That Summer In The Country

Forty-nine:

Forty-nine:

It was three weeks before Alina heard anything from her old life. Ana Kuya had moved them to Duva. Far from Keramzin, and far from Os Alta. The house Ana had was small, but she explained, she had bought it as more of a retirement home. It was one story, with a room for her aunt, and a room for herself, and a tiny garden.

Ana quickly found work as a landscaper, taking care of neighbor's gardens. While Alina finished school and worked weekends at a local café. At night, she woke up sometimes calling Aleksanders name, or Mals, and she would sob herself to sleep. There had not been a single call or text from either of them.

One night, when she was about to close up the little café she worked at, Alina heard a familiar voice call, "Alina?" She was certain she had made it up, but when she turned, she saw Nina Zenik standing there with a smile on her face.

"Nina!" Alina put down the broom she'd been using to sweep up the floor and ran to her, hugging her tightly.

Nina beamed. "Well, I'm glad to see that you're alive. But what the hell are you doing here?"

Alina sighed. "Aleksander took us to The Islands, and everything went to hell. Genya was there and I found out the truth about her and Mal did too. When I got home, it turned out my aunt was involved in Genya's accident because it was meant for Aleks and I'm.... we're not together anymore."

Nina frowned. "Well, at least that explains why Aleksander's been so horrible and how Mal's working for Nikolai."

"What?" Alina was shocked.

She nodded. "He never came home after your little trip, and the next day it was announced that he was working for Nikolai Lantsov instead of finishing school. He's going to be his CFO or something. Aleksander's furious, and he's locked himself up in his office for weeks and has been having Fedyor do everything for him."

"What are you doing here?" Alina asked. "Did Aleksander ask you to come get me..."

Nina shook her head. "Though, I'm half tempted to take you back anyway. No, I was sent to give you this. It was sent to us by Nikolai's father." Nina shoved a big, yellow envelope into her hand.

Alina raised an eyebrow. "I've never met Petyr Lantsov. Why's he sending me mail through Aleksander?"

"You'd have to open it and find out. Aleksander told me to tell you it was up to you to sign it, but that you didn't have to."

Alina wondered if she shouldn't wait to open it when Nina wasn't there. But she couldn't help herself. She had nothing to do with the Lantsov family. Why was the head of it sending her something through Aleksander?

When she opened it, she pulled out pictures. Pictures from the day Genya had dropped off little Mika and Alina had watched him. Written across them were the words, TELL NO ONE in big, red letters.

There was also a document there that Alina recognized from when Aleksander and Mal had had her sign one. "A nondisclosure agreement?"

Nina peered over her shoulder at it. "Is that Genya in those pictures? With a kid?"

Alina nodded.

"Shit. Shit..."

"What?" Alina looked up at Nina.

"Well, I'd heard rumors, but I thought they were rumors. These same pictures were sent to the papers a few days ago. The press is trying to make it look like the kid is Aleksander's, and with you there..."

"It makes it seem like Aleks has a thing for underage girls," Alina finished.

Nina nodded. "I keep on trying to get him to talk to the press about it but he won't say anything. He keeps on saying it isn't his story to tell."

"Nina, how'd the press get those pictures? Does he know?"

"It's very unusual. He won't talk about anything. Normally, if someone were to name him in a scandal, Aleksander would do whatever it took to clear his name. But I think he's refusing to talk because he doesn't want to hurt Genya and he doesn't want to hurt you. Petyr Lantsov is enjoying every minute of it. He's trying to force the Morozova's to sell to him because of it, and the board of directors is seriously pressuring Aleksander to do it."

"And what about Mal? He's just letting all of this happen?" Alina said.

"Mal won't do anything that will hurt Genya. Telling the truth would hurt her. And he won't do anything to help with Aleksander."

Alina took a breath. "So, it's a no-win situation."

Nina nodded. "Aleksander said to tell you that part of the deal was that if you signed, Petyr would give you money. You were supposed to name your price."

Alina frowned. It wasn't so different from the deal that she had had with Aleksander and Mal at the beginning. "He wants me to write his story, doesn't he?"

Nina shrugged. "You probably know Aleksander better than anyone. What will it be, Alina? Are you going to paint him a hero or make him a villain?"

She didn't know. On the one hand, if Aleksander still loved her, she would do anything for him. On the other, if she was a summer fling gone bad, and he were trying to cover it up....

"Is Mal answering your calls?" Alina asked.

Nina frowned. "I haven't exactly tried. Aleksander told me not to."

"Well, he's not answering mine. Do you think you can try and pass along a message for me?"

"I can try," Nina said, "what message?"

Alina grabbed a napkin off of one of the café tables nearby. She scribbled a message to Mal, then slipped it to Nina.

"How much time do I have to decide?" Alina asked.

"A week," Nina answered.

A week, and the entire fate of the Morozova company would be decided by Alina and Genya.

"Right," said Alina, "can you do something else for me?"

Nina smiled. "Of course."

"I need to talk to Genya too."