6.

CHAPTER SIX

ELSA'S POV

The door slammed forcefully behind Mika, and for a second, I allowed myself the pleasure of letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I massaged my temple, my heart still racing, and stared at the door for a few seconds before looking down at the picture in my hand.

Fuck!

I couldn't believe Mika had invaded my privacy, gone through my belongings, and broken my things without a second thought. Who did she think she was?

The glass was broken, but the picture was still intact. I was six in the photograph, standing close to a man I knew almost nothing about.

I picked out a shard of broken glass and carefully placed it on my bedside table, making a mental note to call the maid later. Then I brushed my finger over the photograph, contemplating whether I should get rid of it.

Honestly, I didn't know why I still had this picture after all these years. I had spent so long hiding it and keeping it safe. Maybe throwing it away wouldn't be such a bad idea.

On second thought, I placed it back on the table beside my clock.

My hands flew to my waist as pain surged through me, violent enough to steal my breath. A suppressed groan escaped my lips, and I sank onto the edge of the bed.

I had barely settled down when my phone began ringing.

A familiar name appeared on the screen.

Куратор звонит…

The Handler is calling…

I hesitated before answering, already dreading the conversation.

"I heard there was an attack at the Mafia Alumni Party." His voice sounded rather unbothered.

"News travels like wildfire, don't you think?" I pressed my lips into a thin line as another wave of pain surged through me, making me clutch my side.

This wasn't my first time taking a bullet, but I hadn't expected a wound near my kidney to be this excruciating.

"Did you get hurt?" There was a short pause. "Word reached me that you did."

"I was shot. I sustained a bullet wound near my kidney."

"How bad is it?"

"Not so bad. I'm in my room now. Vladimir made sure I received treatment as soon as we got out of danger."

"That wasn't what I asked, Elsa."

I tightened my grip on the phone.

"The bullet damaged the area near my kidney. The doctors removed it, and I'm stable. Is that enough information for you?"

"Watch your tone."

I closed my eyes briefly.

There it was. I couldn't answer a simple question without being reminded of my place.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"You're injured, Elsa. I expect you to recover, not make your condition worse because you refuse to follow instructions."

"I'm following the doctor's instructions."

"See that you continue to do so. I won't tolerate another mistake."

I pressed my lips together, resisting the urge to ask whether he was concerned about my health or simply worried that I wouldn't be able to do my job.

"Understood."

"Make sure you rest and take care of yourself. You're valuable that way."

I almost hissed.

I was injured, not incapable of taking care of myself. I didn't need him reminding me to rest as though I were a child. I was a grown woman, not a ten-year-old.

Still, I knew better than to challenge him. He was my boss, and disobeying him came with consequences I wasn't willing to risk.

"Yes, sir. I will."

Just as he was about to end the call, I spoke up again.

"There's something else I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Just a few minutes before your call came in, I caught Mika going through my things."

"What? How could you let her into your room?" His voice rose with every word. "How could you be so careless?"

I ran my fingers through my hair and rose from the bed, pacing carefully across the room despite the pain in my side.

Of course. He hadn't even asked for an explanation before deciding I was at fault.

"I wasn't at fault, Handler."

"What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath and explained how the doctors had moved me to the infirmary downstairs while treating my injury. I'd been recovering there and hadn't expected Mika to enter my room and search through my belongings.

"But you don't have to worry. She didn't leave with anything. I caught her just in time."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, sir."

My eyes drifted to the photograph on the table.

I needed to have the frame replaced. More importantly, I needed to make sure Mika didn't get another opportunity to examine the picture.

"There's something else," I added.

"Go on."

"She found a photograph in my room and ended up shattering the frame."

The words slipped out before I could reconsider them.

"What photograph?"

I stared at the phone.

Why did he sound so interested all of a sudden?

"It's an old photograph. Nothing important."

"Then why are you keeping it?"

My fingers tightened around the phone.

"That's a personal matter."

"Since when do you keep personal belongings, Elsa?"

My jaw tightened.

"Since when do you question me about things that have nothing to do with my assignment?"

Silence followed.

For a moment, I wondered whether I'd gone too far.

Then he spoke again.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow. I need to see you."

"Is there something I should be worried about?"

"That depends on what you intend to tell me."

My stomach tightened.

Before I could ask what he meant, the call ended.

I stared at my phone, trying to make sense of his response. I'd only mentioned the photograph, yet his sudden interest made me wonder whether I had revealed more than I intended.

I waited for him to end the call.

Five seconds passed before it finally disconnected.

Five seconds!

Shit!

I lowered my phone and tossed it onto the bed. He always had to be in charge, even when it came to something as insignificant as ending a phone call. Now he expected me to meet him tomorrow without explaining why.

I yawned, only then realizing how parched my throat had become.

I needed water.

I stood up carefully, my side aching as I moved. The bandage around my wound held firmly against my skin. The bleeding had stopped, but I knew that moving around too much could aggravate the injury.

Still, I couldn't stay in bed all night feeling thirsty.

I slipped out of the room, locked the door behind me, and slid the key into my pocket. I didn't trust Mika, and I wasn't about to give her another opportunity to search my belongings.

I headed down the hallway, hoping to find a maid who could get me a glass of water.

As I rounded a corner, I heard voices coming from farther down the hall. One belonged to Mika, while the other was her father's.

I would have continued walking if I hadn't heard my name.

"Elsa?"

I stopped.

"Yes, Father. I found something in her room."

Dammit!

My fingers tightened around the key in my pocket as I cautiously looked toward the office.

"What did you find?" her father asked.

I held my breath.

If Mika told him about the photograph, I could be in serious trouble. I'd been warned against keeping personal belongings while working as her bodyguard, and I'd already taken a risk by holding on to that picture for so long.

I needed to leave before either of them noticed me.

But before I could step away, Mika glanced toward the doorway.

Her eyes found mine.

Shock flickered across her face. She blinked twice, as though making sure she wasn't imagining things, and for a moment, neither of us moved.

I held her gaze, silently willing her to keep her mouth shut.

She had spent so much time trying to uncover my secrets. Now she had something she could tell her father, and I had no idea what she would do with it.

Mika looked at me for another moment before turning back to him.

"For a moment, I thought it was important, but I was mistaken."

Her father studied her face.

"You're not very good at hiding things from me, Mika."

She glanced at me again before looking away.

"I'm not hiding anything, Dad. I just don't want to discuss it anymore."

He stared at her for a moment, clearly unconvinced.

"Mika..."

"Just forget about it, Dad."

Mika looked at me one last time.

I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the key in my pocket. I couldn't afford to stay there any longer. Turning away, I hurried down the hallway before either of them could notice I was still listening.

My side throbbed with every step, but I barely paid attention to the pain.

Mika had found the photograph.

And now, for reasons I couldn't begin to understand, she'd chosen not to tell her father about it.

I didn't know whether she intended to investigate me he

rself or whether she'd simply decided to keep what she'd discovered to herself.

But one thing was certain. Mika Vladimir knew I was hiding something. And after tonight, I could no longer be sure how long my secret would remain safe.