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"I know we didn't win the contest but we got a great opportunity to show our talent in the designing world, James. We should head for Russia."
James nodded. What else was left for them except for grabbing the opportunity on display, he and Maya had worked hard for this jewellery competition but luck was not in their favour and they became the first runner up.
Maya smiled seeing her friend accepting her offer. "Maybe Canada is not for us. Let's start over in Russia, Dove!"
"Don't call me that!" She slapped his chest lightly, "let's go to Moscow."
After two days, they landed in Russia and a representative of The Belle met them at the airport. "Welcome to Moscow, Miss Aniston and Mr Griffin. My name is Anastasia and I work at The Belle."
Maya smiled politely. "It's nice meeting you, Anastasia," she said, offering her hand for a handshake. Anastasia accepted it with a smile as well.
The journey from the Airport to the place Maya and James were destined to stay was long enough for them to get tired. Two hours of the road trip after a long flight was tiresome for both James and Maya but when they saw the place they were going to live in, both of them were awestruck.
It was a beautiful country house with a garden of its own. The modern architecture was beautiful. "It's a beautiful house…" Maya whispered.
"Mr Kyschove has a taste for perfection in everything. Even though the house is for guests of the company, he asked for the perfect design, as you can see."
Maya nodded. She understood that Mr Kyschove demands perfection in everything and she wanted to deliver perfection in her work so that she could make a name for herself in the jewellery world. James held her waist softly, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"The house is perfect, Dove," she rested her head on James' Shoulder and sighed, comfortably.
" The kitchen is filled with groceries, please feel free to use them as per your wishes. You will get an allowance for food starting next week as the kitchen is well stocked for this week. A car will be here to pick you both tomorrow, but you will get a car from the company for your personal use starting next week after we finish with the formalities. Be ready till Nine tomorrow," saying that she turned around and left.
"Let's decide on our rooms and change into something comfortable. I am tited and hungry and want a long night's sleep."
Maya understood the need for sleep. She didn't sleep a single second on the flight even though she wanted it. The thoughts of the future kept her awake the whole flight and now she wanted nothing else but to sleep leisurely.
"Hey, Dove, why don't you cook something till I take a bath?"
Maya pinched her lips in a thin line. She knew he would say that. The lazy ass would never enter the kitchen unless he was dying of hunger and even then he would wait for someone to cook for him. "You should learn how to cook too, James. I won't be here with you your whole life to feed you."
He pulled her into a bear hug. "Why, there is no one who can tolerate your presence other than me?"
Maya rolled her eyes and went to take a bath so that she would feel energetic enough to cook for the mighty king James.
Maya was enthusiastic when she entered the kitchen after showering. The kitchen was a dream for every baker. There was only one word to describe it and that was: perfect. Everything was shining as if they were newly bought for the house. Up to now, she was impressed with the hospitality of the company.
"I can kiss your hands, the cake is out of the world, Maya," James said. The two big pieces of cake were already eaten up and he was on his third piece. "I am going to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow. Goodnight James and don't leave the dirty dishes on the table."
Maya said as she turned to go to her bedroom when she heard James mumbling, "Have I ever left dirty dishes on the table?"
She chuckled. "Every day, James. You leave them on the table every day. It's a new place, a new journey and I want you to at least change a bad habit of yours," she answered, turning her head with a strict expression on her face but knew it was useless on him.
"Goodnight, James," saying that she went to her bedroom and closed her eyes to sleep.
James let out a low whistle to see the magnificent building of The Belle. "This is a huge turn on to work."
Maya glared at him. "Shut up and focus on what she is telling us."
"You are lucky that you will be working under our head designer. He is a darling to work with, so don't disappoint him, Miss Aniston."
James perked his brow. "And what about me, Anastasia? Am I working under your darling head designer too?"
"No, you will be working in a different department that has less to do with designing and more to do with the research of the ancient arts. That's where your expertise lies isn't it?"
James nodded. "Yes."
"Zeta will take you to your department, Mr James and you may come with me, Miss Aniston."
Maya was excited and nervous at the same time. She didn't want her boss to dislike her. She didn't want to do anything wrong. "Don't be nervous, as I said Nicolas is a darling to work with."
Maya agreed with Anastasia when she met Nicolas. He was truly a darling, only ten years older than her. He had achieved so much in life but there was not an ounce of arrogance in him. He listened to Maya's thoughts about the designs he was working on and only spoke when she finished. Corrected her where she was wrong and accepted her suggestion to make the design more eye-catching.
"You are good at reading the designs, Maya. Here," he handed her a big sketchbook, "these are the rough illustrations of my recent design. Read them and hand me the report of what you think about each of them. You have a week, not a single day more."
Maya nodded. "I will submit you the report, Nicolas."
The beginning of her journey was smooth and comfortable. Her job as intern was good, it pays well and she had started to like the surroundings in the neighbourhood. The neighbours are well-behaving people, the polite morning and evening greetings were common and she liked it. She even made a friend, Vera. A middle-aged woman. She talks too much but it was good for Maya as she helped her with her broken Russian. Maya was happy, It was peaceful here, just the way Maya liked it and she prayed that nothing spoiled her peaceful life…
Dmitry Kyschove frowned as he eyed the man on his knees, begging. Eight Million Rubles, that's how much he took from him and now he was crying because he didn't have the money to pay it back.
Zachary Kicked the man right in the guts and the man crawled on the floor, crying in pain. "I will pay every single penny but give me a little time, Mr Kyschove. Please don't hurt me."
