Inessa cursed internally. She was screwed. But she was also exhausted beyond measure. Turning around, she gave Nikolai a look that clearly conveyed the message before storming out of the room.
All the friendliness dropped from Nikolai's face as he shifted his body towards the man and gave him an impassive stare. Nikolai might be the friendliest one out of their trio. But he was also the most brutal one; for his family.
"Look, man, let me get this one thing straight. Now that you have seen her face, you have only two options left. We can't let you go. Either we'll kill you or you can work with us." Nikolai said, his body stiff with tension.
Luca understood the sentiment. What was the reason behind the hidden identity he might not know? But the fear he saw in her eyes when she turned around was evidence enough. Whatever the reason, it must be something big.
"I do not have a habit of running off my mouth to anyone. I choose my words with utmost caution. So, don't worry about me saying anything. As for your offer, for the time being I'll take it, but for forever I can't say, because I also have people who are waiting for me." Luca declared.
Looking at the firm stance of Luca, Nikolai knew he wasn't someone who only saw mafia from outside. Because if he did, then he'd be cowering with fear by now. But no, he was an insider. He understood the ins and out, and that could mean only one thing.
"Which mafia are you a part of?" Nikolai asked, his gaze unwavering, studying the man in front of him.
But Luca was no runner. He stood his ground and raised an eyebrow, impressed by the quick discernment of this weirdly dressed man.
"I am impressed. That was quick. I am not a part of any mafia. But someone I know and respect a lot is. But I am not here as a spy or something. Us meeting was completely coincidental." Luca reassured.
Nikolai didn't want to trust this man, but something in him said that he wasn't lying. So he reluctantly nodded. An understanding passed between the two before Nikolai slipped away and Luca still sat there, resuming the game they were playing.
Inessa couldn't berate herself enough for making such a big mistake. How could she forget? She pulled her hair in frustration. This wasn't like her. But ignoring her self-derogatory thoughts, she shed her clothes and went to take a nice and warm shower, to soothe her aching body.
When she looked at herself in the mirror, she noticed the angry red line on her shoulder. She turned around and find the same thick line travelling diagonally from her right shoulder to the left side of her waist. She winced in pain as her fingers touched the irritated skin. Freaking bastards!
But instead of treating her wounds, she donned a loose t-shirt with her favorite silk shorts and went to her office to get some work done. Inessa entered the office, finding Dmitri sitting on one chair, working on his laptop.
"Hey Ness. How was your day? How are Mauris and my little princess?" Dmitri asked when he saw Inessa entering the room.
"It was good. They both are good. Lena missed me. She misses you all too." Inessa said, her voice once again filling with emotion as she remembered her daughter's crying face.
Dmitri stood up and embraced Inessa, trying to comfort her. He knew how hard it was for Inessa to separate her eight-year daughter from her. But it was a step that she took for her safety, and he was proud of her for being so strong.
"It's okay, Nessa. We'll soon bring them here once we get the person behind the accident." Dmitri consoled her.
"It's already been more than a year, Dmitri. We have no leads. How are we going to find them?" Inessa grumbled, her body slouching in his hold.
"We will. Don't worry. Now, clear your head and get some work done. Nikolai has been whining 24/7 for all the work that you dumped on him." Dmitri said, giving her a playful shove.
Inessa rolled her eyes. "It's his job. He's the Managing Director of our company. What did he expect? Sunshine and rainbows?" Inessa jabbed. Dmitri chuckled as he heard her.
Inessa sat on her chair and powered up her laptop to go through some documents. Dmitri and Inessa both worked on their respective works in silence. Suddenly, Inessa's eyes widened as she realized the way to confirm whether Ronan was the one putting trails on her or not.
"Dmitri, I got an idea!" she said, her body burning with excitement.
"What? What type of idea?" Dmitri asked, frowning at the look of excitement that Inessa gave him.
"Come here. Look at this." she said, motioning him to come toward her.
Dmitri got up and walked towards her, looking at her laptop screen.
"Ender Solak: Proposal for opening a new hotel in Turkey." Dmitri read out loud what was written.
"What about it?" Dmitri asked, still unable to get what Inessa meant.
"Remember, once Robert told us, that Ender was also striking a deal with Ronan." Dmitri faintly remembered the file, sent by Robert regarding this news.
"Okay, so?"
"The deal in which he also married Ronan's sister." Inessa said slowly.
Dmitri was still confused. What does this have to do with them?
"But how does it relate to us?"
"Well, if he married Ronan's sister, then he would be really close to him. That means if we want to check whether Ronan is really involved or not, we can use Ender." Inessa explained.
Dmitri finally understood. But how will they use Ender?
"How will we use him?" he voiced his thoughts.
"He has been begging for this deal to happen. And this time we will agree. But we'll ask him for a favor." Dmitri raised an eyebrow in question.
"We have a VIP client who wants to do business in France. They are ready to invest an enormous amount. But they have a weird quirk. They like to spend a few days with the people they are doing business with before finalizing the deal." Inessa grinned.
"But why would Ender agree to it?"
"Because Ender is one greedy son of a bitch. Trust me, I've done my research on him. That is why we rejected all his proposals till now." Inessa told him, matter-of-factly.
Dmitri nodded. Currently, he liked the plan. If everything went as planned, then they could really get some solid information. But it was a risky operation; if caught, then a war wouldn't be something far-fetched.
"Okay, I'll gather more information. Tomorrow we can plan it out then." Dmitri said, as he closed his laptop and moved towards the door.
"Oh Ness, I forgot to tell you…" he said, stopping mid-way.
"What?" Inessa asked.
"The story Luca told was real. Richard Manikoya lost both of his eyeballs yesterday, and we found the eyeballs hidden under the dumpster at the port." Dmitri informed her.
Inessa sighed. She had an inkling that he was telling the truth because she saw the determination in his eyes. Despite that, she needed confirmation. Inessa nodded. Dmitri walked out, leaving her alone in the office.