LOGINMia felt immediate relief when the door opened. The room had somehow started to feel hot, which made absolutely no sense because it was literally cold. "YA zdes'!" a man called from behind her. "That was fast," Andrew said, glancing past her. Mia turned just as the man closed the door. The first thing she noticed was his hair... blonde and unexpectedly long, tied back behind his head. When he turned back to speak, he froze for a brief second the moment his eyes met Mia's. He studied her quietly before a slow smile formed on his lips. Or maybe it was a smirk. "Kto eto tut u nas?" "Stop," Andrew said. Stop? "Nu, yesli eto ona, ya ne protiv okazat' tebe etu uslugu besplatno." Andrew sighed. "YA znal, chto postupil nepravil'no, pozvoniv tebe." "Pochemu?" the man stepped forward. "Ona tvoya? YA dumal, ty neravnodushen k Anne." (Is she yours? I thought you had feelings for Anna.) Mia blinked between them. This was exactly why she needed Duolingo. What the hell were they even
"Rule number one," he said, "don’t touch anything." Mia stared at him for a second. That wasn’t what she expected at all. Honestly, she had been bracing herself to be thrown out of the office, or at least politely escorted away. So… did that mean he was letting her stay? Because if he wasn’t, that was a very confusing rule to start with. Either way, she smiled. "Yes… sir." That felt weird to say, but she went with it. Axel had already settled into his seat, acting like speaking to her was the last thing on his list. He scooted closer to his desk, fingers finding the keyboard of his laptop. "Go," he said. Mia blinked. Wait... wasn’t she supposed to actually talk to him? About work? About… anything a boss and PA were supposed to talk about? "But—" "I’ll call you when I need you," he cut in. She didn’t even have his contact yet, which felt like an important detail… but apparently not important enough for him. Before she could say anything, Axel added, "Speak
Axel sat in his office, dressed in a black long-sleeve shirt and trousers, his usual coat layered on top. Behind his desk, he leaned back slightly, knuckles resting against his chin as he scrolled through his laptop, reviewing the year’s pending proposals. With his so-called new PA still absent, he considered going through a few simply to pass the time… though he already knew he wouldn’t accept most of them. They all followed the same familiar patterns, offering nothing original. His office wasn’t quite as large as Andrew’s, but it wasn’t small either. He preferred it that way. And let me tell you, it was far more comfortable without those transparent walls that revealed your every move to the birds in the sky. The room was dimmer as well. He had specifically installed softer lighting instead of harsh brightness, and everything was kept almost suspiciously neat and well arranged… you could tell just by how his desk practically gleamed. But just then, a sudden knock came at th
"Really?!" Mia exclaimed, immediately pausing whatever she was stirring in the pan. "Yeah," Andrew replied over the phone. "Come by Monday morning. Eight a.m. sharp. I'll talk to Axel about the new PA situation... before he changes his mind." At that, she released the pan handle and adjusted the phone properly in her hand. It had been resting awkwardly between her shoulder and ear. "No problem," she said. "I won't forget." "Alright… I’ll send you the address. See you tomorrow." The call ended soon after. Mia stood still for a few seconds, lost in thought. Meeting Axel again... how was that supposed to go? Would she greet him with a hug? Probably not a good idea. He'd likely hate that, especially after making it clear he wanted distance from her. And even if she kept it formal... how would he react when he saw her again? Her phone suddenly buzzed, pulling her back to reality. Andrew had sent the address. *7 Krasnaya Line Avenue.* She smiled faintly, almost t
To Mia, it felt as though she had stepped into a new chapter of her life. The moment she arrived in Russia, everything felt different. The weather, the evening sky, even the fact that she was a stranger there... it all felt unfamiliar in a way she found herself liking. It was a little cold, though. A sudden swoosh of wind made her wrap her arms around herself. The jacket she wore didn’t offer much warmth, but it was better than having nothing at all. She checked her watch again. The cab that was meant to take her to the hotel she had booked even before arriving still hadn’t shown up, for some very questionable reason. Most of the passengers who had arrived with her had already left the airport, but she was still standing there, waiting for hers. "What’s taking so long?" she muttered. She thought about calling him again but held back, not wanting to seem impatient. A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. Then she noticed a car turning into the parkway. It parked, and before sh
It felt as though the heavens had answered Mia’s prayers, because before she knew it, Thursday had arrived. Tomorrow, she would be leaving. She still hadn’t forgotten what happened the previous Thursday at that coffee shop, and now she walked down the street with a bit more caution than necessary. She was heading to a nearby supermarket. She still needed a few things before leaving, and ordering them online didn’t seem like the best idea. Plus, she might be gone before the package even showed up. Every now and then, she glanced over her shoulder, just in case that weird Taylor guy had somehow escaped prison and decided to continue his unfinished business. The thought made her shiver. At least the streets were crowded. If anything happened, someone would notice… someone would step in. Then, suddenly, someone called her name. Mia's heart jumped into her throat and she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked like she had seen a ghost. It was a male voice, and for a split
Later that night, it was exactly twelve o’clock, and even when it was not this late, the room was never bright. It was so dim that one would strain to read anything unless they moved very close to the dying lamp beside the bed. Light. He hated it. He had grown so painfully used to the darkness
Axel remained perfectly still as Mia stepped inside. She did not notice him at first. Her eyes wandered across the living room, taking it all in. The space felt warm and comfortable, nothing like the stiff, unwelcoming rooms of her parents’ house. Axel, on the other hand, caught her scent immed
*A/N: I just got my nails done, so typing is a bit difficult ಠ‿ಠ. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!(ʘᴗʘ✿)*____The moment Mia got to her room with Angela, she shut the door and bolted it. Then she turned to Angela. "Spill it," she said, folding her arms. Angela raised a brow. "Spill wh
Mia stepped into her office. Her tears had dried, but a faint redness lingered in her eyes. She looked utterly gloomy as Axel’s words rang repeatedly in her mind: *A member of my parents killers.* She had memorized those words, and now, everything was beginning to make sense. Could that be th







