CHAPTER 3. NIK’S ATTEMPTS
Slender beams of the evening sun slipped through the heavy drapes in the study, where Frank—an influential politician and businessman—sat at an imposing oak desk. Usually, people came here hoping to ingratiate themselves for the sake of subsidies, positions, or connections. But now it was Frank’s own son, Nik, standing before him, arms folded in a stubborn gesture. Frank’s gaze was cold, tinged with contempt. An unmistakable tension filled the room, as if invisible sparks were crackling in the air.
Frank had accomplished everything on his own: in his youth, he had been through fire and water, clawed his way into politics, pulled off business breakthroughs, and amassed a fortune that ensured he would never want for anything. Now that Nik had reached the age when
