Page 10 of Twins for the Bratva

There were glass doors on each side of the reception desk at the back. I also noted two elevator doors on both sides. Next to these on each side was seating, for what reason I didn’t know. But they were fancy, comfortable-looking red and gold chairs. Between each set was a small round table with flowers on it.

The floor was covered in red, gold, and cream-colored tiles. The place appeared to be sparkling as if brand new. I was speechless as I stepped through the security scanner on the guard's orders. Slowly, I moved to the desk. The red-haired woman behind the desk looked up at me, holding out a finger as she spoke on the phone.

Once she finished her call, she smiled at me. “Hi, how can I assist you today?” she asked in an overly friendly tone.

“I…, I have an appointment with Mr. Smirnov,” I replied. My mind was traveling about a thousand miles an hour. A company like this would surely have great benefits. I couldn’t believe my luck ending up here.

The receptionist glanced at her computer screen. “You are Miss Fitzer?” she questioned, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes,” I responded, feeling my stomach turning.

“Right, have a seat by the elevator. Someone will be down shortly to take you up,” she said, pointing to the right.

I walked to the first elevator on the right and sat down on one of the chairs. Now I knew why they were here, I thought as I rubbed the velvety texture of the seat. Hearing the elevator ‘ping’ as the doors opened, I jumped up, turning to it. I was ready for this. I would make a good impression as I needed a decent job.

A young, skinny man with short brown hair stepped out. He was wearing a grey suit that appeared a size or two too big. Smiling, he extended his hand as he spoke. “Miss. Fitzer?”

Shaking his hand, I nodded, unable to speak suddenly. It felt like my words were choking me as I tried. Luckily, he didn’t appear to notice. He turned to the elevator, extending an open hand towards it as he continued to speak. “This way, please.”

Stepping into the elevator, I felt my breath catching. The walls were made from mirrors. As I turned, I saw myself everywhere. I took a deep breath and knew I had to calm my emotions as this interview was vital.

The elevator stopped on the eighth floor. With another loud ‘ping,’ the doors opened. There was another reception desk a couple of feet from the door. Behind it were a couple of tables with chairs and people seemingly scurrying left and right.

The young man stepped out and turned to me as he spoke. “Please follow me.” He turned to the left and started walking.

Shaking my head to clear the onset of nervousness and excitement, I followed. There was another large double glass door. Walking through, we entered a hallway. There were doors on both sides as far as I could see. He walked to the end of the passage and opened the last door.

Holding the door open, he motioned for me to enter. “Please wait here; Mr. Smirnov will be with you shortly.”

As I entered, I heard the door behind me close. It looked like a meeting room. There was a big oval-shaped table in the middle with chairs all around. To the one side were a whiteboard and a huge screen. On the other side was a cart with what looked like a kettle, coffee, tea, sugar, and cups on it.

I felt the lump in my throat growing as I sat down. “You got this,” I told myself as I swallowed hard. Hearing the door opening again, I stood quickly and swung around. I felt my skin turning to ice as I stared at him. My hands, moving of their own accord, flew up to my mouth as I gasped for air.

This couldn’t be true. How could he be here? How did this happen? My mind flooded with questions as I stared wide-eyed at Konstantin standing in the doorway. The tumbles in my stomach turned into a hurricane as shock overtook me. I felt numb and sure I was about to faint.

Stepping back, I grabbed hold of the chair and side of the table as my legs gave way under me. I flopped down into the chair as he stepped closer, a wide smile decorating his face.

“Dahlia,” he said in that smooth tone of his. “I’ve been looking for you?”

“Me?” I heard the words leaving my mouth before I could even think about it. Seeing him again made my heart race and my stomach turn.

“Yes, you said you were qualified in finance and business analytics. We have an opening, and I am sure you would fit right in here.”

Shaking my head slowly, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I tried to hide the emotions that were creating havoc within me.

Chapter 6 - Konstantin

She was all I could think of since that mind-blowing night four weeks back. Waking to an empty bed was not what I expected. I tried forgetting her and moving on. But I couldn’t. As the first couple of days passed, I became obsessed and had to find her.

I had to deep-dive to find her as I didn’t know much about Dahlia. But after I found her graduation details, the rest came quite easily. She was working a side job but applying to a variety of companies. This gave me an idea and I had Alyssa assist me in setting up a meeting.

Finding her took some time, but I did. And now here she was. I was ecstatic walking into the conference room. However, I couldn’t allow her to see her impact on me. I needed to keep this interview professional.

Walking closer, I could see the shock on her face as clear as day. Her gasp told me that I was the last person on earth she expected to see. Dalhia watched me intently as I moved.

Pulling out the chair at the end of the table, I sat down before talking. “Miss Fitzer, did you bring all your documents?”

She stared at me as she pulled a folder from her bag. “I didn’t apply to this company. Can you tell me what’s going on?” she asked as she pushed the folder towards me.

---