Kira looked at this young girl who was just a pawn in someone else’s game, and sighed.
“I don’t blame you. You are his victim too. He used you like he used me. Just for different purposes.”
“I will never get involved with a married man again,” Olga wiped away tears. “Never. I learned my lesson.”
“Take care of yourself,” Kira touched her hand. “And be more careful with those you trust.”
Olga nodded and left. Her mother, Larisa Cherkasova, looked gratefully at Kira. She hadn’t expected such humane treatment of her daughter from a woman who almost died because of their connection with Pavel.
In late September, the court handed down the sentence. Pavel Lavrentiev was found guilty of attempted murder and received nine years in a strict regime colony. Pavel turned pale upon hearing the sentence, tried to say something, but the guards already led him out of the courtroom.
Kira walked out onto the street. Leaves were falling from the trees, covering the sidewalk with a golden carpet. She closed her eyes and felt the heavy burden fall from her shoulders. It was all over. Pavel received the punishment he deserved, and she had a whole life ahead of her.
Gordey was waiting for her by the car. He attended all the hearings, supported her, was there in the most difficult moments. Over these three months, a special bond had arisen between them, based on trust and mutual respect.
“Congratulations,” he said when Kira approached. “Justice has prevailed.”
“Thanks to you,” Kira smiled. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive right now. So fate brought us together at the right moment.”
Gordey opened the car door for her.
“Where to?”
“Home.”
“To my apartment?”
“I haven’t been there in a long time.”
The divorce was finalized even before the trial. Under the prenuptial agreement, Pavel received nothing; all property remained with Kira. She also annulled the will. Kira’s business didn’t suffer during the trial. Her deputies handled current affairs, and she periodically connected to work remotely. But now that it was all over, she planned to return to full activity.
A month after the verdict, Kira met with Gordey at a restaurant. Not the one where Pavel poisoned her (she would never return there), but a new place, bright and cozy, with a beautiful view of the river.
“I wanted to tell you something,” Gordey said when they ordered dinner. “A business proposal.”
“I’m listening,” Kira took a sip of water from her glass.
“Our businesses complement each other. You deal with care homes for the elderly, I with private clinics and medical centers. What if we join forces? Create a joint network of medical institutions with a full cycle of service: from outpatient treatment to long-term care residency.”
Kira thought about it. The idea was interesting. Such cooperation could truly benefit both.
“This could work,” she said slowly. “But we need to carefully work out all the details. Financial model, management structure, division of powers.”
“Of course. I’ve already asked my lawyers to prepare a preliminary plan. We can meet next week to discuss details.”
“Agreed.”
They continued dinner, talking about business, plans, life. Kira noticed that she felt easy and comfortable with Gordey. He didn’t pressure, didn’t try to control, treated her as an equal. It was so unlike her relationship with Pavel, where she always felt obligated, guilty, not good enough.
A few weeks later, they began working on the joint project. They met several times a week, discussed details, argued, found compromises. Anfisa Savitskaya, Gordey’s mother, also joined the work, consulting on medical aspects. Evgeny Rudnitsky offered his clinic as a pilot project to test the new service model…
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