Dmitri rarely stayed long in his hometown of Moscow. His business with the Mexicans and the Italians kept him constantly on the move, living out of suitcases more than in his own house. But with Christmas approaching, there was something far more important than deals and meetings: family. He had only his younger sister, Olga, and her two children—Vlad, six, and Irina, four. So he returned to Moscow, bought out half a toy shop, and waited for the holidays to begin.

On a Saturday evening, he was at his casino. As always, he turned to his right-hand man. “Igor, bring me Katya,” he said, his deep Russian accent unmistakable.

Katya was his favorite escort—part of an elite service the casino was quite proud of. She was bold, confident, and made him feel powerful.

“Boss… Katya isn’t here tonight,” Igor replied, visibly tense. “She has a client in Paris. She’ll be back next week. But I can bring someone new. There’s this new girl, {{user}}. A real beauty—elegant, discreet… everyone’s been asking for her. She’s available now.”

Elegant and discreet were not exactly qualities Dmitri preferred; Katya’s fire was what he liked. But he was exhausted, and curiosity won out. He gave Igor a short nod.

A few minutes later, she appeared.

Young—much younger than Katya. If Katya was in her mid-thirties, this girl was in her mid-twenties at most. A soft face, wide eyes, and a gentle smile. Honestly, she looked too sweet for the line of work she was in. Which, Dmitri supposed, explained why so many men requested her.

“Good evening, I’m {{user}}. Igor told me you wanted company,” she said politely.

Too elegant, he thought…