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“What exactly are your intentions with Alma?”

“Dad…”

“What? My daughter deserves the best. A serious, committed man, ready to do anything to make her happy. A man who won’t be distracted by the siren call of showbiz.”

“No one says ‘showbiz’ anymore,” I mutter.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Vadim says.

“Okay, it’s time for dessert!”

My mother stands up and smiles brightly in an attempt to change the subject, but my father is characteristically stubborn.

“If you say you’re ready to commit, why are you so determined to keep your relationship a secret?”

“You’re a smart man, Mr. Lancaster. You must realize that I’ve been keeping it a secret until now to protect Alma.”

“Until now?” my father and I respond in unison.

And I immediately regret appearing to side with him.

“If that’s what you want, Alma, we’ll eventually make it public. I’m looking forward to it, too. But we need to be aware of what that will set in motion.”

Vadim’s fingers intertwine with mine, first beneath the table, then on top of it. And my father swallows his pride.

***

That evening, as we head across Paris to his hotel, Vadim gives me some good news. “We got them, Alma.”

“Who?”

“Max and Abby.”

“What?!”

“It turns out that they scammed other employers before me. So, when faced with the choice between paying the money back and risking prison, they didn’t hesitate. They signed everything they needed to sign to ensure they could never hurt us again.”

“No one can stand in your way, Vadim Arcadi,” I say with a smile.

“Someone can.”

“Me?”

“You.”

52

Alma

Clémentine has kept an extremely low profile since her confession. But after being away for the Christmas holidays, she’s finally back in Paris, and I practically force her to join me for a shopping trip. Now that she’s nearly four months pregnant, none of her clothes fit her anymore, so she reluctantly agrees to come along.

“This New Year’s Eve party tomorrow is going to be a nightmare!” she declares with a weary sigh as she sinks onto a bench on Boulevard Haussmann.

“Do you want to eat something? You’re kind of pale.”

“My stomach is in knots.”

“Are you cold? You’re shivering.”