The Mathias residence was quieter than Alex expected, the kind of quiet that came from thick walls, expensive floors and staff who had mastered the art of existing without being noticed.
Alex followed the house steward through the corridor. His gaze wandered. Old paintings. Dark wood. A ridiculous amount of gold detailing. Tasteful. Very tasteful that he approved.
The steward stopped before a pair of double doors and opened them. "Please wait in the study, Mr Sergeyev."
Alex stepped inside. "Will Mrs Mathias be long?"
"She has been informed of your arrival, sir."
Alex looked around.
The study was large, lined floor to ceiling with books. Heavy curtains framed tall windows overlooking the grounds. A wide desk occupied the far end, everything across its surface arranged with almost irritating precision.
Alex checked his watch. He hated waiting. Time was becoming the fucking problem, every hour this remained unresolved meant another delay.
Another client asking questions. Another inconvenience multiplying into something considerably more expensive.
The Mathias family had influence. Not old-money influence, but enough that the conversation was worth having. Footsteps sounded beyond the study and Alex turned towards the entrance.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Heels appeared first, then long legs. Alex stared as Zarri walked into the study. Impeccably dressed. Expression composed. Not a trace of the woman who had been lying in his bed earlier.
She crossed the room without hesitation and stopped behind the desk. Their eyes met.
"What can I do for you, Mr Sergeyev?"
Alex blinked. "Princesa?"
Zarri's expression did not change. He looked towards the door, then back at her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I live here." A smile finally touched her mouth. "This is my house."
Alex rubbed the back of his neck. "Mathias. Of course. Why the fuck didn't I know that?" He gestured vaguely towards the door. "I'm here to see your mother."
Zarri said nothing.
"There's something important I need to discuss with her." He paused. "Business stuff."
Zarri laughed and walked around the desk. She stopped against its edge, folded her arms and regarded him comfortably. "Mr Sergeyev, whatever business you have with my mother can go through me."
Alex's expression emptied. Something about this was wrong or perhaps something about what he thought he knew had been wrong. "Princesa," he said slowly, "I don't think you understand what kind of business I'm here to discuss."
Zarri's mouth curved. Nothing particularly sweet about it. She glanced towards the old clock on the wall and back at him. "I think you'll find I'm capable." She tilted her head. "And considering the situation you're in, you're going to need all the help you can get."
"So talk fast." Her smile sharpened. "Time is ticking."
💜~~~~~~
By the time Kashi arrived at the Mathias residence, she was already irritated as she walked in.
Chaos and Alex occupied chairs opposite each other. Zarri stood behind the desk.
Kashi looked at her. "Why are they here? You said it was an emergency."
Chaos's gaze found Kashi, Her eyes moved to him and immediately elsewhere.
Zarri slapped both hands against the desk. "Welcome, my love. Take a seat." She looked towards the men. "We're doing business."
Alex and chaos exchanged a look.
Alex leaned back. "Princesa, perhaps you'd like to explain why you summoned a corporate dictator and my emotionally unavailable business partner."
"Focus," Zarri snapped.
Kashi crossed towards the sofa beside Chaos and sat. He poured her a glass of whisky which she accepted.
Zarri looked at Alex. "We have a supply problem."
Kashi lifted a brow. "What kind?"
"The regular." Zarri stepped forward. "Vross fucked up their supply."
Kashi's attention sharpened. "Senator Makil Vross?"
Alex nodded. "He's been interfering with shipments. And, as you already know, we Sergeyevs aren't exactly the clean-business type." His mouth twitched. "You know what we deal in."
Kashi looked at Chaos. The Sergeyevs had never exactly been a mystery. What they dealt in. Where their money came from. Everyone who mattered knew enough. "I do." She took a sip of whisky. "I still don't see why I'm here, so if one of you could explain quickly…"
Alex leaned forward. "We need a new supply. Apparently, that's where Princesa comes in." He glanced towards Kashi. "But I don't see where you come in."
Kashi slowly turned towards Zarri. Zarri stared back for a second and laughed.
"Oh, sweetheart." She leaned against the desk. "The Mathias family hasn't been rich for that long. Kashi and I go way back. Long before half of you started making headlines." Her gaze swept across the room. "Over the years, we've done a lot of business together. Legal deals. Respectable deals. Deals that would make Grandfather James proud."
"Better." Zarri winked. "With his blessing... And plenty beneath his notice." The room quietened as Zarri crossed one leg over the other. "People like pretending money comes in neat little categories. Clean. Dirty. Legal. Illegal."
Zarri gave a small shake of her head. "That's a fantasy." Her gaze moved across them. "No money is ever truly clean." She tapped one finger against the desk. "My family builds supply chains." she pointed towards Kashi. "And Kashi fucking Saints?"
A grin spread across her face. "She's one of our top investor."
Kashi lifted her glass in silent acknowledgement.
Zarri looked towards the men. "My brand makes a lot of money. Stores. Fashion weeks. Fragrance. Cosmetics. Campaigns. Clothes people fight over online because we made twelve pieces and told them they couldn't have thirteen."
Alex nodded thoughtfully. "Excellent business model."
"Thank you, baby." Zarri cleared her throat. "Right. Work shit." She straightened. "The Mathias family didn't build its money from my brand. My father was already wealthy before I was born. Back in the eighties, he made a ridiculous amount of money from drugs and marijuana."
Alex sat forward. Kashi barely reacted. Chaos remained still. But now all three of them were listening.
"My mother took over after he died," Zarri continued. "I had absolutely no interest in inheriting my father's exact business. I liked clothes. I liked beautiful things. I wanted something that belonged to me." She gestured vaguely at herself. "So I built one."
Kashi knew that part. She had watched Zarri build it. Watched the first collections become stores. Stores become international campaigns. Campaigns become an empire carrying Zarri's name across countries.
But apparently— That wasn't the entire story.
Zarri continued. "The problem with inheriting dirty money is that it remains dirty no matter how expensive your shoes are."
Alex's mouth curved. "Now we're speaking my language."
"We built something legitimate," Kashi said. Her gaze moved briefly across the room. "Something enormous."
Chaos finally spoke. "What did you create?" His eyes settled on Zarri. "And how does it help us?"
Zarri turned towards him. For the first time, Chaos Riegrow and whatever exactly Zarri Mathias had been hiding regarded each other across the room.
Zarri smiled and walked towards a display near the far end of the study. Several products from her brand sat there. Creams. Cosmetics. Small boxes. Fragrance. Her fingers settled around a dark perfume bottle.
She lifted it.
Alex, Chaos and Kashi watched. Zarri sprayed the perfume once against her wrist, rubbed them together and breathed in the scent.
"People see what they expect to see." She turned the bottle between her fingers. "The public sees a fashion company and thinks dresses. Society sees pretty things." Her gaze moved towards Alex. "And men like you see a woman who spends too much money on shoes."
She smiled. "The Mathias family learned a long time ago that power doesn't always need to look dangerous."
Chaos's expression had gone unreadable.
Zarri stopped beside the table.
"My brand has existed beneath government eyes all over the world." She looked at the bottle in her hand and then let it fall.
Dark glass struck the floor and Shattered. Perfume spread across the polished surface. Nobody moved. Their attention dropped to the broken pieces and what lay among them.
Tiny sealed wraps, green inside. Chaos slowly lifted his gaze. Zarri stood over the shattered remains of one of her own perfumes. Perfectly calm. Her mouth curved.
"Like I said... Pretty things."