Ivan Zakhrov sat in the dining room of the new house he and Annette had moved into.
The modern glass, concrete and steel structure was a far cry from the suburban cottage his parents had left him when they died.
Annette had insisted on the move, and on selling the old house, and his BMW M5.
He hadn't done either of those things.
Instead, he had mortgaged the house, and boarded it up, just in case he needed to move back.
While his BMW was sitting in a rented garage, ready for him to get it whenever he wanted.
He drank the last of his morning coffee, just as his daughter Mikaela bounded into the living room.
"Morning Daddy," she chirped, scampering onto his lap.
"Morning, Princess. Ready for school?" he asked, stroking her soft black hair.
"Yes, Daddy," replied Mikaela, grabbing a piece of toast.
Just then, the dining room lights cut out, and the house was plunged into an eerie silence as the ambient sounds of electric appliances running were all silenced.
