I freeze on the stairs, gripping the railing. Dmitri mutters something about the battery being dead and the phone being turned off, promising he’ll find it.
Maxim explodes. “If you tell me to calm down one more time, I’m going to knock your fucking teeth out! We’re under attack, people are trying to kill us, and you’re out here losing your work phone like a goddamn amateur! Do you have any idea what happens if that phone gets into the wrong hands? The feds? Our enemies? Everything could lead back to us! Our asses will be on fire, and you’re being so fucking calm about it!”
His voice drops dangerously low. “You’ve been losing your touch lately, Dmitri. Acting strange. You’d better get your shit together and find that phone.”
Guilt crashes over me. I feel sick. This is my fault. I’m the reason they’re fighting. I quietly turn around and creep back upstairs to our bedroom, my hands shaking as I close the door behind me.
I feel terrible. I never expected things to escalate this badly. What if they check the security footage? What if they see Milana taking the phone?
Panic rises in my chest. I grab my phone and quickly text Milana:Any update?
She calls me almost immediately. The moment I answer, she whispers, “We need to meet ASAP.”
“Okay. Where?”
We quickly agree on a location. The moment I end the call, the bathroom door opens and Maxim walks in, still radiating anger, his jaw tight.
“Is everything alright?” I ask softly.
He grunts. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
I hesitate, then say, “I’m having a drink with my sister later.”
He turns to look at me, frowning. “Didn’t she just come over?”
“Yes,” I reply, lifting my chin. “But she had to leave sooner than expected. Are you trying to tell me that mean I can’t see her again? I can’t believe you would even imply that.”
He swears under his breath in Russian, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” He exhales sharply. “Fine. Go with your sister. But you take your bodyguards.”
With that, he heads into the shower. The sound of running water fills the room.
I start pacing, my stomach in knots. I’m hoping with everything in me that the hacker found something useful on that phone. Anything that proves whether Dmitri is the mole.
And if he isn’t… I need to sneak that phone back before anyone traces it to my sister. If this goes wrong, Maxim will never forgive me for hiding this from him.
I meet Milana at a quiet but bustling café in the city. The place is filled with the afternoon rush, office workers grabbing quick lunches, others ordering to go, the air thick with the scent of coffee and fresh pastries.
Milana walks in carrying a noticeably larger purse than usual. After we greet each other with quick hugs, I raise an eyebrow.
“What’s with the big purse?” I ask lightly.
She gives me a meaningful look. “What do you think?”
We make small talk for the benefit of our bodyguards lingering a respectful distance away.
She mentions some new makeup products she wants to show me. I play along, saying, “Let’s go to the bathroom so you can show me properly.”
We stand up together. I take the heavy purse from her as we head to the restroom. The moment we lock the door behind us, Milana lets out a shaky breath.
“Did you find anything?” I whisper.
She nods, quickly opening the purse and pulling out Dmitri’s phone along with a laptop from her purse.
“Sergei spent all afternoon going through it. I got it back when you called.”
My stomach twists. “Do Artyom and Mikhailknow?”
“Not yet,” she says.