Dmitry shifted his eyes to Zachary once again. He understood the unspoken command and hit him again. The man cried like a pussy begging for mercy on him, Mercy which Dmitry didn't have on anyone, let alone on the men who didn't pay his money back.
The man touched his bloody hand to Dmitry's shoes, staining them with his dirty blood. The action sparked a rage in Dmitry.
Zachary froze when he noticed the man's hand on his Pakhan's shoes. He cursed in his mind as he watched Dmitry straighten his posture.
Dmitry's eyes turned hard and he grabbed the man's jaw in one swift moment. "kak ty smeyesh' prikasat'sya ko men." (How Dare you touch me?)
The man froze hearing the darkness in Dmitry's voice. "Pakhan…" Dmitry didn't give him the chance to speak any further, he pulled out his knife from his socks and dug it into that man's hand receiving an agonized shriek. "The shoes are worth more than your life, svoloch." (Bastard)
Dmitry grabbed that man by his hair and raised his bloodied face. "If I don't have my money till tomorrow, the knife will be stuck in your mouth, not your hand," he warned him and threw him like a rabid dog against the concrete floor and walked out of the place like a king that he was. Dmitry shook his head as he cleaned his hand with a handkerchief and threw it to one of his men who take care of things like this for him.
"You came unannounced, Pakhan," Zachary opened the door of the black luxurious car. Dmitry gave him a curt nod and settled inside. Dmitry was the Pakhan, he was the boss of bosses of the Russian underworld and he had thousands of people for this work but still, he decided to come here today for a minor sum of Eight Million Ruble. It was how he ruled over his men and territory. His people fear and respect him at the same time and he wanted them to feel that way. They should be aware that their death was just a bullet away if they ever tried to cross Dmitry Kyschove.
Zachary was still looking for an answer from Dmitry. He was probably the only man who could gaze at him like that, Zachary was his right-hand man, he was the closest thing he had for a friend. "You know why."
Zachary nodded. "Right."
He was tapping his shoe continuously wanting nothing else than to change the shoe. It gave him a dirty vibe as if insects were crawling over his body. Zachary noticed that too and looked out the window. They were in the residential area of their men and a shopping store was just around the corner. He ordered the driver to pull the car side so that they could go and buy a pair of shoes for Dmitry.
Because Zachary knew how much he hated being dirty.
Dmitry looked out the window and found a few children playing but a child was sitting alone and watching them with longing in his eyes. He frowned and opened the door of the car, walked to that kid and snapped his fingers in front of his eyes. "Why are you not playing?"
The boy's eyes widened seeing Dmitry. There was hardly anyone who didn't know him in the neighbourhood. "Pakhan…"
Dmitry nodded. "Answer me."
"He beat me because I play better than him. He can't defeat me in a fair match so he and his friends beat me after the match," the boy said, pointing at the teenage boy who was playing the football match.
Dmitry nodded. "Go and slap the boy right in the face."
"But he will hurt me again…"
Dmitry smirked. "I don't want weak people in Bratva. So either kill or get killed. If he slapped you, you will go and slap him back."
The boy nodded and went to his bully and slapped him hard across the face and a fight broke on the ground. He went there and grabbed the other boy with his neck. "Who…"
He froze in Dmitry's hold. "Pakhan…"
"This is my territory and here only I have the right to bully anyone, kid. What is your age?" Dmitry demanded.
"Thirteen, Pakhan."
"You will get inducted in three years, so learn your place."
The kid nodded and Dmitry turned to leave. He was walking towards his car but when he reached the intersection a brunette bumped into him hard.
Tension shot through his body, it could be an attempt to kill him. He had suffered many of them in the past, he was about to pull out his gun when the brunette spoke and his hand stilled on his gun.
"My eggs! Oh no, the milk is spilt too…" she muttered irritably.
Maya looked down at her weekly Groceries which were nothing but a mess now. Only the vegetables were in good condition other than that, everything was wasted on the road. She sat down on the road and picked up the tomatoes which were scattered here and there.
"Why are you standing like a statue? Help me!" She snapped at the man.
Dmitry grimaced when he watched his shirt, ruined with egg yolk. He was disgusted, not to mention the rotten smell of raw eggs was disturbing him and the woman was irritating him with her words. Who the hell was she to order him that too in the streets?
"Are you deaf! Help me!" She once again scolded him. The girl was speaking in English, so she was not a native. "Who Are you and where are you from?" He demanded.
Maya stood up. "Oh so now you want an introduction when you should be helping me for your mistake. Stop behaving like a freaking king and help me gather the groceries you have ruined so efficiently and then sir you have to pay me for destroying my groceries."
Dmitry grabbed her hand in a bruising grip. "Don't use this tone with me and learn to walk properly on my streets." He hissed, glaring at her one last time before putting his shoe on the tomatoes and leaving her standing there, stunned by his actions.
Maya went home with an empty grocery bag and two tomatoes in her hands. "Dove? What happened to you?"
Maya threw the tomatoes at James in anger. "It's all because of you, you Lazy Ass! A man manhandled me on the streets."
James froze. "What?" He asked, stunned. "Are you alright? What did he do?"
Maya told him everything and shook her head in anger. "I will kill him if I ever find him again, so pray I won't meet that bastard again."
"You will try to stay away from people like him," James said stiffly and Maya nodded in understanding.
Dmitry called Zachary. "Buy some clothes for me too. A bitch has ruined my clothes."
Dmitry eyed his white shirt which was smeared with egg yolk. "Don't meet me again or I will kill you!"
They don't want to meet again but destiny had other plans for them. Plans none of them thought about!