Page 50 of Stolen By the Bratva King

“If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry, you know how the saying goes.”

“Unfortunately, all too well.” Veronica sighs, her gaze returning to the handsome hunk across the room, who has gone back to his work.

“Maybe you could invite him for drinks with us later,” I suggest.

“And you could invite David,” Veronica smirks.

“Okay, fine. You’ve got me. But you should go for it.” After a pause, I say, “really.”

Veronica contemplates. “Maybe. We’ll see how it goes.”

“Well, we better get back to it.” I slide my chair under my desk and face the laptop screen, placing my hands over the keyboard.

I’m getting ready to focus when I hear footsteps behind me. Veronica and I turn at the same time to see Robert approaching us, holding his phone.

My stomach jumps into my throat and my muscles tense. I sit up straight like I’m a child getting ready to be reprimanded by their teacher.

“Ladies,” Robert says with a nod. He’s wearing slim fit jeans, brown shiny loafers, and a pale green blazer over a chocolate-colored button down, with no tie.

“Hey Robert.” Veronica greets him for the both of us.

Robert fixes his gaze to me, turning his phone screen in my direction. “Did you happen to see the news?”

My eyes flutter to the screen, but Robert draws it back before I can read it, grinning like a lottery winner. “That Russian mafia boss who’s so notorious for starting trouble around town got arrested.”

I freeze. My heart that had jumped into my throat sinks into my stomach and dissolves.

Veronica gasps for the both of us, clasping a hand over her mouth.

“What happened?” I find my voice, trying to sound as casual as possible, not moving a single facial muscle not to give any emotions away to Robert.

Robert leans against the edge of my desk, his eyes alive with delight. “Got brought in for illegal weapons dealing. Says in here he put up quite a fight, too, and got some added charges at the scene.”

I swallow but my throat is made of sand. “Can I see?”

Robert turns the screen toward me again and I read the headline, trying to make sense of it, trying to bring it into focus. But it’s real, and in large, black font, as if the letters are screaming at me.

“My god,” Veronica breaths out behind me.

“Hey,” Robert begins, a pondering expression on his face. He presses his finger to his chin. “Hazel, weren’t you working on an article about this?”

I nod, giving him a blank stare. I’m too in shock to do anything else. My stomach is made of battery acid.

Robert shrugs, chuckling as he stands up. “Well, looks like somebody already beat you to it.”

He starts strutting away as if he just won a battle.

My jaw clenches, teeth grinding together.

“Don’t worry about him,” Veronica whispers to me, bringing me back to the present. “He’s just being a jerk.”

I glare in his direction as he disappears down the cubicle corridor. “When is henotbeing a jerk?”

Veronica sighs. “You’ve got that right. It’s just their generation. They are all on a power trip. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

“If I were the boss, I’d never patronize my employees like he does,” I say.

“And your lips to god’s ears, hopefully you will get that opportunity one day,” Veronica states.

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