“The sooner, the better,” she murmurs, hugging herself. “I don’t know why he won’t text me back.”
“What did he mean byliar?” Valentina asks as she returns to her desk.
“No clue,” Zira replies. “But it’s not off-brand for him to be cryptic.”
As we talk, the door behind us swings open and a blonde woman bounces in with a package of donuts. “Now, Valentina, before you sayanythingI need you to know these are vegan and delicious and they taste just like—oh!” She stops dead and stares wide-eyed at me and then Zira. “Hello!”
“Ivy, this is Zira.”
Ivy immediately smiles warmly and rebalances her donuts on one arm. “Zira! It’s so nice to meet you!” she exclaims, and she thrusts out her other hand.
17
ZIRA
Our eyes meet and for a split second, I forget what to do. It’s been a whirlwind since we stepped off the elevator and Bradley’s shown me extravagant rooms, gorgeous structures, introduced me to so many people, and now there’s another to add to the list while my stomach twists at the thought of this Valentina woman going through my phone.
“Hi,” I say after a long hesitation, and when I reach for Ivy’s hand, my grip misses and I clutch her wrist instead. Heat flushes my cheeks but thankfully, Ivy doesn’t mention it.
Instead, she leans slightly closer and her brows twitch. “Are you okay?”
I half-nod and freeze. No one’s really asked me that, and there’s something so earnest about the way Ivy asks me that unexpected tears prick in the corners of my eyes and I can’t speak.
“Oh, honey. Bradley, I’m borrowing her for a minute, okay?”
“What?” Bradley turns in time to glimpse Ivy turning her hand, gripping my wrist, and sweeping me right out of the study.
She pulls me along with her and keeps walking until we’re in a different hallway, then she leads me into an extravagant bedroom that smells faintly of lavender and cotton.
“Here,” Ivy says, releasing my wrist. “In here. Take a moment and breathe.”
“I’m okay,” I reply even as my heart lurches and the world spins. Dabbing at my eyes, I sniffle quickly. “I don’t know what came over me, I’m so sorry.”
The carpet at my feet is so fluffy that walking over it in my sneakers feels like a crime, but Ivy’s doing the same in her heels and she heads straight for the large bed and sits. Then she pats the spot next to her.
“Don’t you apologize, okay? Don’t you dare. Come here, come and sit.”
The polite side of me wants to refuse so I don’t ruin the carpet, but my legs have a mind of their own and suddenly, I’m sitting next to her while she smiles brightly and opens her box of donuts toward me.
“Want one?”
“No, I’m okay. I’m not sure I’m hungry.”
“It’s pretty overwhelming, isn’t it?” Her bright green eyes sparkle at me and she selects a glazed donut from her box. It remains open beside me, like a permanent invitation to eat if I want to.
“Yeah,” I agree with a weak smile. “Everything is so…” I can’t find the words. “Are you one of them?”
“One of them?” Ivy repeats and then she smiles brightly. “Oh, you mean the Suit? No, I’m not one of them in that regard, but I am engaged to one.” She holds up one hand and wiggles her fingers to show off the gigantic rock on her finger.
“That’s gorgeous!” I gasp, taking her hand to gently get a closer look. “Who?”
“Ruslan.” Her smile widens and her cheeks flush. “But that’s not why I brought you in here. Last year, I was kind of like you.”
I look up at her and her smile softens. “You were?”
“Yup. My life went to shit and I found myself running from very dangerous people. Ruslan saved my life. They all did, in a way. But I remember feeling so out of my depth when I came here and everything was kind of terrifying, so if you need anything, to talk or to cry or to complain, then I’m here for you. It’s overwhelming.”
“I… I don’t know what to say.”
