His mouth twitches. “You sure? Because personally, I’d prefer to burn her plans to the ground before she even sets the match.”
I smirk. “We will. But we do itmyway. Let her think she’s ahead. Let her think she’s got allies.” I tap the report. “Then we remind her whose city this really is.”
Arseny nods, his eyes dark with approval. “Now that’s the boss I know and tolerate.”
“Tolerate?” I arch an eyebrow at him. “Careful, Arseny. Your position isn’t so secure that you can’t end up managing our interests in Alaska.”
He clutches his chest in mock horror. “You wouldn’t. The cold is bad for my delicate constitution.”
“And yet you risk it.”
“Someone has to keep your ego in check.” He grins, utterly unrepentant. “Now, about that second thing…”
“The second thing?”
Arseny’s grin widens. He pulls out his iPad, fingers tapping with dramatic flair. “Ah, this is the fun part. Remember that list you asked for?”
“List?”
“Don’t play dumb, boss. It doesn’t suit you.” He swipes through screens. “The potential wives? The ones that would make the old guard stop bitching about you needing to settle down?”
Blyad.That list.
“I’ve narrowed it down.” His chest puffs up like a peacock. “Eliminated the gold diggers, the ones with political baggage, and anyone who’s ever posted a Live, Laugh, Love sign on Instagram.”
“How thorough of you.”
“I know, right?” He doesn’t catch my sarcasm. Or, more likely, he’s choosing to ignore it. “Check this out. I’ve organized them by net worth, social connections, and,” he waggles his eyebrows, “flexibility.”
“Flexibility?”
“You know, willingness to… overlook certain business practices.” He turns the iPad toward me. “Number three’s father is a judge. Could be useful. Number two has connections to—”
“Arseny.”
“—no family at all. Which is honestly a bonus, no in-laws to deal with—”
“Arseny.”
He stops mid-swipe, finally catching the look I’m giving him.
I take another sip of whiskey, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make him twitch.
Then I reach forward and switch off the iPad.
His face twists into something between offense and betrayal. “What the fuck?”
I set the device down and meet his stare. “I’ve already decided.”
His mouth opens. Closes. Opens again. “You— Wait. What?”
I let the corner of my mouth lift slightly, the closest thing to amusement I can manage. “I don’t need your list. I know who I’m taking as my wife.”
Arseny blinks. “Did you just…? Boss, I spent hours on that list. I even created a spreadsheet with color-coding and—”
“I don’t need the list.”
His face does something complicated, like he’s trying to process multiple emotions at once.
