“Ms. Keith, do you mind sharing with the board what you told me about our little problem?”

My eyes widened, and I could barely contain my gasp of shock.

That had been my breakthrough moment, marking the beginning of my successful journey. Mr. Rodriguez had really surprised me and everyone else at the office.

My idea had worked, and the company started to see the results in a matter of weeks. The promotion and increase in salary that my colleagues had assumed I was after came to me without stress.

Today, I was about to speak to a lot of people—some new employees—in the seminar hall, and I was, as always, fully prepared.

I smiled at my reflection, parted my lips, and sighed softly, ready to deliver.

As I stepped into the hall, keeping my shoulders straight and head high, I was directed to the front, where Mr. Rodriguez was standing.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Ms. Keith, our top financial analyst,” he introduced me warmly. “She’ll be in charge of your training session.”

“Thank you, sir,” I replied, taking my place as he stepped away.

Some of the new guys seemed astonished; their widened eyes and gaping mouths gave them away.

“How’s it possible that the top analyst looks so young?” one of them whispered to another.

I was already used to that, so I ignored him and smiled. As I was about to start, I noticed a man was holding his phone out to record the session.

My heart skipped for a moment as I remembered Daniil; he was out there, and he was probably still searching for me. I’d been able to stay hidden for so long because I avoided social media, and I couldn’t have this new recruit ruin everything I’d worked so hard to achieve.

“Please, put your phone down. You’re not allowed to take photos or video recordings in here.” I struggled to be as polite, even when all I wanted to do was bark at him.

He was respectful enough to apologize and set his phone down.

It had been four years already, but that man was still under my skin, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was close to finding me—hot on my trail.

I sighed heavily and managed to squeeze out a smile. “Shall we begin?”

Chapter 18 – Daniil

“We’re here.”

Andrei glanced outside his window of the private jet and then turned to face me.

“Valencia, indeed, is a beautiful city,” he said. “Don’t you think?”

“We’re not here on vacation, so I don’t have the luxury of sightseeing,” came my reply. “If I wanted to go on vacation, it’d be with my milaya,” I added.

“It’s been four years, Daniil,” he reminded me.

“Maybe. Yet, it feels like only four months to me,” I answered.

Andrei looked at me and went silent. He clearly saw my obsession with her as a problem, and he’d tried his best to get me to loosen up. However, all of his efforts were futile.

This woman seemed to have charmed me with her essence; she had some sort of hold over me, and it was both impressive and concerning at the same time.

“Your cousin is already waiting at the airport,” Andrei informed me, changing the subject. “Maybe he could help you with this problem—Vladimir always has his ways.” He grinned faintly.

Andrei was hoping that my cousin’s lifestyle would somehow help me get over Vivian, and he wasn’t wrong to think so. Vladimir Wolkov was a Bratva boss like me, and also a cruel one, at that. He was the type to be serious with his business, but, unlike me, he often found a balance and, sometimes, womanized for the fun of it. The womanizing part of his lifestyle was the glimmer of hope Andrei was holding onto.

“Maybe what you need is some fresh air to clear your mind. Valencia, in the company of your cousin, is the perfect combo for you right now,” he said to me.

“You seem to forget the real reason we’re here, Andrei,” I replied, unfazed by his attempts. “There’s a deal to be struck, and that’s where my focus is at.”