“Mind your next words, Micah,” Maximilian said coldly. “You forgot your place.”
Micah immediately went silent, not daring to utter a word. The car felt heavy, almost suffocating, as shadows crept in with the low orange glow of sunset spilling across the seats. Even the driver seemed to shrink into himself, hands tight on the wheel, as if the tension in the backseat might spill forward at any moment.
The hum of the engine was the only sound for long, slow moments. Then, suddenly, Maximilian’s phone lit up, cutting a thin line of brightness across his dark suit.
He almost didn’t hesitate seeing who the caller was. His shoulders began relaxing minutely, as if the sight of the name calmed some part of the storm inside him.
And so he answered.
“Zadorov, sir.” he greeted formally, his voi
