Page 12 of Ruins
A lie.
His celebration is irrelevant to me.
Once he’s gone, I sink back into the chair, letting my gaze sweep over the office again.
Mine.
The thought of reshaping NovaRael into something distinctlyminefuels me. Since the name must remain, ZUES will fall under it as a subsidiary. Salvatore, my managing partner, can oversee day-to-day operations. He’ll appreciate the promotion—especially with his wife about to give birth.
I press the call button.
Sandra steps in almost immediately.
Her hair is neatly braided, glasses perfectly positioned on the bridge of her nose, but I don’t miss the faint tremble in her hands as she stands before me.
“Popov said you’ll be filling in temporarily,” I note, studying her closely.
“Yes. I’m in product management on the fourteenth floor, but I can coordinate interviews for your secretary position,” she replies, voice soft but professional.
“The fourteenth floor,” I muse, filing the detail away. “There’s plenty I need to learn about this place.”
“That’s true, Mr. Amato,” Sandra agrees, her gaze flicking subtly toward the desk. “Would you like me to arrange for the moving company?”
I shake my head. “They’ll be here.”
She hesitates.
Her fingers twitch at the edge of her glasses, something weighing on her. I wait, silent, watching as she debates whether to speak.
Finally, she does.
“I know Mr. Popov had… other business interests outside of this company,” she says carefully, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “Do you share those… interests?”
I smirk, leaning forward just slightly.
“Why do you ask?”
She exhales, lowering her gaze. “There’s a separate list of candidates for… men in your specific line of work.”
A quiet chuckle escapes me.
“Yes, Sandra. I’ll need that list.”
Her eyes widen briefly, but she recovers quickly, giving a small nod before excusing herself.
I lean back, the smirk still lingering as my gaze drifts to the city skyline.
NovaRael is my kingdom now.
Chapter 4
Vasilisa
Afterourlastclass,Luna and I head straight to our favorite café—our little ritual since we started university. No matter how insane life gets, once a month, we carve out time to sit, sip overpriced lattes, and spill every last bit of gossip we’ve collected.
Between our packed schedules and completely different courses, it’s the one chance we get to catch up properly.
Luna’s been my best friend since seventh grade. She knows me better than anyone—probably even better than I know myself sometimes. When the whole school found out I was Maksim Korsakov’s cousin, that I came fromBratvablood, people started treating me like I was carrying a loaded gun.
