Page 55 of Mr. and Mrs. Novak

"I keep a low profile while they investigate and neutralize the threat. I avoid public places, I don't contact anyone outside secure channels, and I change locations regularly. If the situation becomes critical, I have emergency codes to signal my exact location."

"So, you remain without support?"

"If they decide the threat is too great, they'll put me under protection."

He stands up abruptly and begins to pace nervously around the room.

"I suppose you won't tell me who they are."

It's not a question, and he continues without waiting. Then he stops, stares at me, his black gaze burning with concern.

"And us?"

I don't know what to answer. Yesterday morning, there was no "us." I refuse to drag him with me into this mess. My answer comes out, brutal.

"What happened between us yesterday was a normal reaction to stress. It won't happen again."

A tense silence settles. I know my words are harsh, but it's better this way. Ruslan, however, doesn't admit defeat.

"If you think you can push me away with your attitude, forget it. We're both in this shit storm, and we're a team, whether you like it or not."

He gets up abruptly, completely indifferent to his nudity, and goes to grab his phone from his jacket. I can’t help but devour him with my eyes, admiring his firm body and chiseled muscles. He’s beautiful, that idiot.

He comes back to sit beside me and, without even bothering to cover himself, dials a number. He puts the call on speaker before placing the phone on the bed between us. When his friends pick up the double call, he greets them without preamble:

"Guys, sorry for the hour, but this is urgent. Sophia is with me, she’s listening."

Akim and Nicolas greet me through the speaker. I respond with feigned cheerfulness, but the tension in my shoulders doesn’t ease. The idea of involving more people tightens my stomach into knots.

Ruslan picks up on my unease instantly.

"You can trust them, Sophia. I’d trust them with my life."

He pauses, running a nervous hand through his hair before addressing his friends:

"There’s something else… something we need to tell you."

His gaze hardens slightly before he continues:

"To sum it up, Sophia has been investigating Stanislas Stanford."

"What?!" Akim’s voice snaps like a whip.

"She discovered that he and Nexora Trade, through shell companies, are involved in large-scale arms and drug trafficking. She helped seize two shipments."

"Fuck… so you’re Claire Dumont!" Nicolas exclaims.

I clench my teeth. Too many people already know that codename. Ruslan’s gaze locks onto mine, sharp and intense. His voice drops, graver, more tense.

"There’s something you need to know, Sophia. We found out that Stanislas is using Gloventis without our knowledge for his trafficking. He reroutes our cargo ships from their usual routes with the help of some crew members. Once customs checks are done, his illegal merchandise is hidden on board. We’ve started compiling a case against him."

The revelation knocks the air from my lungs. If I expected this…

"We have solid evidence," Nicolas continues. "Our system logs show discrepancies between declared volumes and the actual weight of the containers. We’ve noticed unexplained detours, unscheduled stops, always on the same routes."

"We even have videos from one of our warehouses showing their teams in action. We’re trying to map out everyone involved."

I see Ruslan hesitate before adding: