“That’s necessary. Kestrel Maritime has been bleeding money for two years. We stop the bleeding first, then we make it profitable.”
Pavel taps more notes into his tablet. “What about Anna? Does she get any say in how her family’s company is run?”
“No.”
“She might expect it.”
“Then she’ll be disappointed. This was a business transaction. She became my wife, I took control of the company. Those were the terms her father agreed to.”
“And if she pushes back?”
“She won’t. She’s smart enough to know that fighting me helps no one.”
Pavel considers this, then changes direction. “The household staff asked about meals. Should they prepare separate dining for Anna and the children, or are you expecting them at the family table?”
I hadn’t thought about that. Separate meals would be simpler. Less interaction, less potential for conflict. But it would also signal that this marriage is exactly what it is—a transaction with no substance behind it. And I need this to look legitimate from the outside.
“Family table,” I say. “Dinner at seven tonight. Make sure the kitchen knows to prepare something the children will actually eat.”
“You want to establish routine immediately.”
“I want to establish expectations. This is their home now. They’ll adjust faster if we treat it that way from the start.”
Pavel makes another note, then looks up. “Maxim called earlier. He wants to talk to you about the marriage.”
“What about it?”
“He didn’t say. But he sounded concerned.”
I check my watch. “Tell him to come by this afternoon. We’ll handle it then.”
“Understood.” Pavel swipes through something else on his tablet. “One more thing. You asked me to compile a basic file on Anna before the wedding. Do you want me to go deeper?”
“How much deeper?”
“Full background. Employment history going back to university, financial records, medical files, known associates. Everything we can access legally.”
I pause. “Why?”
“Because you married her and you don’t actually know her. Basic due diligence would suggest we should have comprehensive information on someone living in your house with access to your household.”
He’s not wrong. But there’s something else in his tone. Something cautious.
“You think there’s something to find,” I say.
“I think everyone has things they’d prefer to keep private. Whether any of those things matter to you is a different question.”
“Do it. I want the full report in three days.”
“Three days is tight for comprehensive.”
“Then work fast.”
Pavel nods and makes a final note. “Anything else?”
“No. Let me know when Anna arrives.”
He leaves, and I return to the Kestrel Maritime files. Route maps, client contracts, cargo manifests. The kind of information that makes sense. Numbers that follow predictable patterns. Variables I can control.
