Page 59 of The Fire Beneath the Frost

Vera grinned.“Dimitri!Excellent timing.”She smiled brightly and waved a spoon.“I’m about to make lunch.Should I make extra for you?”

“Um, sure?”Dimitri stepped inside, and as soon as I shut the door, there was another knock.A firmer one.

Vera and I froze at the same time.I exchanged a glance with her.She mouthed, Who is that?

I cracked the door.

Standing in the hallway were two sharply dressed figures.Andrey Smirnov and Sofia Smirnova.My in-laws, and very high ranking Party members.

My stomach sank.

“Petyr!”Sofia said, sweeping in with the cool charm of a seasoned apparatchik.“We were in the area and thought, what a lovely day for a surprise.”

Behind her, Andrey nodded once.“We hoped to take you and Vera out for lunch.”

Vera, to her credit, didn’t so much as blink.“Mama, Papa,” she said smoothly, stepping forward.“How thoughtful.Please, come in.”

They entered with the efficiency of a military inspection.Sofia took in the apartment like she was making notes for a report.Andrey’s eyes skimmed the corners, lingering briefly on Dimitri.

Introductions were made.Dimitri straightened immediately under their gaze, his shoulders locking into something formal and careful.

“This is Comrade Dimitri,” Vera said, placing a hand on his arm.“He’s a colleague from the factory.”

Sofia nodded graciously.“A pleasure, Comrade.”

Andrey offered a tight smile.“Comrade.”

It was a greeting that reminded you these were not just Vera’s parents—they were Party people.The kind who could make or break careers with a single phone call.People who had power woven into the hems of their overcoats.

The air grew noticeably thinner.

I took a half-step closer to Dimitri, just enough to let him feel he wasn’t alone.His jaw ticked, but he gave no other sign of discomfort.

Sofia clasped her gloved hands.“We thought perhaps we’d take the two of you to lunch, you know, to catch up.But now we see we’ve arrived in the middle of something…”

“No, no,” Vera said quickly.“Not at all.You’re just in time.We were going to have a light lunch here, but we’d be delighted to go out.”

Before I could think of a polite way to scream into a pillow, another knock came at the door.

This time, I didn’t even get a word out.I just opened it.

Mira stood there, slightly out of breath, overnight bag slung over her shoulder.She was smiling, radiant—until her eyes landed on Vera’s parents.

Her smile dropped like a stone into the sea.

Sofia turned first.“And who’s this?”

Vera slid in gracefully.“This is Mira, Mama.My friend.You’ve met.And she’s dating Dimitri.”

Mira nodded mutely, eyes wide.Dimitri managed a stiff little wave.

“Comrade Mira,” Andrey said pleasantly.“Charmed.”

“Comrade,” Sofia added with a warm enough smile to seem friendly, though you could hear the gears turning behind it.

Our cozy little apartment now felt like a conference room.

“Well!”Sofia declared.“A full house.How would all of you like to eat out at a restaurant?Shall we make it a party?”

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