaries to provide for their families. They’re not bad people. None of them were.”
Kolya looked up at me as he continued. “This was something else. It had nothing to do with my business or the people. Those people were innocent.”
“I’m sorry about everything,” I whispered. The pain was prominent in his tone and his posture. I wished I could ease his pain.
Clearing my throat, I tried to phrase my questions as softly as possible. “Hendrik told me what you did for the people. May I ask why you wanted to help these people? Not that there is anything wrong with being kind, don’t take it to heart. I was just wondering what brought you to do so?”
Kolya stared at me. Something in him shifted as the pain appeared to be gone. His eyes were on fire suddenly. “Clara was all I had. I was all she had in life,” he uttered. “We only had each other growing up. It was important to keep the orphans from suffering the same fate. Growing up, families need each other to stay safe.”
I was stunned. I didn’t know how to reply. Before I could form a sentence, he continued to open up to me. “I had made some bad choices in the past. Some of those horrid decisions I made almost got Clara killed.”
He swallowed hard, turning his face away. “I have tried to correct my past. I felt that by helping others in similar situations, I could repay some of my sins.” He sighed, then took a big sip from his glass. “After almost losing Clara, it made me realize how important loved ones are. How valuable family is! Everyone deserves the right to protect their families.”
