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Rose grabs onto my arm with excitement and pulls me to walk faster as the younger woman guides us in. We spend the next couple of hours lying in the playpen with a bunch of dogs, and my serotonin levels skyrocket.
“I think I get it,” I admit.
“I knew you would.” Rose sends a wink in my direction. “It’s the mama Golden Retriever, isn’t it?”
“How did you know?”
“She picked you. She forgot about her puppies the moment she saw you.”
I roll my eyes. “Her puppies aren’t even puppies anymore. That doesn’t mean anything.”
We stare at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. At what I’m not exactly sure, but I can feel we’ve become fast friends.
“You should take her home.”
I frown. “I really can’t, much as I want to.”
Rose stands up and holds her hand out for me to grab onto. Lilly, the Golden Retriever, whines by my side when I get up. Her whines turn into sad howls as she realizes she can’t follow after me. Tears spring into my eyes.
Fuck, this hurts.
“At least put your name down for her. Go home, think about it,” Rose tells me, and I nod slowly.
I write my name down for Lilly and tell the woman I’d like to make a donation. She turns the screen to me, and I fill in the card information. Once finished, I type in the amount of the donation, accidently adding an extra zero, and press enter. My mouth drops when I realize I just donated one million dollars.
“Oh,” I say with an embarrassed smile. I feel my face redden, but I shake my head. It’s better that Mikhail’s money goes to a good cause instead of into the pockets of murderers. Plus, my best guess is most of it is fake anyway.
The woman behind the desk almost cries with happiness, and that’s when I decide to leave. I don’t want her thanking me for donating money that was never mine to begin with. I look around for Rose, but she’s nowhere.
“Rose?” I shout on the street, but I get nothing in return.
Rushing back inside, I ask the woman if she saw the girl who came in with me. “Red hair, really short,strongaccent. You can’t forget her.”
“I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about, honey,” the woman tells me. “You came in here alone.”
What?
It’s as if Rose never existed. She vanished like a ghost, a figment of my imagination.
Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed by the creepy aura surrounding me.
Am I going crazy?
CHAPTER23
MIKHAIL
The ticking of a clock fills the silent room as Adrian and Lev wait for me to sign the contract. I’m putting my money where my mouth is, but it’s hard to focus. This property is in the Clarkes’ territory. I told myself I wouldn’t fuck with that family, but now I can’t seem to help myself. It’ll be the third lot I’m buying, which will put me on their radar.
Francesco runs his hand over his buzzed hair as he waits just like the rest of them. “It’s either now or never,” he says, gesturing to the pen in my hand.
I nod and sign my name next to the “X” on the bottom of the paper.
It’s done.
Over the past two years, I’ve done what Kirill couldn’t ever do. That alone is an accomplishment I’ll take a shot for.
“Fuck yeah, brother.” Adrian walks behind me, patting my back.
