Now, I was totally confused.
But even in the midst of all that conundrum, a faint voice inside me still reminded me of the mission.
Don’t get distracted, Blair. Focus. We’re one step closer now. Nik’s starting to see you in a different light, and we can use that. We can weaponize it to get what we need.
***
Later that evening, he took me out again, but this time it wasn’t to a club. It was for a public unveiling. He got me another dress specifically for the event—a red, long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder silk wrap with a daring slit that revealed my thighs with each step.
My hair was piled up into a neat bun on top of my head, my natural makeup blending with my skin tone. Despite the heels that lifted me inches from the floor, I still looked relatively small walking by his side.
He locked my hand in his elbow as we glided through the guests, all dressed to impress. His black tux gleamed under the soft light, his polished shoes glinting as he moved. Heads turned in our direction—some stared in awe, others in confusion, probably wondering who the mystery girl with Nik was.
I caught glimpses of envy and jealousy among many of the women at this gathering tonight. They looked at me as though I stole their man, and a part of me kind of enjoyed the attention. I wasn’t always the spotlight type of girl, but tonight, I loved the attention I was getting.
However, this wasn’t just personal; it was work-related. I’d never been this close to the likes of Nik Tarasov before. Yet, here I was, surrounded by the group of sharks and vipers I’d been trying to take down for a long time.
Perhaps being bought by this man wasn’t a curse at all. It was a blessing—one I was determined to utilize.
The hall was packed with some of the city’s ‘most important’ figures: political leaders, so-called philanthropists and humanitarians, et cetera.
They were all in bed with Mafia organizations for personal gain. These bastards were the city’s real problem. They pretended to care about the people when, in actual fact, they only cared about their pockets.
This gathering was proof that those who had sworn to serve the people were making dirty deals with devils in suits behind closed doors. They knew what these Mafia men weredoing—all the atrocities and crimes they were guilty of. But they’d all been bribed to look away. Assholes.
Waiters wove through the crowd in their black and white uniforms, each balancing trays of champagne and canapes. A live band in a corner played classical music, its gentle rhythm floating in the air.
Nik exchanged pleasantries with a couple of men briefly before leading me toward a private table near the balcony. A couple waved at us from over there, suggesting they were either friends, family, or possibly business associates.
At first, I was a bit skeptical about hanging out with them. But after we got the table and they received us with a warm welcome, I had a change of heart. These people seemed nice; they were Russians and most probably Mafia too. However, the energy at the table was so raw, natural, and fun.
Anton and his wife, Larisa, were an old, effortlessly glamorous couple who bickered like it was foreplay. Anton looked like he was in his sixties with gray hair and a well-trimmed beard. Larisa, on the other hand, a gorgeous blonde with amazing blue eyes, seemed to be in her late forties or early fifties. But she was so beautiful I couldn’t stop staring at her.
There was another man at the table, a younger one—maybe the same age as Nik. His name was Daniil, a sharp-witted associate with a great sense of humor.
Together, these three cracked me up even when I tried to hold back my laughter. I hadn’t seen Nik so free before. It was like with this company, he wasn’t the brute and monster that I thought he was. He was just an average guy having a good time with his folks.
He wasn’t laughing as hard as the rest of us, but his smile and occasional chuckles suggested that he was having a good time. I didn’t think he had it in him to be so casual. Yet here he was, proving me wrong once again.
While the others’ voices droned on in the background, my eyes locked on him. He was seated beside me, his lips curled into an authentic smile as he chuckled at one of Daniil’s silly jokes. At that moment, he wasn’t the criminal mastermind that I knew him to be. He was just a regular human being like the rest of us.
No mask. No filters. Just him. Nik Tarasov, enjoying the company of his folks.
The moment he noticed I was staring too long at him, I looked away, shifting my gaze to the beautiful old couple. My heart skipped a beat when his hand rested on my lap under the table. I glanced in his direction, but he was busy talking with the couple, pretending not to realize his hand was traveling up my thigh.
My eyes widened ever so slightly, a jolt of electricity surging through my blood. His touch sent shivers down my spine, and my grip on my cutlery tightened. I locked my jaw, struggling to stay composed as he dared to travel higher. My breath hitched, and a sudden heat began spreading across my body.
Nik didn’t stop until his fingers rested on my underpants.
Fuck.
At this point, my heart was racing like a galloping horse. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, he shifted my panties and swiped his finger through my folds.
What the fuck?
A sweet sensation coursed through me like lightning, prompting my legs to part slightly. Everyone else at the table was so engrossed in the conversation that they didn’t notice what was happening under the cloth.
I was soaking wet in no time.
