“Hello, Gera. How are things?” a voice from the past said behind my back, making me flinch.
I turned around to look and realized it wasn’t my imagination. Vadim Strogiov himself stood there.
“Hello,” I replied on autopilot. “Sorry, I can’t chat—I have a meeting scheduled here.”
“I know,” Vadim nodded confidently, and at first I was startled, but then quickly understood what was going on.
“So you need a fiancée,” I stated rather than asked.
“Yes. And I already know who she will be,” Strogiov said and sat down at my table. “Let’s get into the details discussion. I have a business meeting this evening, and you’ll go with me.”