The next morning, Ulyana returned to work.
Oddly enough, it felt as though she had been away for months rather than a handful of days.
So much had changed, and yet nothing had changed at all.
Meetings still filled her calendar, projects still demanded her attention, people still needed answers. The world hadn't stopped simply because Rowan had boarded a plane.
Still…
Things felt different.
As Rowan had promised, Lionel arrived promptly to drive her. The Volkov luxury vehicle attracted attention wherever it went.
Not that Ulyana was unfamiliar with attention.
As a Vasily and one of the most recognizable women in the country, people had always looked.
Always whispered.
Always speculated.
Now there was a new layer to it, she wasn't simply Ulyana Vasily anymore.
She was also being linked to the city's most sought-after bachelor.
Rowan Volkov.
The headlines, edits, and public fascination hadn't slowed down. If anything, they had intensified.
By the time she returned to Nivasa, several employees were already trying—and failing—to be subtle.
Ulyana ignored all of it, she had work to do.
Once she settled back into the rhythm of her day, she quickly became immersed in meetings, approvals, and project updates.
It felt good.
Familiar.
Then a knock sounded on her office door.
"Come in."
Lisa entered carrying her tablet. "Miss Vasily, a delivery just arrived."
Ulyana barely looked up. "Thank you."
Then Lisa stepped aside. And suddenly several staff members appeared carrying an enormous floral arrangement.
Ulyana immediately sighed.
The flowers hadn't even reached her desk yet and she already knew.
"Rowan."
The delivery staff looked confused.
Lisa looked amused.
The flowers were placed carefully beside her desk.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Excessive.
Very Rowan.
A small card sat nestled amongst the arrangement.
Before she could reach for it her phone rang.
The screen lit up.
ROWAN 💓 CALLING…
Ulyana smiled instantly. A smile so automatic it would have been embarrassing had anyone pointed it out.
She answered immediately.
"Morning, Angel."
The deep voice on the other end made her smile widen.
"Hiiii Rowan~"
The response came out far sweeter than intended.
Far, far sweeter.
Lisa heard enough. Immediately decided she had no desire to witness whatever came next and quietly left the office, closing the door behind her.
- - - -
Lisa's POV
Working for Ulyana Vasily was not easy. Anyone who thought otherwise had never seen her calendar.
Or her inbox.
Or the seventeen emergencies that somehow appeared before lunch every day.
The woman worked relentlessly and expected excellence.
She moved at a pace most people couldn't maintain.
And yet, Lisa wouldn't trade the position for anything. She took enormous pride in being a Nivasa employee and even more pride in being Ulyana's executive secretary. Because years ago, when nobody else was hiring fresh graduates, Ulyana had given her a chance.
A real chance.
While other companies wanted experience she didn't have, Ulyana had looked at her resume and simply said, "You'll learn."
And she had. Since then, Ulyana had become the best boss Lisa could have asked for.
Demanding? Absolutely.
Terrifying during negotiations? Without question.
But fair, kind and loyal. The sort of leader who remembered birthdays.
Who checked on staff when they were sick.
Who quietly paid for training courses and professional development opportunities.
Who worked harder than anyone she employed.
Which was why Lisa's loyalty had never been in question.
She would remain loyal to Ulyana unless she was genuinely mistreated. Which frankly… seemed unlikely.
As Lisa returned to her desk, she glanced toward the closed office door.
A muffled laugh sounded from inside.
Then another.
Lisa smiled to herself. Because after all the years she'd worked for Ulyana…
It was nice seeing her boss happy. Truly happy.
Even if it was clearly because a certain Chairman couldn't seem to go more than twelve hours without calling her.
-------
Ulyana's work days settled into a new rhythm.
Focused.
Structured.
Work-oriented.
At first, she thought the distance would make things easier. That she'd simply throw herself into her responsibilities and before she knew it Rowan would be back.
She was wrong, because Rowan had somehow found a way to weave himself into every single day despite being thousands of kilometers away.
Each morning began the same: anew floral arrangement would arrive at her office.
Never the same flowers twice.
Never the same style.
And always accompanied by a handwritten card.
Sometimes the message was thoughtful, sometimes teasing, sometimes annoyingly sweet. Occasionally, all of the above. Then, without fail, her phone would ring.
ROWAN 💓
No matter where he was, what time zone he happened to be in, he always called without fail.
Sometimes the conversations lasted five minutes, other times ten, sometimes a little less. But he always found time to call.
Weeks passed this way.
