Chapter 16

*Even the smartest of men knows when to give up.

Michal sighed. It was a stretch to think that she would not figure it out, anyways. The first impression he had of her- a spoilt brat who made sure that she threw enough tantrums to have her way was rapidly changing. She was very smart, logical with just a hint of tricky.

Fine. He would admit it to her. But not the whole truth. She did not need to know the things that she did not already know. But, he knew that he also had to be convincing or she would not believe him.

So, he sighed- dramatically.

“Okay, you got me. I saw you remove the envelopes and put them back in. But, I had no idea that they were letters from your mother.”

“Then why did you stop me from asking Luyeva?”

“Because I saw your expression when you opened the first. It was first shock, then anger and pain. I quickly summed up that it had to be a terrible secret for you to go through those three stages that fast. The reason why I asked you not to spill is because I feared it would affect your governess’s heart.”

“Her heart?” Katya’s expression was *what the hell are you saying?

Michal shrugged.
“Maybe I have come to care for her a little more than expected. But I wasn’t sure that her fragile self could handle something like that. She would probably go into shock.

And, there is another reason. If she already knew about the letters, you would be disappointed in her. Terribly. I just figured it was best not to ruin the day for everyone.”

Then he tsked.
“And maybe I was thinking about myself too. I do not want to be the middleman that tries to calm everybody down. That is, above my pay grade.”

One arm went on Katya’s waist.
“Selfish much?”

“If it makes my job easier, then yes. The letters- you said they were from your mother. I thought…I thought she died a long time ago?” Michal carefully redirected the conversation back, asking the question with a very concerned expression enveloping his facial features.

Katya looked worried.

*He should have considered becoming an actor.

“She is- she died two years after I was born. Which is why I need answers. Why I was trying to get answers. The letters were sent from an address in Russia, where one of my aunts live. There are sixteen of them and each one was sent every year after I turned two till I became sixteen. I desperately need to know why these letters were sent from my aunt and why I never got them.”

“What about asking your father? You found them in his office,” Michal suggested, even though he knew the answer.

Katya was petrified.
“Ask my father? Papa would scold me for going into his office and ban me from ever speaking about the letters. Just the same way he said I was to never wear my mother’s clothes again.”

“Do you want to take a trip to Russia? Find out for yourself?” It was going on a limb, but he had to ask.

“Papa made me swear that I would never step foot there. I don’t know why, but every time I bring up the subject of going to see my relatives, he gets really angry.
Besides, how would I get there? Luyeva is here and she monitors my credit spending. She would definitely know if I purchased an airline ticket. Then she’ll call the airline and tell them to cancel. It’s a bad idea.”

She looked so distressed at the thought of going to Russia. He could see genuine sadness in her eyes and in the way her shoulders slumped.
He did not know when he said-

“Sit, let’s talk. I might find a way around this.”






He sat beside her, thinking hard.

“You can find a way? That doesn’t involve me having to ask my papa or Luyeva for permission?”

He nodded. *He had a plan

“It depends on how much you want answers. Because there is a large possibility that you might get into trouble.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“Me?” He gave her a winning smile. “I’ll be fine. I might never work for your father again but I’ll find a job somewhere else.”

“What if he decides to press charges for kidnapping? I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“Is that genuine concern?”

Katya rolled her eyes at him and he laughed.
“Don’t make a big deal out of it. I just don’t want to see you go to jail for something you did not do. But since you sound so smug and confident, I’m going to forget that I ever asked.”

“But I won’t forget it,” he told her.

“At that point, it become your headache, doesn’t it?”

“You have a point. Alright. Here is what I think. I can buy you two days at most. We’ll leave in the morning and you will come back on the third day. If all goes according to plan, your governess will only notice your absence on the third day.
Let’s just hope she doesn’t get too paranoid and get the cops involved before you show up,” he explained.

“How will you convince her for the first and second day that I haven’t gone anywhere?”

*There are many things you don’t know, Katya. And it is best that you do not know those things.

“Like I said, leave it to me. Do you know your aunt’s address? It’ll be pointless getting there and having to ask around.”

She nodded- a sure, defiant nod.
“It’s been a while since I wrote her, but the address on the letter matches the one I know. That is why it was so familiar,” she reminded him.

“Good”

“When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? We just talked about it now. How did you get everything-

Michal simply extended his hands, as if to mimic a bow.
“You can say thank you.”