NIKOLAI
Zoe was smiling.
And for the first time in weeks, it wasn't a sarcastic or defensive smile. It was a genuine, bright smile, the kind that distracts you even in the middle of a meeting with investors who could buy and sell you in a second. I had seated her next to me, under the pretense that I needed logistical support, but in reality, I wanted to see her navigate that environment.
I must admit it bothered me when I saw her smile at someone else. Damn it, she was my wife, and although I knew things with her weren't serious, there was a certain discomfort I didn't understand. For now, in the eyes of others, she was just an assistant my brother had hired.
The appointed architect was explaining the new renderings for the Villa Solaris complex, an ambitious project in which investor
