4

I turned on my heel and went to the kitchen. I grabbed two boxes of chocolates, a bottle of wine, and slammed every door in turn to the bedroom. There, in the company of seven thousand calories, I drank myself into a sweet red wine. I also realized that I had earned the honor of being a woman for one night, or even one afternoon.

The next day, I woke up with a terrible headache. I was increasingly eager to go home. Rudi, one of Maks's men, decided to spoil my mood even further.

"He got mad yesterday because of you. I advise you not to do that again. You should have thought twice before you let him do anything. Leave him alone. He's a gangster, he's not looking for a wife."

I spent the next few days watching TV. I had no desire for anything. I devoured boxes of chocolates and didn't care how it ended. He got involved with the mafia and had an affair with a gangster. Couldn't anything worse happen to me!?

"Pack your bags." "You're going back to your place," Maks said, appearing in my line of sight. Those were the first words he'd spoken to me since that evening. "Why are you looking so hard? I'm not going to wear all that.

Robert hadn't bought me so many clothes and cosmetics in the five years we'd known each other. Finally, though, I managed to pack it all up. Without regret, I abandoned that house and the people who lived there. I was returning to my own life. Gray, boring, safe, devoid of any upheavals…

" "We're not going to my place," I said, when I began to orient myself, but he didn't even look at me.

It turned out Mr. Kraus wanted to see me.

"Madam, I'm a businessman, not a murderer," he replied to my bitter words. "I hope this will make up for everything. Ten percent of the sum we managed to recover."

He handed me a statement from a Swiss bank. I couldn't even imagine the amount listed there.

"Thank you again for your cooperation. I'm saying goodbye."

Stunned by my sudden wealth, I returned to my car, ignoring the grumpy Maks, who seemed determined to leave the worst possible impression.

He unlocked my apartment, handed me back my keys, and brought in all my things, while I spent the entire time wondering what I wanted. I remembered his words during his first visit here. "You'll be asking me to stay again."

"Maks," I said quietly as he stood in the doorway. He turned and looked at me questioningly. "Stay.

That's what I wanted."