46

Lia

The drive to meet Elena was tense. Petrik sat beside me, his jaw tight, his hands gripping the wheel. Nikolai had warned us to be cautious, that Elena wouldn’t be easily swayed despite her message. She’d agreed to help, yes, but her terms were still unclear—and with someone like her, the unknown was as dangerous as Diana herself.

“What if she asks for something we can’t give?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Petrik’s gaze didn’t leave the road. “We’ll give her what she needs to stay on our side. No more, no less.”

“And if what she needs crosses a line?” I pressed.

He glanced at me, his expression hard. “Then we’ll decide if the line is worth crossing.”

His answer didn’t comfort me, but I let it go. There wasn’t time to argue, not when we were walking into what felt like another trap. The closer we got to Elena’s penthouse, the heavier the air felt, as if the city itself were conspiring against us.

Elena greeted us at the door, her expression unreadable. She stepped aside, gesturing for us to enter. Her penthouse was as pristine as before, a stark contrast to the chaos Diana had brought into our lives.

“Petrik. Lia.” She acknowledged us with a nod, her voice cool. “I assume you’ve considered my terms.”

“We’re here to finalize them,” Petrik said, his tone firm but polite. “What do you want in exchange for your help?”

Elena crossed the room, pouring herself a glass of wine before turning to face us. “Diana’s downfall, of course. But that’s not enough for me. If I’m going to risk everything, I need guarantees.”

“What kind of guarantees?” I asked, already dreading her answer.

She took a sip of wine, her gaze sharp. “Once Diana’s network crumbles, there will be a power vacuum. I want to ensure I’m the one who fills it.”

Petrik’s posture stiffened. “You want her empire.”

“I want stability,” Elena corrected, though the glint in her eyes said otherwise. “Diana’s chaos has cost too many people too much. Someone needs to pick up the pieces.”

“And you think that someone is you?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

She smiled faintly. “I know it is. But I can’t do it alone. That’s where you come in.”

Petrik glanced at me before stepping forward. “We’re not here to trade one dictator for another, Elena.”

Her expression darkened, the air between them thick with tension. “I’m not Diana. But if you want my help, this is my price. Take it or leave it.”

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Elena wasn’t wrong about the power vacuum, but trusting her felt like a gamble we couldn’t afford. Still, without her, we were outnumbered and outmaneuvered.

“Fine,” Petrik said, his voice steady. “You’ll have our support. But if we find out you’re using this as an opportunity to become another Diana, the deal’s off.”

Elena tilted her head, as if weighing his words. Finally, she nodded. “Agreed. Now, let’s talk strategy.”

We spent hours dissecting Diana’s network, identifying key players and potential weaknesses. Elena’s insight was invaluable, but it was also unsettling. She knew too much, her knowledge of Diana’s inner workings far more detailed than I’d anticipated.

“There’s one name you need to focus on,” Elena said, sliding a file across the table. “Alexander Grekov. He’s Diana’s financial backer, the one who keeps her operations afloat. Without him, she’s nothing.”

Petrik frowned, flipping through the file. “I’ve heard of him. He’s untouchable.”

“No one is untouchable,” Elena said, her voice cold. “But he’s careful. If you want to turn him, you’ll need leverage.”

“And do you have any?” I asked.

She smirked. “That’s for you to figure out.”

The ride back to the safe house was quieter than before, the weight of the meeting settling heavily between us. Petrik’s hands gripped the wheel tightly, his expression unreadable. I stared out the window, my mind racing.

“Do you think we can trust her?” I asked finally.

“No,” Petrik said without hesitation. “But we don’t have a choice.”

His bluntness stung, but I couldn’t argue. Elena was a necessary evil, and if we wanted to bring Diana down, we needed her. Still, something about her felt dangerous, as if we were trading one problem for another.

When we arrived at the safe house, Nikolai was waiting, his laptop open on the dining table. He looked up as we entered, his expression grim.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“Elena’s in,” Petrik said, setting the file on the table. “She wants Diana’s empire in exchange for her help.”

Nikolai let out a low whistle. “That’s ambitious. You sure you want to make that deal?”

“We don’t have a choice,” Petrik said, echoing his earlier sentiment. “She gave us our next target: Alexander Grekov.”

Nikolai’s expression darkened. “Grekov? That’s a dangerous move, Petrik. He’s got ties to everyone—politicians, law enforcement, even organized crime. If you go after him, you’d better make sure you don’t miss.”

“We won’t,” Petrik said, his voice steely. “This ends with Diana, one way or another.”

I sat down beside him, my mind spinning. The stakes were higher than ever, and the margin for error was nonexistent. Diana was already ahead of us, and now we were adding Grekov to the mix. It felt like we were walking a tightrope over a pit of fire.

As Nikolai started pulling up information on Grekov, Petrik reached for my hand under the table, his grip firm and reassuring. I glanced at him, and for a moment, the storm inside me quieted.