Page 5 of Tyrant

Zakhar

Monday…

I sharply eyed my assistant. “Tell me.”

Nathan wore a tweed suit that clung too closely to his small figure. His sharp dark eyes always seem to glare at me as he stared at me unblinking. Yet, his fidgeting was what gave away his either fear or disgust. It didn’t bother me either way. The most important thing was the way he carried out his task … and he was a good assistant.

“Her name is Carla Montrose. She’s American and well versed in several languages, beautiful, and well-travelled. Would you like to know more?”

“No. I suppose we will need something to talk about and she might love talking about herself.”

“I think she’s the perfect fit, Sir.”

She sounded annoying at first thought, but I put that aside and asked, “Time and place?”

“The Chandra Adwani Restaurant at 2pm. I made the reservations, and they will accommodate her until you arrive.”

“Good, have the car brought to the entrance.”

“Mr. Mikhailov, your brother arrived home safely.”

I nodded, moving from behind my desk while adjusting my tie. “Ensure his safety until I return home.”

By safety I meant that our personal security detail would keep him guarded … always, with detailed information relayed to me daily about his whereabouts. We didn’t need another scandal on our hands, and I sure didn’t want to have to be more drastic when it came to my older sibling. This was for the best … for us all.

“About your father…”

I stopped directly in front of him. “I will be late if you keep delaying me.”

Nathan bowed his head. “My apologies, Sir.”

It was now midday, and I was twenty minutes away from the restaurant. Given the afternoon traffic, I might get there in forty-five minutes. My driver took the shortest route and we arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early. The hostess guided me to my table, and I was half expecting to see my date. However, there was no one there.

According to Nathan, this woman was an American and she was staying at the hotel across the street, hence the choice of this meeting place. I was expecting her to be early. As the time approached, I was doubting this date. At five minutes after two, I decided to allow her another five minutes in which to arrive … because she was a foreigner and I wanted to be generous.

At ten past, I stood and started moving away from the table when a tall, thin, blond rushed up to the table. She was everything I was not looking for in a wife or the mother of my children.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, sliding into a chair. “I was caught up with work and lost track of time.”

I turned in her direction, still standing. “You’re ten minutes late. I despise tardiness.”

“Well, I’m here now. So why don’t we get to know each other. I’m sure you’ll find me irresistible within five minutes.” She held up a hand splaying her fingers. “Can’t you give a girl five minutes?”

Aversely, I returned to my seat. “You got five minutes to convince me to pursue this.”

A coquettish grin graced her features. “As you can see, I’m beautiful, I love sports and am pretty successful. I travel a lot and have experienced many cultures.”

“What’s your occupation?”

“Social media marketer.”

“Oh, you’re into marketing. What companies are under your portfolio?”

“I have my own business.”

This sparked my interest. “A business owner, in what field exactly?”

“Oh, I … hmmm … a ….,” she stuttered.

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