Page 59 of Mr. and Mrs. Novak

"Hello to you too," I reply dryly. "I’m fine, thanks for worrying. And you?"

"Stop trying to dodge the question."

I sigh, stand up, and walk over to the window. From this side of the penthouse, the view looks out over the rooftops of Paris.

"How do you even know about this? Don’t tell me Ruslan told you—I wouldn’t believe it for a second."

"I’ve got friends at the agency you hired. So now tell me what’s going on."

I close my eyes for a moment before answering, deliberately detached.

"Let’s just say I looked into people who don’t like others sticking their noses into their business."

A heavy silence follows, then he swears.

"Fuck… I knew it. Couldn’t you have picked something a little less dangerous?"

"Oh right," I say sarcastically. "Because special forces missions are basically a walk in the park."

"Be smart all you want, but promise me you’ve got this under control."

I take a breath before replying, more serious.

"I promise. Ruslan hired close protection, and it’s only a matter of days before everything is wrapped up. Until then, I’ll keep a low profile."

He doesn’t answer right away, then lets out a heavy sigh.

"All right. But be careful. And don’t think for a second that I’m dropping this."

"I wouldn’t expect anything less from you."

He hangs up after making me promise not to tell our parents. I set my phone down and try to get back to work, but barely have I reopened my file when a notification pops up on my screen.

My heart speeds up slightly as I connect through the secure protocol to decrypt the message.

"Arrest of the four hitmen completed. Hacking equipment seized. No transmission to Stanford regarding the photo."

I reread the words several times to make sure they’re real. A weight lifts from my chest.

The phone rings again. This time, it’s Ruslan.

"Sophia, I’ve left the hotel," he says as soon as I answer. "She took the USB drive. I—"

He hesitates, then adds,

"I promised I wouldn’t lie to you anymore. She kissed me. I didn’t push her away. And… I touched her to make her talk."

I close my eyes, forcing down my jealousy and reminding myself that I agreed to this twisted plan.

"Sophia?"

"Yes…"

"There’s only you," he admits, his voice barely audible. "If you give me a second chance, I’ll never go near another woman again."

I stay silent. I’m not ready for this conversation.

"See you tonight, Ruslan."