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A reply co and all is well at hoor, and press the button for the top floor

My executive assistant, Grigori, is a young e His desk stands in the foyer of the top floor where Igor and I eori always dresses for a navy suit cut to the latest Italian fashion, paired with a red cravat Very European

Rising to his feet, he bows his head “Mr Volkov Igor I didn’t expect you”

“I didn’t plan on coes?”

“In your agenda, sir I filtered the unient ones, I emailed to you”

“Good Anything new?”

Grigori ishappens, like when sos, he lets me know

“Nothing new, sir Would you like me to order tea or dinner?”

“No, thank you We’re not staying that long On second thought, bring a bottle of vodka and a chilled glass”

He acknowledges the instruction with another bow

Igor takes out his phone and e area in the back while I push open the door of my corner office

The furnishings consist of a glass desktop suspended on , a chair in which I’ve spent more hours than in my bed, and several monitors locked away behind a fireproofthe desk A siainst thefor s A door on the side leads to an en-suite bathroos, a piece by David Hockney, hangs on the wall to the left of my desk Other than that, there are no knickknacks or photos Nothing to hint at an attachment As the situation with Katerina has so effectively deives your eneainst you

While I ori enters with a tray on which a bottle of pre He keeps the alcohol and the glass cold at exactly the right temperature Once a e is set at two degrees Celsius—the optiree more or less

Grigori places the tray on the corner of the desk, uncaps the bottle, and pours a double shot while I unlock the fireproof shutter with my thumbprint on the electronic device attached to ets the laptop I keep there for when I’m in the office and carries it to my desk