Chapter 68

Albert

That night, I found myself sitting across from a few government operatives in a discreet, dimly lit office. The atmosphere was tense as we went over the final elements of the plan, including the layout of the Kulak Estate.

The operatives were efficient and to the point. Things were going well until Ghost interrupted the flow of things.

"You should see this," he said, handing over a file.

I opened it, bracing for the worst and found the first page a dossier on Polina, and I could feel my jaw tighten as I skimmed through the documents. The details were damning—Polina’s financial assets were far from clean. She had been involved in a number of under-the-table deals, questionable transactions, and other dubious activities that clearly went beyond mere oversight.

And they were recent, active. Some of them had been started around the time she agreed to join me and my cause.

Liar.

She had never planned to be free of the criminal underworld, just free of her father.

I shook my head and closed the file with a sharp exhale, trying to keep my composure.

“And you're sure about this? That this is all?"

"Maybe not all, but enough."

One of the operatives gestured to the folder. “Her assets show signs of significant financial irregularities. We’ve traced numerous suspicious transactions, suggesting she’s been involved in activities that could compromise everything if she granted any sort of immunity.”

I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

“I’ll talk to her after the raid,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “If she’s guilty, she’s going down too. I don’t feel any remorse about it. Nothing's more important than getting this done.”

The operatives exchanged looks, seemingly satisfied with my response. They nodded, acknowledging that I was taking the right approach.

“Make sure to handle it carefully,” one of them advised. “We’ll coach you. If there's a chance that she has more information than she's told you, after the raid would be the time to get it all."

"Or a conviction?" I asked.

They gave me wry smiles.

I nodded. “Understood. I’ll deal with it.”

As I left the meeting, the weight of the information pressed heavily on me. Polina had been an ally, someone I had hoped could be trusted, but now it seemed like she had just been playing a long game.

It wasn't the first time someone in this world had betrayed me. I shook my head. I drove back to my temporary residence-- the Estate Mia and I had gotten married again. My thoughts raced up until I drove past the lawn where we'd held the ceremony. The image of Mia, her eyes full of confusion and hurt, crossed my mind, but so did her expression full of joy and longing.

I needed to clear my mind of it all to get ready for tomorrow, to sleep off the whiskey and the stress. It would be easy to just lose myself in the thoughts of Mia, but I was too close to slack off now, but something told me that it wouldn't be that simple. I walked inside. The grandeur of the place felt oddly empty. It had been my mother's and I had never spent much time here. It felt almost haunted now. The echo of me and Mia's brief time together seemed to linger in every room. I walked through the house. My footsteps were muffled by the plush carpets, each step a reminder of what had been and what was lost.

I found myself in the living room, where a collection of framed photos sat on a grand mahogany sideboard. Most of them were of past events and business gatherings, but one frame held a snapshot of Mia and me at the ceremony. It was a candid shot—Mia laughing, her eyes sparkling, completely at ease. It was a rare moment of genuine happiness that now felt like a distant memory.

I picked up the frame, studying the photo. The marriage had been brief, but the moments of connection we shared were real. There were times when I had seen a side of her that was warm, compassionate, and completely unguarded. Those were the moments I clung to now, amidst the chaos and the decisions that lay ahead.

Sitting down in the study, I stared out at the city lights through the large windows. The city was alive, but it felt like a backdrop to my thoughts rather than a part of my world. I recalled our conversations, the laughter, and even the arguments. There had been something profoundly genuine about her, and that was something I hadn't felt with anyone else.

I poured myself a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid catching the light in a way that reminded me of the way Mia’s eyes had shone. As I sipped the drink, I allowed myself to reflect on the nature of our relationship. It had made me question everything I thought I knew about myself. I sank into the leather armchair by the fire, the warmth from the flames doing little to chase away the chill of the night. I thought about the life Mia and I might have had if things had been different if circumstances had allowed us to truly be together.

It was bittersweet and lonely and not the mood I needed to be in the day before all my plans would come to fruition.

Ivan came into the study nearly an hour later, already dressed for bed. He poured himself a cup of whiskey and sat across the table from me.

“I’ve been looking for places for Katie and me,” Ivan said, a rare smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I'm planning for a fresh start. It’s a strange feeling, you know? Thinking about a life without all this”—he gestured vaguely around the room— “and just focusing on being... normal.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Normal, huh? I can’t picture you in a regular job, Ivan. Can you imagine yourself as an accountant or something?”

He laughed heartily. “I think I’d be damn good as an accountant. I was a damn good bookie, you know. But I'd probably want something more low-key than that... What about you, Albert? Any thoughts on what’s next? Other than your company and all.”

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I’m not sure. But I’ve been thinking. Maybe... maybe I should give my relationship with Mia another try. Without all the lies and the mafia between us.”

Ivan’s eyes lit up with genuine surprise. “You’re actually considering it?”

“Maybe,” I admitted. “If we make it out of this alive, then... I don’t know. Maybe there’s a chance. I’ve got to at least consider it.”

Ivan nodded thoughtfully, his expression turning serious. “There’s something I need to tell you, Albert. Two things, and I'm not really sure how you're going to feel about it..."

I braced myself, my mind racing with the possibilities. “What is it?”

He took a deep breath. "There's a hit out on Mia."

My eyes bulged, and I sat forward. "What the--"

"Sasha intercepted it," Ivan said.

"Sasha's still taking hits?"

"No, but he's been keeping his ear to the ground since the whole. since the whole Mia thing. You know how deep his loyalty goes... and he knows Dimitri better than most."

I snarled. "I should have blown his brains out."

He smiled. "Sasha received the wire and plans to use it to start a hell of a retirement fund."

I snorted. "And the other?"

His eyes twinkled. "All in good time... Remind me to tell you after the raid."

I lifted my glass. "I'll hold you to it."

The next morning, we got dressed for the Kulak celebration and headed out. As I arrived at the Kulak celebration, the weight of the situation settled heavily on my shoulders. The Kulak Estate was as grand as I remembered and filled with opulence that only the elite of the underworld could afford. The decorations were oddly suspicious, wedding-like and I rolled my eyes at how obvious they were about this. The lights sparkled, and the main ballroom was adorned with flowers and runners that screamed a wedding. All that was missing was a woman in a white dress.

Ivan rolled his eyes. "For fuck's sake."

I pretended to be relaxed was acutely aware of the tension that lay beneath the surface. I split from Ivan, drifting through the crowd alone, dressed formally in a sleek suit that belied the danger lurking beneath. My jacket concealed a host of weapons—my usual, along with a few extras for good measure.

The operative team had provided me with a suite of listening and recording devices, ensuring that I’d be able to monitor conversations and capture any incriminating evidence.

The crowd was already buzzing with activity, laughter and music filling the air. I scanned the room, noting the various figures mingling—some familiar, others new. Dimitri’s presence was imminent, and I could sense the undercurrent of unease among those who knew what was at stake. My thoughts flickered to Mia, grateful that she wasn’t here. The last thing I wanted was for her to be caught in the crossfire of what was about to unfold.

Then, I spotted Polina across the room in a floor-length white dress.

For fuck's sake.