I take all of them. No hesitation this time.
If I’m doing this, I’m doing it clean. It’s time for Yuri to have them and to know why I’ve been hiding them.
I text Elena.
Where’s Yuri?
She replies almost instantly.
Meeting at Ivanov Tower. 43rd floor. Long one. Should I ping him?
No. I’ll find him.
I slip the drives into my bag and zip it shut. There’s a thrum beneath my skin. Not fear but more like momentum. Like gravity’s shifted and everything’s pulling in one direction—forward.
I head downstairs, cutting through the long hallway that leads toward the foyer. The floorboards creak beneath my heels, the old wood never subtle, no matter how quietly I try to move.
As I pass one of the arched windows, I catch my reflection—serious, pale, resolute. Not the girl who came here weeks ago. Not the outsider.
This is my life now and I want it to be.
“Heading out?” Tatiana’s voice stops me cold. Her heels click softly on the tile as she approaches, the sound too delicate for the kind of tension it causes in my chest.
I shift my bag against my side, trying not to be obvious. There’s no way she knows. Shecan’tknow. The USBs are buried under papers and a zipped interior pocket. Nothing about my face says betrayal because it isn’t betrayal. Not really.
Still, I can feel my pulse in my throat.
“Hey,” she says, tone unusually gentle. Her makeup is perfect, as always. Not a hair out of place. But her eyes are hard to read.
I blink. “Hey.”
There’s a strange beat of silence before she glances toward the tall windows. “You mind joining me for a walk?” she asks. “It’s not raining for once, and I could use some air. I came here to retrieve a file and was just heading back to the office when I spotted you.”
A thousand excuses bloom but none make it out of my mouth. Telling her no would draw more suspicion. Besides, she looks… off. Not dramatic, not icy. Just off.
“Sure,” I say, managing a smile. “Fresh air sounds good.”
We step through the side doors and into the back garden.
The scent of wet stone and roses hangs in the air. Sunlight filters through the thinning clouds, scattering across polished flagstone paths and low hedges trimmed with ruthless precision. Beyond that, the land stretches—terraced walkways winding through formal landscaping, leading deeper into groves of magnolia and beech.
It’s expansive. Ornamental in the front, almost wild at the edges. Easy to vanish from view once you’re in.
Tatiana walks slowly, her hands clasped in front of her. She looks thoughtful as she gazes down at the path. I follow half a step behind, not liking how far we’re drifting from the house. Still, I force myself to stay composed. Calm and neutral.
“You’ve been here a while now,” she says eventually. “In the mansion. With Yuri.”
I nod. “I have.”
We pass a stone bench wrapped in flowering ivy. A little bird startles from the underbrush, and I flinch before I can stop myself. Tatiana doesn’t seem to notice.
“So, how is he?” she asks. The question is innocent enough, but there’s a suspicious undertone to it.
I hesitate before answering. “He’s fine.”
Her lips curve into a wry smile. “You don’t have to be coy. I know something’s happening between you two.”
I say nothing. My mouth feels dry.
