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I ruffle her hair. “As you wish, my lady.” She pauses, chin trembling, but then she pushes me away and runs to her room shouting, “I still didn’t forgive you!” My lips pull up at the corners as I watch her flying back to her room as if her life depends on it. She’ll probably remain there for a week after all the unwanted exposure she’s had to the outside world. Karina had no reason to come down just now and face the mother she’s intimidated by, but she chose to help me. I wait for Sasha to show her face, but she flat out ran away. She can’t run for long, though. I check my watch as Viktor appears by my side like a ghost. “We’re ready.” “Go.” It’s one word, but he knows exactly what to do. The game is starting. Two hours later, I’m sitting in my father’s office, which I took as my own the day he died. I’ve been going through all of his files, records, and archives. I’m the only one who can, because he left me his passwords and keys. Yes, actual keys—he was old-fashioned like that. The o