𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑥 ✔︎ || 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑

43

~ ilya ~

Phoenix stayed silent for the rest of the night.

Even as we entered the compound together, she wordlessly hurried off in the direction of the basement I presumed. She and Katarina were not a good pair.

I returned with a stiff frown to my office. I hadn't even sat down before Aleksey barged in.

Unbothered to reprimand his impolite entrance, I raised a brow.

"Они здесь," he announced. [They're here]

I immediately understood his message. Damn it! I hadn't expected the move to happen so quickly. And to make matters worse, Aliena and her Belarusians were still here in the city and they despised the Italians. At the rate of our negotiations, they'd be here for at least another week and a half, which was suddenly too dangerous.

"I want you to make sure the Belarusians do not hear a word of this," I warned Aleksey, gravely.

My second-in-command nodded with seriousness. "Of course."

"I'll get Milena to check the two girls. Have they reached the safe house yet?"

"They should be on their way from the hangar now."

I nodded, stiffly. "Then, begin the preparations."

"I will," Aleksey agreed, turning to leave.

"Wait!" I called.

He stopped in his tracks.

"Make sure Phoenix doesn't hear a word of this."

He nodded, obediently.

To my alarm, a third voice interrupted.

"Hear a word of what?" Phoenix demanded, materialising in the doorway.

I stood abruptly, knocking my chair down.

Aleksey looked apprehensively between us. "I will leave now," he said before disappearing from the room.

"What are you hiding, Ilya?" Phoenix questioned again, her eyes narrowing into suspicious slits.

"I found you a job," I lied smoothly. My eyes dropped from hers as I shuffled some documents around my desk.

"Really?" Phoenix was unconvinced.

"It was meant to be a surprise," I forced through gritted teeth.

Why was she always at the wrong place at the wrong time?

"Oh," was the blunt response, before-

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Ilya!"

I had barely time to blink before she hurled her small body into mine. Guilty warmth filled me as I cautiously raised my arms to wrap around her. Had she so easily believed me? Of course, she was beginning to trust me.

"I thought you would never agree!" her muffled voice exclaimed into my chest. "Thank you so much, Ilya! I lo-"

Suddenly, she tensed. Phoenix pulled away, seemingly shaken. She cleared her throat and asked, "So what is it?"

"What's what?"

"My job, Ilya! What do I do?" she demanded, looking at me strangely.

"Oh." Clearing my throat, I sized her up before deciding, "You can be my assistant."

I was slightly offended when her face fell.

"Your assistant," she repeated, with doubt.

"It's the only occupation that is free. We can negotiate a salary and working hours later. But if you don't want the job..." I trailed off, baiting a reaction.

"No!" she rushed to explain. "I was just surprised and besides, I don't want money, Ilya."

I furrowed my brows in bafflement. "Then, why do you want a job?"

Phoenix held my stare fiercely. "I can't live here for free, Ilya-"

"That is not a problem."

"It... it doesn't feel right. I was supposed to go to university and be my own independent woman," she explained, wistfully, seeming lost in her mind.

Something clenched painfully in my chest.

"And now that I can't do that, I still want to make something of my life." Her eyes met mine again, this time filled with determination.

I felt a helplesssness consume me because I couldn't provide what she desperately wanted. Nonetheless, I could not- would not allow her to travel five thousand miles away from me and attend an overpriced institution. Nor would it feel right to allow her to slave under the authority of another man. She had to be her 'own independent woman' right here, beside me, where she belonged.

"I see," I mused eventually.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"So, um, when do I start?" Phoenix ventured, timidly.

I watched her bite her lip. Maybe this was a bad idea. How could I possibly concentrate on anything with her around?

Nonetheless, a little reluctantly, I said, "Eight a.m. sharp tomorrow morning."

Surely, there must be something good about this arrangement. I could always keep an eye on the little troublemaker, for instance.

A small smile crept onto her lips. "Yessir!"

My own mouth quirked with amusement. "Are you sure you want the job, Phoenix? It will be hard and after you sign the contact...."

"What contact?" she demanded, sceptically.

"This one." Without hesitation, I grabbed a pen and some paper and began to scrawl on it. After a moment, I signed the makeshift contact myself before extending it to her.

With a quick glance, her eyes narrowed. "I can't read Russian, Ilya," she said with deadpan.

"Well then, you will just have to trust me, won't you?"

She glared at me whilst contemplating the offer. I was sure she wouldn't take it until to my surprise, she scribbled on her signature and thrust the paper defiantly back at me.

"Eight a.m, right?"

I nodded.

"Fine, boss," she muttered before spinning on her heel and leaving.

My eyes narrowed at her sarcasm but I let it go with a apprehensive exhale.

What havoc would she wreak tomorrow?

I let my eyes fall to the unexpected contract, unable to resist a smile. Our signatures were side by side - an unspoken agreement of more than she would ever know.

Ты будешь моим телом и душой, сердцем и духом. И я обещаю всегда защищать и заботиться о тебе.

𝑥𝑜
𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖎