“Everything will be okay. Forget it.”
“Thank you.”
“Come on. We shouldn’t stay here.”
“He went crazy looking for that necklace,” Ruslan said as they drove back. “They turned the whole hotel upside down, dug up everything here—but never found it.”
“Seriously?!” Viktoriya’s eyes widened.
“Yeah. It’s worth a lot. What did you think?” he said, glancing at her.
Then, after a moment’s thought, he added:
“I think we need to get out of here. Take everything and move somewhere else.”
“I agree,” Viktoriya replied immediately. “Let it all burn in hell!”
He said nothing. He took the necklace with him. Told her not to worry—he’d be back in two days after his shift. Viktoriya thanked God—for help, for a home, for a mother, for her rescuer.
She became devout, praying with Aunt Masha—now called Mother. They prayed on their knees, morning and night. Viktoriya dyed her red hair chestnut brown. She braided it and walked around the village in simple clothes.
Yes, she was still beautiful—but different now. She’d gained some weight, her belly was growing. No one could recognize the club girl she once was. That Viktoriya had drowned. For her safety, they changed her name from Viktoriya to Veronika. Aunt Masha started calling her Verochka.
“And where are you from, Verochka?” the villagers would ask.
“From Obninsk,” she’d reply. “My husband died. My aunt took me in. Car crash—quick death.”
And so they lived. And the necklace lay hidden, waiting for its time.
Six months passed. Robert had more than doubled the factory’s productivity. The company kept growing—they bought an additional large warehouse and divided it into two sections, opening a second production site. They hired more staff. Olga Nikolaevna also joined the business, as there was far too much work to handle.
Lana couldn’t stand his indifference anymore. She decided it was time for a serious talk. She came to his home in the evening. He opened the door, surprised by her sudden visit.
“I need to talk to you about something important,” she said.
He silently let her in. She walked into the living room and, without taking off her coat, got straight to the point.
“I know your heart still hurts…” she lowered her eyes, nervously fidgeting with the strap of her purse.
“Don’t,” he cut her off coldly.
“Please, let me finish,” she pleaded.
Robert stood across from her with a serious expression on his face.
“Give me a chance,” she said, looking up at him with her big blue eyes filled with love and hope. “I’ll make you happy. I’ll give you children, and you’ll forget everything! We can build a wonderful family—you and I are a perfect match. Just look, Robert, we work so well together. I need you. And you can fill your lonely life with my care and love. Just try…”
