FAZER LOGINHalf an hour later, they were at the university sports grounds. Because it was Sunday, the sprawling campus facility had a completely different energy—dead quiet in some areas, yet fitfully busy near the main pavilion. A few student athletes were doing laps on the far side of the track, and the faint, rhythmic thud of a soccer ball being kicked echoed in the distance.Igor slowly navigated the paved ring road, choosing a parking bay at the furthest edge of the parking lot, shaded beneath the massive, bare Jacarandas. It gave them a clear, unobstructed line of sight to the main entrance while keeping their own vehicle obscured by the deep afternoon shadows."Nothing yet?" Igor asked, leaning forward slightly to get a better angle through the windshield."No," Andrei murmured, not breaking his stare from the main gates. "He's running late. I don't like it.""Relax, Boss. He'll be here soon," Igor said, though his own jaw had noticeably tightened. "Give him a minute."They stayed in the
Just then, Jonah's phone rang in her hand, startling her.Eyes wide with panic, she flipped it around, showing Andrei the caller ID as 'Rocky' flashed boldly on the screen for a few seconds before blinking away. She had barely relaxed in her seat when David rang again."Don't answer it," said Andrei, taking the phone from her."What if he's calling to cancel?""That's exactly why you shouldn't answer it," said Igor, taking the chair Andrei had occupied all along."What if he doesn't show up at the sports grounds?" Jonah asked, her eyes darting between Igor and Andrei, looking for assurance. She was clearly spiralling, dreaming up all kinds of worst-case scenarios."He will," Andrei said firmly. "Your silence will force him to show up. If you answer now, he'll come up with a ton of reasons why he can't meet you, and then he'll force you to tell him everything you know about the Mexicans. I can't allow that, Abigail. This meeting has to happen today."Andrei's words rang with a finality
For several minutes, Jonah had the men's attention as she detailed Mikhail and David's operation, from her daily pickups to her routes. She repeated pretty much everything she'd told Andrei and Igor when they first met, about David leaving the drugs at a P.O. Box address for her to pick up.Andrei tried quite a few times to shake her narrative, asking the same questions in different ways. But no matter how long he kept at it, Jonah's story remained the same. She never contacted David. All their communication was done through the P.O. Box. He dropped off the drugs. She picked them up and delivered them to her clients. Sometimes it was in public places, other times it was at their homes."And the money?" Lev said, pulling a matchbox from his jacket pocket. He tossed it between his hands, the gentle, papery sound of the box rubbing against his palms echoing through the room.Confused, Jonah stared at him. "What money?""The payments," Lev replied, sliding a matchstick out of the box. "Ho
The meeting spot was a public swimming pool not too far from Eden McBride's old place on Alice Lane in Forrest Creek. In its heyday, at the height of summers long past, it used to overflow with excited little kids splashing in sparkling blue waters, while overprotective mothers sunbathed nearby on brightly-coloured beach towels. If Andrei closed his eyes long enough, he could almost picture the scenes—the loud, happy voices, the mechanical music blaring from an ice cream truck, and lifeguards sitting high up in their chairs, watching over the crowds. Ah, the good old days, Andrei sighed as Lev killed the engine. "What's that about?" the head of security asked as they pulled up beside Igor's car. "What's with the sigh?" "Just missing things long gone, that's all," Andrei murmured softly, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Remember the ice cream truck song?" "Music Box Dancer?" Lev asked, one brow shooting up, his eyes shining with curiosity. Andrei stared blankly at him. He had n
Andrei sat there, unease building in his chest as he watched Veronika leave. She had acted as nonchalant as she could manage in the face of Jaco's betrayal, pretending she still trusted in their partnership. But there was nothing calm or nonchalant about the woman currently fighting with the strap of her Chanel handbag, as she slung it over her shoulder and marched toward the door. All Andrei had wanted was to confirm her alliance with Jaco, but somehow he'd shaken her faith in him.Realising there was only one place Veronika was headed, Andrei quickly finished his drink. He settled the bill before hurrying out of the bar.Outside in the crisp afternoon air, he was surprised to see Veronika had already vanished."Where did Veronika go?" he asked Lev. His head of security was enjoying a smoke near the entrance."She just got into a black Bentley," Lev replied, ashing his cigarette and dropping the stub on the sidewalk before pointing to the sleek car speeding away up ahead.Andrei had
When did he send these messages?" Veronika asked again, with a little more urgency and a little less patience as she tapped her long crimson nails on the table."Last night," Andrei replied, shaking his head slightly in utter disbelief at how a little manipulation had turned the tide in his favour. He hadn't expected her to admit anything or confirm that she and Jaco were allies. In fact, up until now, he still had his doubts about the nature of their relationship—if they even had a relationship beyond their contractual obligation to take Iris out all those years ago.But watching her now, Andrei felt a flicker of satisfaction as the first puzzle piece finally fell into place: Jaco and Veronika were indeed partners. He'd spent days drifting between 'maybes' and 'ifs'.No more.He finally had tangible proof that two of the most psychotic people in his social circle had gravitated back to each other. Whether it was by design or sheer circumstance remained to be seen."You know what I fi
"What does a girl have to do to get your attention?" Veronika asked, placing her arms over the railing as she paused beside him. Andrei turned slightly to look at her, his eyebrows shooting up, surprised she'd chosen to lead with that, given their relationship."So?" she pressed, beaming at him as
Clutching several gift bags in one hand, and holding a Kelly bag and a walking cane in the other, Holly was the epitome of beauty and grace in a classic black dress, matching satin pumps and a burgundy coat draped around her shoulders. Her long hair, pulled away from her face in a French twist, and
Holly dashed to the guest bathroom and closed the door before returning Andrei's call. It rang for a long time before his voicemail picked up. She didn't leave a message because she doubted people still checked their voice messages. So she texted him, asking him to return her call. She lingered in
On the other side of the door, in the living area, Andrei was battling his own struggles. The only difference, though, was that his were totally self-made. Levi had pounced on him as soon as Holly and Colleen locked themselves in the bedroom, demanding to know what he was playing at. But no matter







