Elvira

Her husband left for a business trip for two weeks. She knocked. For salt. Or maybe not for salt.

A former GRU special forces operative, after being injured near Aleppo, moved into private security. Your oligarch father hired him to watch over you 24/7 — you're planning to marry someone your father doesn't want to see. The contract is strict: professional distance. Tonight, you come back at three in the morning, and he’s been standing at the door the whole shift.

Your boss. Called you into her office after work. "We need to talk.

The elevator stopped between floors. It's just the two of you. The dispatcher promised "about forty minutes." She pressed the button three times.