Aslanov?
What the fuck?
I neutralize my features and try to act normal, but alarm bells ring in my ears, remembering the files I was trying to access the other day.
Aslanovas in ‘Access Denied’Aslanov?
I flick my gaze back to Father and see him cast his eyes over to me, like he noticed something falter in my expression.
“Put him through to the boardroom,” says my father, rising from his chair to meet Danielle at the door. “I’ll see you there in a moment.” He sees Danielle out, and then exits the room himself.
But I don’t.
Alone in his room, I feel like a kid in a playground. There’s so much to do. I just need to decide where to look first. Pressed for time, I need to be strategic about this.
Think, Lauren.
I jump up, close the blinds and lock the door. Father never leaves his computer logged in, but lucky for me, I know his passwords. I dart behind his desk, wiggle the mouse, and revive the computer from sleep mode, rolling up my blouse sleeves to begin typing.
This is the perfect opportunity. Even the air from the AC feels less dry somehow.
This could be a big step towards victory.
I type as fast as my fingers can handle. Once access has been granted to the encrypted company server, I navigate over to the private investment folders. One particular folder stands out like a sore thumb. It’s one I haven’t seen before. Answers have to be in here, I’m sure of it.
This could be a very dangerous move, but I’ve never been afraid to take risks.
Except this might be the biggest risk I’m ever taking.
No.
Scratch that.
The biggest risk I took was sleeping with Nikolai Rogov and getting pregnant with his baby.
Shoving my worries to the back of my mind, I continue browsing the folders. If Father is spying on me, why can’t I spy on him?
Besides, I don’t trust him. The moment he showed up at Sophia and Timur’s Bratva-wedding, shaking hands with tattooed Russian mobsters, I knew he was up to something.
Suddenly, the memory of what Nikolai said to me the other night enters my mind.
“Timur was ordered to oversee a deal between your father and one of our allies. Little did we know, your father brought friends.”
And as much as it kills me to admit it, parts of me are starting to think Nikolai might have been telling me the truth about Timur. Why the hell was my father at the crime scene where Mom died? And who were those ‘buddies’ of his? Besides, who would want to kill my innocent mom unless they were given a reason? The emphasis is on ‘reason’. What if Dad got involved in something shady that led to Mom’s death?
Shit.
I don’t know if I’m ready to hear the answer to that, but it’s too late to back out. I continue searching the folders, scanning text for names until I recognize one.
‘Ronan Aslanov.’
My stomach clenches.
Who the fuck is thisRonan Aslanov?
Conscious of time, I slip my USB from my blouse pocket and hastily plug it into the computer monitor, dragging the files across to make copies. I can read these in my own time. Right now, I need to get the hell out of here before I’m caught.
For all I know, this could be part of my father’s ploy. Maybe he’s testing me, waiting to see how far I’ll go.
