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Alexei pulls out the chair beside his, then waits until I sit before taking his place.

He slides Nina’s papers toward me. “Nina finished the registry work.”

Nina removes her glasses and folds them beside her laptop. Her gray suit remains uncreased despite the hour, and two silver pens sit in a straight line near her wrist.

“Your father’s signature was copied from an old company filing,” she says, tapping the first page. “The warehouse subsidiary remained registered after his death, but it hadn’t traded in years. Rudenko’s people revived it, created false business activity, and attached a debt your father never signed.”

I look at Papa’s name beneath the red registry seal.

“What happens to the debt?” I ask.

“It’s gone.” Nina turns the next page. “The registrar canceled it, and the correction has been entered into the permanent registry. Belov can’t revive the same claim again. Your father’s company is clear now. No one can use the same papers to bring the claim back.”

I read the order twice.

Since Belov revived the company, Papa’s name has appeared beside stolen medicine, weapons, dead men, and the false debt placed around my neck. Now the record is clean. He didn’t sign it.

My hand shakes against the page.

“What about the warehouse?” I ask.

Leonid opens a property file. “It remains part of your father’s estate. Chernov’s lease was based on false company records, so Nina had it canceled. The building belongs to you.”

“I don’t want it.”

“You can sell it,” Nina says, closing the file. “You can also donate it, demolish it, or leave it empty. No Volkov company has a claim against it.”

Elena leans closer. “The foundation could use the sale to help the hospitals they damaged, but the choice is yours.”

“What foundation?”

Maksim places a thinner folder near my tea. “A medical foundation with clean accounts and independent control. New Harbor and Morozov used medicine to hide guns and men. This one will help fix the damage they caused.”

I open the proposed charter. My name is listed as medical director, and Kira Karpova as hospital adviser. Elena is the legal adviser. Cara will check every payment.

“Who controls the medical decisions?” I ask.

“You do,” Maksim says, resting his arms on the table. “The money comes from what we took from Morozov, Belov, Chernov, and Rudenko. Elena handles the legal side. Cara checks every payment. No captain has control over patients, hospitals, or the money.”

“You’re using their dirty money to help the hospitals they hurt.”

“We’re giving back as much as we can,” Elena says, closing her hand over Maksim’s.

I look at Alexei. “Did you find Vlasov?”

“Yes.” He turns his coffee cup between his hands. “Roman caught him at Zarya.”

“Did he kill her?” The thought of Marina still hurts.

Alexei keeps his eyes on mine. “Vera, I’m sorry. Belov ordered Marina killed. Gurin gave them her schedule. Two men took her near the railway overpass, drugged her, and left her in her car.”

“Kireev died during the west-wing attack,” Alexei continues, moving his hand closer to mine. “Nosov is in custody.”

I hear each name clearly because no one else speaks.

“She fought them.”

“Yes.”