“Make time. This week.”
“I’m in Moscow until Thursday?—”
“Then come Friday. Dinner. Seven o’clock. Be here.”
“I have plans Friday?—”
“Cancel them.”
“Father—”
“Friday. Seven o’clock. Don’t make me ask again.”
I hang up before he can argue further.
Pavel is watching me. “He’s avoiding them.”
“Obviously.”
“Why?”
“Because he sees them as a threat, or an inconvenience. Or both.” I sit behind my desk. “He needs to adjust. This is the reality now.”
“And if he doesn’t adjust?”
“Then he’ll learn that defying me has consequences.”
Pavel nods and returns to his work. I stare at my phone.
Maxim will come to dinner. He’ll meet Anna properly. He’ll be civil to the twins. Because I’m ordering him to. But his reluctance is clear.
My son doesn’t want this new family any more than Anna does.
I run a finger over the scratches Anna left on my neck. In thirty years of business, thousands of negotiations, hundreds of conflicts, I’ve never lost control like that.
Anna makes me lose control.
11
ANNA
Three Weeks Later
My phone ringswhile I’m reading to the twins.
I don’t recognize the number. Almost let it go to voicemail. But something makes me answer. “Hello?”
“Anna! Oh my god, I finally got through to you!”
I freeze. That voice. I know that voice.
“Lina?”
“Yes! I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks. Your old number doesn’t work anymore, and I had to do some serious detective work to track down this one.”
I stand up from the bed where Mila and Alexei are curled against me. “Hold on a second.” I walk into the hallway and close the door behind me. My heart is pounding for reasons I can’t name. “Sorry, I’m back. How did you get this number?”
“Your mom gave it to me. I called your parents’ house and begged. Svetlana finally broke down and gave me your newcontact info.” Lina’s laugh sounds the same as always. Bright. Easy. “So, married life. Tell me everything. How are you? How are the twins?”
