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"Mrs. Katia... Mr. Stefan is fine. Don't worry," Norbert interjected from downstairs.

"Really? Is he really okay?" she asked with trembling hands, due to the nervousness she felt. "Are you not lying to me?"

"Of course not, Katia," Jennel reassured her tenderly. "Come, let's go downstairs and have something to eat."

"I'm not hungry, I want to see Stefan," Katia demanded. "I need to make sure he's okay."

"That won't be possible. Mr. Stefan has gone on a trip and won't be back for a few days, but trust me, he's fine," Jennel assured her.

...

The next morning, on the coast of Rostock, two men were waiting for a container ship from Mexico.

There was a young man and another slightly older. The young man had silky, shiny, blond hair slicked back with gel. His eyes were a shade of green. His skin had a subtle cinnamon color that was quite striking.

He had a splint on his right arm to immobilize his shoulder. This man couldn't be more than thirty-two years old. The other man was tall with short black hair, but it had many gray strands.

His eyes were brown. He was around fifty years old and stood a few steps behind the blond man, with his hands in front of his body.

He took a few steps toward Stefan and whispered, "Sir, do you want us to give that wretch a scare?"

"No. If they do something to him, they might harm Gretchen, and I don't want her to get hurt," the German replied, looking ahead. "What you should do is double the security at the estate in case they dare to show up there, but without Katia seeing. I don't want her to find out about anything. Make sure she doesn't see them. Oh, and I want you to increase security around her."

"Sir, if we do that, there's a good chance she'll find out or become suspicious."

"I'd rather she be suspicious than anything happen to her," he said seriously. "As long as we're married, she's the lady, and we need to ensure nothing happens to her."

"What will happen when you're no longer married?"

"I don't know, Mark, but as long as they threaten her, I'll keep security around Katia to ensure her safety," he closed his eyes. "I'd never forgive myself if they harmed her because of her association with me."

…

The next morning in Munich, Katia woke up early for the first time since arriving in the German city and joined Norbert and Jennel at the supermarket.

They had promised her they would stop by a bookstore before heading back home. She wanted to buy a book or some word search puzzles or crosswords to keep herself entertained in that large mansion while they did the household chores.

She wanted to return to her country soon and continue working.

In the open-air parking lot of the supermarket, Katia was leaning against the trunk door when a man with a few bags in a cart approached the car next to hers.

He was a tall man with a slender build, but it was evident that he was quite strong and muscular. He had short black hair, and his bangs partially covered his eyes, which were a beautiful shade of blue. His skin was somewhat pale.

Katia couldn't help but notice him, just as he noticed her.

"Nice car," the man commented.

Katia turned to look at the car and realized it was a white Rolls Royce Phantom. She hadn't noticed the brand of the vehicle until that moment.

"It's not mine," she replied.

"I suppose since you're leaning on it, it must be yours, right?"

"Yes... well..." She looked around, biting her lower lip. "It belongs to my... well, the person I got married to."

"Your husband."

"No, not at all. We don't consider ourselves husband and wife," she explained. "It's a strange story."

"I can listen to it while I load the groceries into the trunk," he said. Katia shook her head, biting her lip. "As you wish, but I've always liked stories."

She smiled a bit at the man, crossed her arms beneath her chest, and looked forward. Occasionally, she glanced at the supermarket's entrance and also glanced sideways at the man in the car next to hers.