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“Mmm…”

I’d better do the same: my alarm is set to go off in less than five hours. But I’m thirsty. Too thirsty to fall asleep. I slip out of bed as quietly as possible, pull on his striped polo shirt, which falls halfway down my thighs, and tiptoe to the bedroom door. I cross the wide hallway without turning on the light, stumble once or twice over imaginary obstacles, descend the stairs while clinging onto the bannister, then continue toward the kitchen. I can hear two voices there. Two familiar voices. They whisper, laugh softly, and fall silent, before starting to mumble again.

Maximilian and Abigail.

My curiosity has been piqued, and I move closer without making a sound. The voices are coming from the pantry, the door to which has been left ajar. My heart starts to race, because I already have a pretty good idea what I’m going to discover. One peek through the doorway confirms my suspicion. The housekeeper and the assistant are pressed against each other, kissing passionately. I quietly slip away, amused and keen to tell Vadim all about it.

“Psst, I have some juicy gossip!” I whisper as I slip back under the sheets.

“Mmm…”

“Max and Abby—”

“I know, I caught them too,” Vadim says, turning toward me.

“And you didn’t tell me?!”

He plants a soft kiss on my cheek, then firmly presses a hand over my mouth. “Shh, enough now.”

“But… it doesn’t bother you that they…?”

“Lancaster!”

I burst out laughing and climb on top of him, lying there and letting my whole weight fall on his body.

“It turned me on,” I murmur softly against his ear.

Suddenly wide awake, Vadim pushes himself up on his arms. I wrap my legs around his hips and pull off the polo shirt which had been keeping me warm. I love straddling him when both of us are naked, and feeling the effect I have on him when there’s no longer any space between us. He presses against me, plants his hands on my ass, and kisses me deeply.

We’ll sleep in another life…

41

Alma

Sophie and Clarence got the green light to return to Paris, but I didn’t. Not yet. Today, Vadim, Kate, and I have a potentially explosive meeting ahead of us. The three of us are heading to the Skylight Pictures offices to meet with the managers of the rival company. Our sworn enemies.

“Remember: if they provoke us, we let it slide. We agreed to this meeting so that we can see who we’re dealing with and to try to figure out what they’re planning. We need to understand why they went after the French subsidiary before taking on the parent company,” Vadim says, thinking out loud.

We stop at the entrance to the skyscraper.

“It’s because we’re an easy target, right? It makes sense to attack something that’s weaker than you. We’re just starting out. That’s why they went after us,” I say. “So damn brave of them…”

“They have a mole in our ranks, I’d bet my life on it!” hisses Kate, spoiling for a fight.

“Don’t make waves. Watch their every move, observe every gesture, even the slightest sign of a raised eyebrow. Listen closely and gather as much information as possible. We’ll have to read between the lines and pay attention to what isn’t said,” Vadim murmurs.

***

We step into an immense room resembling an amphitheater, with a central stage and a hundred seats surrounding it. Located in the basement of the building, it’s lit by both hanging ceiling lights and harsh spotlights. Our counterparts, two men in their sixties and a slightly younger woman, seem composed—almost too composed. They are on their home turf; they clearly have the upper hand.

After exchanging quick handshakes and announcing our names and titles, we take our seats around a large wooden table set right in the middle of the stage. Not even a bottle of water has been provided. I shoot a slightly bewildered look at Kate, who signals for me to wait. The hostile silence is weighing on me. Vadim finally speaks up, only to be quickly cut off by Mr. Langman, the renowned founder of Skylight. In an icy voice, he explains that we need to wait for one of his associates.

“The head of the company,” he clarifies.

“Sorry, Mr. Langman, but I’m a little confused,” Vadim replies, surprised. “I thought you were the CEO of Skylight Pictures.”

“No need to apologize, Mr. King. It’s normal that you’re not aware of this. I recently changed roles within the company. I sold the majority of my shares and agreed to entrust its management to the person you’re about to meet.”