“Anka, if this were pity, I’d buy you a charity board position or set you up with some meaningless consulting gig. I’m offering you real work with real responsibilities because I think you can handle it, and because my business would benefit from your involvement.”
She was quiet again, but he could see the wheels turning in her mind. The part of her that had been suffocated for years was awakening, responding to the possibility of purpose, challenge, and independence.
“I’d want to start small,” she said finally. “Maybe part-time, see how it goes. And I’d want to learn everything properly, not just fake my way through it.”
“Done. We’ll start by reviewing contracts and financial statements, teaching you the systems, and giving you time to find your feet. If you hate it or if it doesn’t work out, no harm done.”
“And if I love it?”
He smiled, recognizing the hunger in her eyes. It was the same look she’d had when she talked about art, about books, about anything that engaged her mind and challenged her intellect.
“Then we’ll figure out how to make you indispensable.”
She stood up, walking over to the windows to stare out at the city lights that were just beginning to flicker on in the gathering dusk.
“This is crazy,” she said.
“Most of the best ideas are.”
“My brothers are going to lose their minds.”
“Let them. You’re not their property anymore.”
She turned back to face him, and for the first time since their wedding day, he saw real excitement in her expression. Hope mixed with determination and just a hint of rebellion.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. But I have conditions.”
“Name them.”
“I want to be treated like any other employee. No special considerations because I’m your wife, no easier assignments because I’m a woman. If I fuck up, tell me. If I’m not pulling my weight, fire me.”
“Agreed.”
“And I want to earn my place here. No nepotism, no handed-down responsibilities. I start at the bottom and work my way up based on merit.”
“Also agreed. Anything else?”
She grinned, and it was the first completely genuine, unguarded smile he’d seen from her since their wedding.
“When do I start?”
Chapter 13 - Anka
The elevator’s polished steel doors reflected her image back at her—sharp navy blazer, cream silk blouse, hair pulled into a sleek bun that made her feel like she could conquer boardrooms and broker deals. It was her third day as Viktor’s assistant, and the transformation still felt surreal. Three days ago, she’d been drowning in the suffocating luxury of being nothing more than a trophy wife. Now, she was walking into the Nikolai Building with purpose thrumming through her veins.
The lobby’s marble floors clicked beneath her heels—a sound that had become her favorite symphony. Power dressed in Italian wool and determination, she felt like she was finally inhabiting her own skin instead of playing a role in someone else’s production.
“Good morning, Mrs. Nikolai,” the security guard nodded respectfully as she passed. Not with the careful deference reserved for a boss’s decorative spouse, but with the acknowledgment due to someone who belonged here, who had earned her place.
She’d insisted on starting from the bottom, and Viktor had honored that request with a ruthlessness that both impressed and challenged her. No special treatment, no cushioned assignments designed to make her feel important without actually contributing. He’d thrown her into contract analysis, financial auditing, and due diligence reports with the same expectations he’d have for any new hire.
The difference was, she was excelling in ways that surprised even her.
“Morning, Sarah,” she called to Viktor’s secretary as she passed the reception desk outside his office suite.
