Page 99 of Koroleva

"Nikita," he gasped again. "This can't get out, if it goes public, it would be my end, my ruin..."

"That will depend on you," I commented playfully.

His glassy eyes tried to focus on me and understand my words.

"How?" I snapped my fingers and Andrey appeared, waving the mobile in his hand. Karlos got nervous. "But what is this?!" I stood up from the seat and pulled up the front of my dress. The job was already done.

"Andrey, show him what we have." My man turned the screen and the new port director began to tremble with indignation.

"Damn bitch!" he howled, trying to stand up to hit me. I dodged him, pushed him, and he bounced back into the seat. "What do you intend to do with that?!"

"Nothing, as long as you cooperate."

"Cooperate?"

"Let's talk business, I'm sure we can reach an agreement."

39

Revelations

I filled the glass and looked at my wife's happy smile, she looked like a cat that had just eaten a mouse. In fact, I'm afraid that, when I wasn't looking, she actually had.

The blackmail had a one hundred percent satisfactory outcome for me.

After the 'conversation' she had with Arasagasti in the lounge, it was as if she had been changed for another person. She was exuberant, smiling, and the poor director seemed to be suffering from a kidney stone attack.

As soon as they appeared, Karlos went to look for his wife and urged her to leave.

"So soon? The party has just started!"

"Something didn't sit right with me, I think it was the gas in the champagne, I don't know, but I'm doubled over in pain..." Nikita bit back a smile while poor Andrea insisted on asking for chamomile tea because she didn’t want to leave.

She ended up giving in under her husband's insistence and said goodbye to my wife affectionately, promising to call her soon for a coffee or to go shopping together.

Arasagasti was on the verge of an apoplexy when Nikita rubbed salt into the wound even further by suggesting dinner for the four of us once Karlos was feeling better. Of course, she agreed enthusiastically, and he wished he had a piece of duct tape to shut his wife’s mouth.

As soon as they left, Nikita gave me the widest smile I had seen on her so far.

"We've got it," she confessed excitedly.

She snatched the bourbon glass from my hand, took a long sip, set it on the table behind me, and hung from my neck. Some tension had dissolved in her body.

"Congratulations," I congratulated her, and I meant it from the heart, as few people were so persistent.

"I couldn’t have done it without you, so you're welcome, Mr. Capullet."

I had gotten used to her using "you're welcome" as a way to thank me.

"You're welcome, amore."

My left hand covered her lower back to maintain contact. I liked having her like this, calm, serene.

"Do you want to dance?" she suggested. I looked around puzzled, and she smiled again. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for the guy you were inviting to dance."

"Well, if you want, I can ask him..."

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