Page 51 of The Bratva King's Claimed Bride

“Fruit, nuts, smoothies. A wholesome meal. Igor is going to be displeased.” She smiles and glances at Matvey. “He’s not the only one.”

“What happened to bacon for breakfast?” he asks.

“You’re obsessed with bacon,” I tease as Igor walks in. He leans over me and kisses my forehead.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Morning,” Matvey and Yvonne chorus.

“Where’s the bacon?” Igor asks, looking at the fruit the servants bring out.

Yvonne and I burst out laughing.

He frowns and looks at Yvonne. “This is your doing.”

“You need a healthy breakfast every now and then. Matvey also misses the bacon today.” Yvonne dishes up some fruit onto her plate.

Igor grumbles, and I reach over to touch his hand. “Don’t be grumpy. We’re sealing an amazing deal today. And I have a surprise for you later.”

“A surprise for me?” he asks with a smile. “Now, that could be interesting.”

“Get a room, you two.” Yvonne smiles and begins to eat.

We eat in a comfortable silence, and once I’m done, I stand up. “I’ll see you at the meeting.” I kiss his head and walk out, heading to the car waiting for me.

I like to get in a little bit before everyone else to get my admin and email up to date before the day really starts. I also want to go over this portfolio before I have the seller sign it later.

“Is everything prepared for later?” I ask Alfie.

“Yes, ma’am, everything is where it should be.” He smiles in the rearview mirror.

I smile back and watch the passing scenery.

Once we reach the resort, I go straight to what is now my office. It’s near the boardroom and Igor’s office when he’s here. Matvey’s office is down the corridor, but he often wanders up here to see me.

Yvonne’s office is next to Matvey’s, and we often go up to the Sidorov suite for a splash or to have lunch together. These days, Igor is always too busy for lunch.

I sit down and pull the portfolio to me as my laptop starts up. I flip to the first page and scan the text—a one-of-a-kind resort with minimal renovations required for ten million. The projected revenue is ten times that in the first year alone. We just need to get her back in the black after the last owner managed her badly.

Irresponsible owners are like delicious meals. They want power and control over the situation, but everyone involved knows that they’re desperate to get out of debt.

This resort is further out from Las Vegas, but it’s got amazing facilities. The drive there is scenic, with some tourist attractions to stop at along the way, which we are also purchasing from the owner.

William, that’s his name. William Aquelle. He’s lost his entire fortune to mismanagement and thinks we’re saving him. We’re bailing him out and giving ourselves a real money-maker.

I go through the rest of the pages, making sure that every ‘t’ is crossed and every ‘i' is dotted.

There can be no room for error in sales like these.

There’s a knock at my door, and I look up to see Matvey.

“He’s waiting with Igor in the boardroom. Are you ready?” he asks.

He always asks. He knows he doesn’t need to.

I’m always ready.

I stand up with the contract in the portfolio and follow him out of my office and down to the boardroom, where Igor is texting on his phone while William taps his leg anxiously.

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