Page 50 of Mafia King’s Dangerous Vow

“Shut up.”

“She broke a multimillion-dollar painting, and now you’re smiling at your phone like a divorced architect.”

I ignore him and type back.

Me:

The sofa stays

Three dots appear almost immediately.

Tamara:

Dictator

For the first time all day, warmth gets through.

15

APPARENTLY, JAZZ WAS WINNING. (TAMARA)

Ispend three hours researching art conservation before I realize I haven’t moved from the floor.

The Kandinsky sits propped carefully against the fireplace, wrapped in acid-free paper I found in one of Aleksander’s storage cabinets. I ordered archival sleeves, climate-safe transport materials, and consultations with three separate restoration firms.

None of it feels sufficient.

The tear itself is small. That somehow makes it worse. A catastrophic destruction would almost feel cleaner. Final. Instead, the damage is survivable. Repairable, technically.

I stare at the restoration estimates glowing across my laptop screen and rub both hands over my face.

The apartment no longer feels tense. Only altered.

The living room carries traces of disruption. One chair slightly repositioned. The absence of the painting above the fireplace. Tiny changes that somehow make the entire space feel exposed.

Like I cracked something open accidentally.

My phone buzzes.

Maya again.

I answer this time.

“You stopped responding mid-text spiral,” she says. “Which is usually either emotional collapse or homicide.”

“Good evening to you too.”

“The Healy site visit is back on the books for Thursday, by the way.” Papers shuffle faintly on her end. “Your terrifying new security people already coordinated the route and arrival schedule.”

I blink. “My what?”

“I spent twenty minutes on the phone with someone named Yuri discussing traffic patterns and building access protocols.” A beat. “Honestly, he’s more organized than most contractors.”

I laugh. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. It’s weirdly efficient.” Another pause. “Are you actually going to make the visit?”

The wrapped Kandinsky waits beside the fireplace.