34. Pierogies, Games, and Jealousy.>- 21 Years ago -As we walk home from school, I can feel the excitement building inside of me. Lena is eager to meet Mom and Maria. Garrett is interested to see the car dad bought a week ago.I am just happy that I will get some time to spend with them.“Miko!” Lena looks at me with a twinkle in her eye and asks, “Can we take that car for a spin?”It’s a Renault Clio V6.I chuckle. “Well, it’s not my car. So No.”She rolls her eyes and I add, “I hope it would be at home or you would be so disappointed… Because Antoni takes it for a drive sometimes.Her shoulder slump, and Garrett holds her by the waist.“Don’t Worry. I can take you out for a spin,” he murmurs in her ear, and I look away.….We walk and talk away, shooting questions to each other in between. Conversation somehow falls at our choices of college next year. Lena laments about the fact that she can’t leave the city because financially her family cannot afford that.
35. Power Imbalance >Riley runs out and it takes me a few moments to get a grip of myself. It’s Jonas’ call that distracts me at last.“Hey Miko… I have picked up Camilla.”“Bring her here. I am not ready yet,” I say as I walk out of study to check on Jessie. I’m not sure if Riley ran out of the house. She looked determined enough.“ummm okay… She is not gonna like it.” He chuckles.“She doesn’t have much choice now… Does she?” I say, distracted as I see Riley’s purse lying in a corner while Jessie is surprisingly calm, engaged in herself.That’s good. Riley is around. I can take a bath in peace.“I, of course, don’t have any choice, Miko!” Camilla’s voice chimes in and I rub my face.Here we go. Was the phone on speaker? I think it was.Camilla is keen to start her own business. She has refused to accept help from the Josef corporation. A few Investors she met so far were pricks and sexist. So Patterson convinced her to attend this party with me. It will deter oth
36. Slave“You are quiet.” Jonas says, munching on cashews he offered me a while ago. “I’m bored….“ and outraged. Mikolaj and Camilla left a while ago, and I am still fuming in anger. He slipped his arm around her waist, just to agitate me.He can judge me for talking with Dimitri. He can give me degrading glares because he thought I had made out with a bartender. But he can whore around with anyone he wants.The audacity.If Camilla is his girlfriend, should I rat him out? Would Camilla believe me? What if she kicks me out of this job for kissing him?Not that she can... I made sure it’s super difficult to fire me. Thanks Dad for teaching me that much.Jonas pauses the tv, and fixes his gaze at me. “You said he fired you. What happened?”Jessica whines, annoyed at the interruption of her entertainment.“I have seen this stupid movie at least ten times, Jessie,” he says and resumes the movie.We are watching ‘Frozen’. We have little choice when a 2.5-year-old is watching TV with us.
37. Smoke > Riley scurries behind Jonas, and I walk towards the balcony to pick up my ringing phone. I can’t believe him. Like father, Like son. Never missing the chance to annoy me. “Where we going?” Jessica asks, looking around in my lap. “To see city lights…” I point. “from the balcony… Would you like that?” I ask her, and she nods. Great. I need some privacy to pick up Antoni’s call. He knows I don’t like to talk to him during public appearances. So it better be urgent. “Antoni.” “I have found the boy’s name for you.” I chuckle. During our meeting, we struggled to figure out the hierarchy of the gang Antoni wants eliminated. So I guess he has called me in excitement. “Alright. You could have emailed me.” So it turns out a few years ago, a local thug went global. His name is Borris. Pretty ballsy move, to be honest. He sent his son, Maxim, to Moscow to establish the chain of supply into the USA. We are not clear what his main business is. Antoni insists he
38. Control >High-end hotels prioritize customer privacy. If someone is cheating on their significant other or doing shady deals, they won’t like to be captured on cameras. This is why Beverly Hills Hotel doesn’t have CCTV inside the premises. That’s one point in my favor.I knock on the door of 904, and a gruff voice asks through the intercom. “Who is it?”The suites are usually sound proof. Even a person roaring behind the door cannot be heard. That’s one more point in my favor.“It’s Mikolaj,” I say as I remove my jacket.Suits are terrible for mobility. All those movies we watch where men fight in suits. Fuckin unreasonable. James Bond would be dead in a day if he fought in suits. “What the fuck do you want?”Someone is still bitter. “I would like to apologize, Victor. I was wrong to dismiss you so quickly. I am here to make an offer.”He chuckles and unlocks the door. People are always eager to see others grovel, and this is gonna cost him.The door creaks ope
39. Quickie>My head doesn’t stop reeling on the way back home. I wanted to crush her delicate lips under mine and taste her sweetness again. By the time I reach home, I have a raging cock in the trousers. It’s not fucking fair. First that Kiss in the afternoon. Then she came to the party wrapped in that dress like a Goddamn Goddess. The sporting wood after beating the shit out of Victor wasn’t helpful, either. And now this. She was more than willing to offer herself to me. How the hell I’m supposed to deal with this. Thank fuck I walked away... or I would have devoured her under open sky. Her sweet scent lingers in the car while I drive. Every time I take-in a breath, I feel agitated and ablaze. My cock is stiff against my leg. I have to tame it somehow. I drive into the garage, then enter my house. Jonas is sitting on the sofa. I throw him the keys and order, “Leave.”“Fuck you too.” he mutters and walks out. As I make my way in, Camilla comes out from guest roo
40. Boundaries>— 21 years ago —Lena walks out, and I crash in my bed feeling a strange heaviness in my heart. How easily she put all the blame on me. I always thought childhood memories and our friendship will weigh more.It’s barely been a year since she got herself a boyfriend and she is not trusting me anymore. Questioning me and calling me jealous, as if my efforts to be friends with Garrett mean nothing. The connection I thought we shared…. was never there in the first place. The thought makes my eyes wet. “Miko! Dinner is ready.” Mama’s voice calls me out after hours. I glance at the clock and groan. “Great. I wasted my day lamenting for someone who doesn’t even care,” I mutter to myself as my mouth turns bitter at the thought. I freshen up, then walk down. Antonia and Papa are engrossed in a discussion at the dinner table while Mama and Maria are serving the food. “These are all rumors… Don’t worry about it,” Papa says in his gruff voice.“I don’t
41. Don’t make me regret>— 21 years ago —“I didn’t mean to hurt you…” Lena looks at me with a pained expression as she gets out of the bed. “There is so much happening in my life. I got confused… and I didn’t know how to deal with my own feelings. That’s why I lashed out.” I fix my gaze at her, and a memory comes roaring back from two years ago. Our first kiss. It makes me even more resentful. It’s cruel that my sweetest memories are turning bitter one by one.“And this is your solution? Sneaking into my room?” I ask her sharply.“I’m not trying to disregard your boundaries, Miko. What does that even mean?” Her eyes are glistening with unshed tears. “You are talking as if I never came to your room before… Why is this a big deal?”I take a long stride towards her. She gasps as I grab her by the arm. “Oh really? Tell me one thing,” I hiss into her ear. “Does your boyfriend know that you are here? If he doesn’t, then I think it’s a big deal.”She flushes and st