Chapter 6 - The Decision That Shocked His Empire
Three weeks later, Nikolai called a meeting.
Every senior figure in his organization attended.
Marco stood beside him.
Nobody knew why.
Nikolai placed a folder on the table.
“We're withdrawing from three operations.”
Silence.
One lieutenant frowned.
“Which operations?”
Nikolai named them.
The room erupted.
“Those are some of our most profitable routes.”
“I know.”
“You built those routes.”
“I know.”
Another man leaned forward.
“Why?”
Nikolai looked around the table.
“Because profitability is no longer enough.”
Nobody spoke.
Marco hid a smile.
Nikolai continued.
“From today forward, every legitimate business under our control operates separately from anything that cannot survive public scrutiny.”
A lieutenant stared.
“You're restructuring the entire organization?”
“Yes.”
“Because of the university investigation?”
“Partly.”
“What's the other part?”
Nikolai thought about a torn notebook page beneath a windshield wiper.
“I'm tired of living in a world where honesty is considered stupidity.”
Nobody knew how to answer that.
Finally Marco said, “Meeting adjourned.”
Afterward, Marco followed Nikolai into his office.
“You understand they're all convinced Lena Park somehow rewired your brain.”
“She didn't.”
“Of course.”
Nikolai stopped.
“Marco.”
“Yes?”
“Am I making a mistake?”
Marco's teasing disappeared.
“Which part?”
“All of it.”
Marco considered the question.
“You built this empire because you believed fear was more reliable than loyalty.”
Nikolai said nothing.
“Maybe you're discovering reliability isn't the same thing as living.”
Nikolai looked toward his desk.
The apology note remained inside the drawer.
That evening, he drove to Lena's studio.
Alone.
She opened the door wearing paint-stained jeans.
“Nikolai?”
“I need an opinion.”
“About art?”
“No.”
“Then you're definitely at the wrong apartment.”
He handed her an envelope.
She opened it.
Inside was her original two hundred dollars.
“Nikolai.”
“The repair cost was zero.”
“You said—”
“I lied.”
“We established that.”
“I had the scratch polished out.”
She tried handing the money back.
He refused.
“Keep it.”
“No.”
“Lena.”
“No.”
They stared at each other.
Finally Nikolai sighed.
“Why is everything difficult with you?”
“Because nobody ever tells you no.”
“That's usually one of my favorite things about my life.”
“And now?”
He stepped closer.
“Now I'm beginning to suspect it was one of the worst.”
Lena's smile faded when she saw how serious he was.
“What happened?”
“I changed the organization.”
“How much?”
“Enough that half my senior people think I've lost my mind.”
“Have you?”
“Possibly.”
“Why?”
Nikolai looked at her.
“You know why.”
Lena's heart beat faster.
“Say it.”
“I've faced men who wanted me dead without losing sleep.”
He paused.
“But asking you to dinner without pretending it's about a scratched car is proving surprisingly difficult.”
Lena smiled.
“Are you asking me on a date?”
“Yes.”
“That's terrible.”
His expression fell.
“The invitation?”
“The technique.”
“I haven't done this in a while.”
“I noticed.”
“Dinner, Lena.”
She pretended to consider it.
“Will you investigate me first?”
“Already did.”
She punched his arm lightly.
Nikolai laughed.
“Seven tomorrow?”
“Seven-thirty.”
“Why?”
“Because you need practice not getting everything exactly when you demand it.”
He looked at her for a long moment.
“Seven-thirty.”
Lena smiled.
May you like
“See? Growth.”
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