30

Going down to my car, I drive to my apartment—the one I lived in back in Kremenchuk before moving to Kyiv. The place greets me with cold, soulless walls, even though the renovations are top-tier.

For the first time in thirty‑one years, I actually thought about loneliness, but quickly pushed those thoughts away. I have everything—why the hell should I feel sad? Money, business, cars, women, and I’m not exactly bad‑looking. However, when I look into my bar, I pull out a bottle of tequila, having already ordered food delivery.

I throw myself into the armchair, take a heavy swig straight from the bottle, and close my eyes. Immediately I see the girl’s slim silhouette, her soft light‑brown hair, those bottomless blue eyes, and I can almost smell that pleasant lavender scent.

Damn it! She really did burn herself into my memory! Every breath, every gasp and moan—I still hear them, and her delicate body practically stands before my eyes.

Why did she do that? Why give me something that’s usually so important to girls? To a stranger…

Usually, girls take a huge price for that, and some businessmen I know very well are more than willing to pay insane sums to get themselves an untouched virgin. And here she even left money! Something’s off. If she had money problems, she would’ve sold her virginity profitably and definitely wouldn’t have left cash behind. Maybe someone is forcing her into something, and this was her way of protesting?

Lost in my thoughts—only distracted when the delivery guy brought the food, which I didn’t touch—I sat there until late evening. Many questions tormented my mind, and all of them came down to one blue‑eyed person. Why? What for?

So I find her—and then what? That was the hardest question to answer. I don’t know her at all, but I need to… probably make sure she’s okay, or make sure she isn’t some planted agent sent to scramble my damn brain!

So, what I’ll do when I find her—I still have no idea, but I just… need to find her, that’s it! And then I’ll act according to the situation.

That’s how I fell asleep on the couch in the living room with a half‑empty bottle of tequila. Hardly could that sleep be called relaxing or restful. I dreamed of that girl and how I punish her for running away and for the money when I find her. Shifting a little on the couch, I realized where the nagging discomfort came from. My loyal friend in my pants had obviously woken up earlier than I did and was now preventing me from finishing my dreams.

I get up and drag myself into a cold shower. Damn russet‑haired pest! She’s scrambled my brains! All because she turned out to be a virgin! The last time I had virgins was back in my wild youth, but back then it didn’t matter. Now I feel… a sort of responsibility, and, yeah, ownership too.

And I want her! And if I want something—I get it! And I’ll keep getting it for as long as I want. During the time she spends with me, the girl won’t be left offended. And when I get bored, she’ll still end up on the plus side—with money and gifts. Just like all the others. Women don’t come into my life just like that—they know their worth and name their price without shyness, or they don’t refuse the price I name.

Freshened up and dressed, I see a call from Mikhail.

“Yes, Misha,” I’m ready to listen, because surely there’s already some info about my request. Misha has a lot of connections, his reach is long in practically any city. We’ve worked together for a long time, and you could say he’s a friend.

“Well,” my security guy starts off somehow uncertainly, which is unlike him at all. “Where should I start… so it sounds more delicate…” I hear my buddy’s muffled laughter and I don’t like it one bit. It’s hard to get Misha emotional.

“Start from the beginning,” I growl impatiently.

And Misha started. And in such a way that my eyes nearly popped out of my skull from my brother’s insanity. Rage rushed through my veins, and the phone cracked across the screen in my hand.

“I’m definitely going to k*ll him.”