Chapter 39 39

Chapter 39 39


The dining hall was set. Different dishes are lined up on the table. Guests stood in pairs and small groups, chatting. Waiters and waitresses moved around with drinks.

Ivan watched Don introduce Slavik to all his guests, smiling broadly.
“Way to go Dad” he muttered.

“Hello, Ivan,” a guest approached him. “Where is your father?”

Ivan gulped the drink in his glass and placed it on the table beside him.

“He’s busy introducing his darling nephew to the whole world. Maybe if he ever finds a few minutes to spare, he’ll have a chance for his own son,” Ivan said storming out. On his way, he grabbed a glass of wine, despite the waiter’s resistance.

He got to the rooftop and gulped the entire drink. His eyes felt blurry as he held onto a rail.

Don appeared behind him.

“What the hell, Ivan? What has come over you? The guests are all downstairs, what are you doing here?” He hissed. “You are always finding a way to be the center of attention, aren’t you?”

“No, Father. The irony is, I’m not the one who always seems to want to be the center of attention. You are!”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Don demanded an answer.

“It means you don’t see me.”

“I’m looking at you right now!”

“You don’t see me the way I want you to. It’s like I’m invisible. I’m behind a shadow, trying so hard to get out, but I’ve only gotten sucked in deeper.”

“I expect so much from you Ivan, but every time you end up doing the opposite. I’m tired,” Don said, attempting to leave.

“Am I a disappointment? Is that why you now hang Slavik up as the banner for the Morozov’s name?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about! This friendly lunch, I know what it’s for. You bring your business partners and a few family members to have lunch so you can introduce Slavik to them, something you’ve never done for me.”

“Oh, stop being dramatic. They already know you. It’s Slavik they don’t know.”

“Is that right? Or is this some business strategy?”

“Quit with the questions and return downstairs,” Don ordered.

“You know, I’m shocked that for the first time your charity project has lasted more than a year in this house.” Ivan wasn’t stopping.

“That’s because he’s different. Slavik is special. He is my brother’s son!”

“Tell that to yourself, Father!”

“Are you drunk, Ivan?” Slavik’s voice came from behind.

“Here comes the hero. Your father was just about to get you, so you both can continue what you started. Go on… shoo… fly away.” Slavik said dripping with sarcasm.

“Uncle, you can go back inside. I’ll join you shortly,” Slavik said.

“Hopefully you can talk some sense into him,” Don muttered.

“There’s no ‘sense’ you can talk into me, Father! You and Slavik just need to get lost!” Ivan shouted.

Don shook his head and headed downstairs.

“Come on, Ivan, don’t make this about you. Today is supposed to be a good day,” Slavik said.

“And you were supposed to stay here for just one year,” Ivan shot back, the alcohol kicking in harder. “Well, guess what? You’ve been here for one year, six months and I don’t even see your bags packed to go.”

“I thought we’d settled this. I’m here to stay. Father likes that I’m here, and I thought you did too.”

“I thought so too,” Ivan said, “until you started feeling too comfortable, taking what’s rightfully mine and acting like a hero who ascended from the sky.”

Slavik walked up to him. “Maybe you’re just bitter. Maybe you’re angry I get to be who you’re not.”

The words pierced Ivan’s heart.
“You think you’re better than me?”

“Your insecurities say it all. Look, Ivan, I’m not after your position. Not after anything you hold. I’m simply living. And yes, I’m lucky to have found my uncle who loves me…maybe a bit too much, but it is what it is.”

Ivan chuckled.
“You’re a bloody user. And I hope my father gets to see you for who you are.”

“There’s nothing to see. I’m an open book, always have been. Now would you act responsibly and come downstairs so we can raise glasses and cheer as one big family?”

“Okay. I’ll come downstairs. But know this: we are no family.”



The room was quiet, everywhere dark, only a shade of blue from the moon reflected on the walls. Ivan shifted on the bed, eyes opening. He reached for his phone on the cupboard beside his bed and picked it up. It was 12 a.m.

He wondered why he suddenly felt the urge to wake up. It had been barely an hour since he slept. Dropping the phone, he got up, picked a T-shirt from his sofa, and put it on. He opened the door, heading toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

He got to the kitchen, and the lights came on by themselves. He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and poured it into a glass. It was cold, exactly what he wanted.

He made himself a bowl of cereal and ate.

Ivan still felt uneasy. He’d assumed it was hunger, but eating the cereal made it worse. He trashed the leftovers and headed out of the kitchen. He was close to his room, but his instincts told him to check Slavik’s room.

As he slightly opened the door, he saw an empty bed. Slavik wasn’t there. He got worried. What could be wrong? It was midnight and he wasn’t in bed.

He hurried to his father’s office and slowly opened it after hearing voices. Peeping through the small space, he saw his father and Slavik.

What could they possibly be talking about? he thought.
He brought his ear closer to the door, close enough to hear.

“Does Ivan know about this?” Slavik asked.

“No, he doesn’t. That’s why I want him to travel overseas, go to business school, so that when he returns, he can take over the Morozov’s empire.”

“Why not undergo the surgery?” Slavik asked.

“I can’t take the chances. Fifty–fifty? No way I am doing that.” Don responded.

“But do you really think sending Ivan off to business school is what Morozov needs?”

“Yes! He’s my son, and this is the only option we have available”

“Don’t get me wrong, Uncle. I understand legacies should be passed to the next generation. But I’m also part of your legacy. Just look at the stats: Ivan has never been interested in your kind of business. I’ve been here, what, one year and six months? I already know what you’re really into, and Ivan is completely clueless.”

“The reason he’s clueless isn’t entirely his fault. I’ve chosen not to tell him about it until the time is right.”

“There’s never a right time with Ivan. What makes you think he’d want to do this even when he finds out? I’m your best bet, Uncle. What more do I have to say to make you see that I should be sent to business school? Let Ivan stay here. Maybe while he’s here, he’ll finally get his hands busy with things around here.”

Ivan exclaimed silently, the sight was sore to his eyes. Watching his cousin pitch for his position completely left him feeling betrayed. He pressed in on the door again.

“You actually have a point there,” Don said.

“I know I have a point. Think about it very well. This is a big decision. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that I’m most comfortable running the Morozov’s empire, if it ever gets to that…” He paused. “Though I’m hoping it doesn’t.”

Don thought for a while, then got up. Placing his hands on Slavik’s shoulders, he pulled him into a hug and released him with a tap on the back.

“I’ll start preparations immediately. This is good… this is very good.”
A soft creak betrayed Ivan’s weight on the door.

Don turned sharply. “Ivan?”
Ivan stepped fully into view… eyes wet, jaw locked tight, his whole body trembling like he was holding himself together by force.

Slavik froze in fear at what he saw.

Ivan wasn’t crying anymore.
He wasn’t breaking.
He was about to explode.