“Sergey isn’t exactly sentimental.” It’s the understatement of the century. “He didn’t see two needy kids on his doorstep; he saw two potential investments. Apparently, he saw something in me worth investing in.”
“That’s so cruel,” she gasps.
“I wasn’t in a position to refuse. Especially when living with Sergey gave me the opportunity to pass my good fortune on to Emily.”
Her eyelids flutter. “You stayed in touch?”
“When Emily let me.” I nod. “Once she aged out of the system, she got good at dodging the radar. Whenever she popped up, I gave her food and money. I took care of her as well as I could before I was running things.”
“And after you were running things?” Piper asks.
“She was the first person I hired. I brought her on as an… an assistant, I guess you could call it. She had ev
