Episode 30

The air in the hidden room was thick with the scent of old paper and dust, a stark contrast to the perfumed opulence of the theater they had left behind. Anya, wrapped in a borrowed shawl, sat on a rough-hewn chair, her eyes still wide with a lingering fear that no amount of reassurance from Dmitri could entirely erase. Nickola, ever the pragmatist, was carefully examining the ledger they had found, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“It’s all here,” he murmured, his voice low. “Every transaction, every bribe. The money laundering scheme, the… the other things. Anya, you were right. It goes far deeper than we imagined.”

Dmitri knelt beside his sister, his hand gently stroking her hair. “Are you sure you’re safe here? We can get you out of the city, anywhere you want.”