She clears her throat. “Sergei Sorokin has one of the cleanest records I’ve ever vetted, Ivy. He’s a prominent tech investor. He had over a dozen people vouching for him when we did background checks. You’re in safe hands, I can assure you. Perhaps you misheard what was being said? Russian can be quite tricky.”
Oh my God, there’s no way this is happening. “No, you don’t understand! One of the guys he’s working with, I think, is a prominentwarlord! Or… whatever they’re called. ‘Pakmans’? You didn’t see what I saw. I swear to you. I was involved in a cafe shooting earlier today!”
“A café shooting?” she repeats slowly.
“Yes!”
“And you’re saying you think her father is… involved?”
“Miss Dori. There are men that come around withguns. Did you even Google Sergei before? Nothing comes up. It’s like he doesn’t exist!” I pull at my hand, tugging enough that it’s painful. It’s the only thing that’s grounding me right now.
“Well… I imagine there’s probably some explanation. Wealthy families abroad often value privacy when?—”
“Don’t,” I snap. “Don’t do that. Don’tminimizethis. You’re the one who sold me on this job, remember? You said he was respectable. ‘Private, but highly regarded in the community.’ That’s what you said.”
“Ivy,if you’re genuinely in danger, why are you calling me and not the authorities? You did that, didn’t you? If the shooting occurred?”
My mouth falls open, no words coming out.
Her voice turns gentle. “Ivy. If you don’t feel safe, I can start looking for another family. But these contracts are binding. If you break it, your payment is forfeit. I’m not sure what you mean about being involved in a shooting. I haven’t seen anything on the news about that. But whatever you overheard is probably not at all what you think.”
I swallow around the lump forming in my throat. “You’re kidding… so you won’t give me the money to get me out of here?”
“I wish I were. But that’s the policy. These families invest a great deal in this program. We can’t have unfounded claims floating around like this. If what you’re saying is true, I would highly encourage you to go to the authorities.”
“I could’vedied!” I croak.
“Surely, you have proof of these claims? I’m turning on the news right now, and I don’t see anything about a cafe shooting.”
I hang up before I say something I’ll regret because it’s clear she’s not going to believe me no matter what the hell I say. To her, Sergei is picture perfect and not at all the ruthless businessman I’m unfortunately coming to understand is the real him.
But how the hell am I going to get out of here? How the hell am I going to prove what I’m saying is factual andstillget the money I’m owed for even having to deal with this bullshit in the first place?
That’s when it hits me.The cafe.
If I can go back, ask questions,recordsomething, then I’ll have proof to give to Miss Dory.Realproof that will get me the hell out of here and maybe a hell of a lot more money that we originally agreed on in order to keep my mouth shut.
If this is the Mafia, then it’s time I start thinking like someone who’s not going down quietly.
9
IVY
It takes me three days to work up the nerve to ask to leave again.
Three days of pacing my room and rehearsing lines in the mirror like I’m auditioning for a role I never wanted, trying to nail it anyway. Three days of half-eaten meals, fake smiles forced for Yulia, and hours staring at my ceiling at night, listening to every creak outside my door and wondering if it’s Maksim’s people coming back to finish the job of killing me to keep from squealing about what happened at the cafe.
I hate that every time I see Sergei, my mouth just… snaps shut.
Strangely, since the cafe incident, he’s more present than usual.
Being around him is worse than walking on eggshells. There’s a sterile, clinical dismissiveness to his presence that I can’t help but fear deep down. He doesn’t need to raise his voice to make a point when he speaks to anyone. All he needs to do islookand it has his entire staff scrambling to make things happen.
Which is exactly why every time I cross paths with him over the next few days, I revert into some stammering middle schooler asking if I can leave class early to go to the bathroom.
What’s worse is that I can’t outrightly ask to leave the estate without some actual reason because I can’t let him suspect I’m trying to dig up anything about him or his affiliations. I don’t know how deep this all runs, but I do know Maksim basically admitted to being a part of the Russian Mob and somehow, Sergei is connected in all of this.
Tipping them off that I’m looking into things would not only sign my death warrant, but it would also guarantee for it to be carried out in the most torturous way.
