Chapter 98 Diana?
Third person pov
Diana walked through the dimly lit hallway, the wall was lined with abstract art. Everything about this place screams excess power and wealth.
She’d been here before. Knew exactly what to expect.
The double doors at the end of the hall were already open, she could hear the jazz music through the door already.
Diana paused at the door, letting her eyes adjust to the light. As someone who’d learned long ago that survival meant reading a room before you entered it.
The office…if you could call it that…was more like a private lounge. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline, the lights below glittering like fallen stars. Leather furniture, a bar stocked with expensive wine bottles, and in the center of it all, a massive desk of dark wood that looked like it had been carved from a single tree.
And behind that desk sat Vlad Voss.
He hadn’t noticed her yet. He was otherwise occupied.
A young woman…barely twenty, if that…was draped across his lap, her body moving in a slow, rhythm that left little to the imagination. Her dress, if the scraps of black silk could be called that, covered almost nothing. She arched her back, ran her hands through her hair, it’s obvious she has done this a million times begore.
Vlad watched her lazily, obviously bored.A cigarette smoldered between his fingers, expensive tobacco mixed with something else…Diana could smell it from the doorway. His other hand rested on the girl’s hip.
Diana stood there, waiting. She’d learned not to announce herself in situations like this. Men like Vlad liked to finish what they started, and interrupting them was a quick way to end up on their bad side.
She kept her expression straight. This was business. Nothing more. She’d seen worse, done worse when necessary. A lap dance was tame compared to some of the things she’d witnessed in her line of work.
After a while his hand came down on her ass with a sharp crack that cut through the music.
The girl jolted, then immediately rearranged her face into a smile. She climbed off his lap gracefully ,adjusting the strips of fabric that pretended to be clothing.
“That’s enough, sweetheart,” Vlad said, his voice smooth as aged whiskey. “Go on.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. The girl grabbed a robe from the back of a nearby chair and disappeared through a side door so quickly she might as well have evaporated.
Only then did Vlad look up, his eyes finding Diana where she stood in the doorway.
A slow smile spread across his face.
“Diana.” He said her name like he was tasting it, rolling it around on his tongue. “You’ve been standing there the whole time, haven’t you?”
“Long enough,” she replied, stepping fully into the room now. Her heels sank slightly into the plush carpet as she crossed toward his desk.
Vlad leaned back in his chair, taking another drag from his cigarette. He was handsome in that dangerous way some men were…sharp cheekbones, dark eyes ,a mouth that looked like sim. And a tailored suit.
“You disapprove,” he observed, amusement coloring his tone.
“I don’t get paid to approve or disapprove,” Diana said evenly. “I get paid to deliver.”
“And have you?” He gestured lazily toward the chair across from his desk. “Delivered?”
Diana didn’t sit. Instead, she pulled a manila folder from her bag and placed it on the desk between them. “Everything you asked for.”
Vlad picked up the folder, flipping it open with his slender fingers. His eyes scanned the contents, and Diana watched his expression shift.
“Perfect,” he murmured, closing the folder. He looked up at her, his smile widening. “You always deliver, Diana. It’s one of the many things I appreciate about you.”
“You pay well,” she said simply. “That makes it easy to be thorough.”
“Oh, I pay very well.” He stubbed out his cigarette in a crystal ashtray, then stood, moving around the desk toward her. He was tall, and had a presence that filled the room in a way that made the space feel smaller, more intimate. “But it’s not just about the money, is it? You’re good at this because you understand how the game works. You’re smart. Dangerous.” He stopped just in front of her, close enough that she could smell his cologne, it smelled like wood. “Just my kind of woman.”
Diana held her ground, meeting his gaze steadily. She’d dealt with men like Vlad before.
“Flattery doesn’t get you a discount,” she said lightly.
Vlad laughed, genuinely this time. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a silver cigarette case, flipping it open. He extracted one, lit it with a matching lighter, took a drag, then…without asking…placed it between Diana’s lips.
Diana let him. Took a slow drag, the smoke harsh and sweet all at once, then pulled the cigarette from her mouth and held it between her fingers.
“You know,” Vlad said, his voice dropping lower, “you could make things much simpler for yourself. Much more… comfortable.” His eyes traveled down her body and back up, slow and deliberate. “My bed’s always available for you, Diana. Say the word and everything changes. Better contracts, better protection, better everything.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d made the offer. Wouldn’t be the last.
Diana smiled…the kind of smile that promised nothing and everything all at once. “Not today, Vlad.”
“No?” He raised an eyebrow, more amused than disappointed.
“When our business is done,” she said, her tone smooth as silk, “maybe then I’ll take you up on that offer.”
They both knew she was lying. Both knew it was part of the game.
Vlad’s smile turned sharp. “You know how to keep a man interested, I’ll give you that.”
“I know how to stay valuable,” Diana corrected. She took one last drag from the cigarette, then stubbed it out in his ashtray. “And right now, I’m more valuable outside your bed than in it.”
“For now,” Vlad agreed, moving back to his desk. He picked up the folder again, his mind already shifting back to business, to whatever scheme he was running, to the next play in whatever long game he was orchestrating. “Your payment will be transferred by morning.”
“I know it will.” Diana picked up her bag. “Pleasure doing business, Vlad.”
“Always is.” He didn’t look up from the folder as he spoke. “I’ll be in touch when I need you again.”
Diana turned toward the door, her heels clicking against the floor once more. She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked, could practically hear him calculating, considering, planning.
Men like Vlad always were.
She paused at the threshold, glancing back over her shoulder. He was watching her, the folder forgotten on his desk, his expression unreadable.
“Until next time,” she said.
“Until next time, Diana.”
She walked out, the doors closing softly behind her.
The hallway felt cooler after the closeness of Vlad’s office. Diana let out a slow breath, her professional mask slipping just slightly now that she was alone.