Chapter 6

My office had an oppressive silence, just how I preferred it. The kind of silence that made the mere falling of my pen seem like a boulder noise. It was the best silence to work in. The workload was immense, but this is why my dad chose me to do it; he knew I could handle it.

I took my time to go through our previous dealings, revenue, competitors, rise of stocks in the market, and very carefully so as not to miss anything. While Igor’s Inc. seemed like the dream perfect company on the outside, a lot had to be done to cover our tracks, and lots of hands had to be buttered to prevent investigations.

We had well-oiled business operations — some public, many decidedly not — kept me constantly on edge. Balancing the official business with the underground operations demanded maximum attention. One wrong step, and it could all come crashing down.

Then came the knock. The last thing I needed.

Irina didn’t wait for permission — she never did. Her heels clicked sharply as she entered, her pr