And Ulyana found herself increasingly bewildered.
Not by the flowers, not by the gifts and not even by the calls but by the consistency and his willingness to show up every single day without fail, as though it wasn't an effort.
As though it was simply natural.
One afternoon she finally sighed into the phone.
"Rowan."
"Hm?"
"You need to take care of yourself."
A brief pause. "I am."
"No."
She leaned back in her chair. "You need rest."
"I'm resting."
"You are not."
A chuckle sounded through the line.
"Angel—"
"No." She cut him off. "You said it yourself."
"That's concerning..."
"You said your body can't take the abuse you used to put it through when you were younger."
A silence followed. A solence that told her she was right and he knew it.
Finally Rowan sighed. "I may have said that."
"You did."
"It sounds worse when you repeat it."
"Because it's bad."
He laughed softly.
And somehow she could picture him perfectly, sitting somewhere halfway across the world rubbing his temples, looking tired but pretending he wasn't.
"Angel." His voice softened. "If you're happy and safe, that's all I need."
The answer came so naturally.
So honestly.
That Ulyana immediately closed her eyes. Because there he went again, being impossibly sweet without even trying.
"You're so annoying." The affection in her voice ruined the insult completely.
Rowan laughed.
"I mean it."
"No you don't."
"I do."
"You absolutely don't."
Ulyana smiled because he was right. "Just shush. You need to take care of yourself."
The truth was she had begun looking forward to those calls, the flowers, the cards and hearing his voice. Perhaps that was what surprised her most.
Forget the grand gestures and the romance but his consistency.The simple act of showing up day after day without asking for anything in return and just because he cared.
That meant more to her than all the flowers in the world.
-----
If anyone was growing tired of Rowan and Ulyana's daily calls, it was Graham.
Not because he disliked either of them, it was quite the opposite. But because he was almost always nearby when the calls happened.
And unfortunately, Rowan had absolutely no shame.
The chairman could spend an hour discussing security operations, faction movements, logistics, and financial forecasts, then his phone would ring.
Or he'd see a message from Ulyana and suddenly he transformed into an entirely different person.
A deeply embarrassing person.
Graham had witnessed it far too many times now.
One moment: "Move the shipment."
And the next: "Morning, Angel."
The contrast was enough to give a man whiplash. At first Graham had attempted to ignore it, then he'd attempted to leave the room. Eventually he'd simply accepted his fate. Unfortunately, the pair were stupidly sweet.
Painfully sweet. The kind of sweet that made everyone around them question their life choices.
One afternoon Graham was reviewing reports beside Rowan when the familiar ringtone sounded.
Without even checking the caller ID, Rowan answered, a small smile immediately appearing.
Graham sighed. 'Here we go.' he thought internally
"Hi Angel."
A pause.
Then Rowan laughed.
Not his polite laugh but his real laugh. The one that had become increasingly common over the past few months.
Graham slowly looked toward the ceiling.
Seeking patience or divine intervention.
Whichever arrived first.
Meanwhile, Hak had developed a far more effective strategy.
Avoidance.
Pure avoidance.
The man had mastered the art.
The moment Rowan's phone appeared, Hak disappeared. Bathroom, gym, meeting, security inspection, a sudden interest in freight logistics.
Anything.
Absolutely anything.
At one point Graham watched Hak spot Rowan's phone lighting up with Ulyana's contact photo.
The younger man immediately changed direction and walked the other way without a word and without hesitation, as though his survival instincts had activated.
Later Graham had asked him about it.
Hak's response was immediate. "I refuse."
"Refuse what?"
"To be fed dog food."
Graham laughed so hard he nearly dropped his coffee. Because somehow that had become the unofficial term amongst Rowan's staff.
Watching Rowan and Ulyana interact.
Dog food. An excessive display of affection capable of emotionally damaging innocent bystanders. The nickname had spread surprisingly fast.
Not that anyone would ever admit it to Rowan.
They valued their employment and their continued existence.
Still, despite all the complaints, Graham noticed something.
The calls made Rowan happier.
Noticeably happier.
The tension in his shoulders eased, his patience improved, even his sleep seemed marginally better. And for a man who had spent years carrying the weight of entire organizations on his back…
Perhaps a little dog food wasn't the worst thing in the world. Though Graham still preferred experiencing it from a safe distance.
Just like Hak.
-
After roughly two months overseas, Rowan finally called Ulyana with an unusual level of seriousness in his voice.
"Angel."
"Hm?"
"The next few weeks are probably going to be difficult."
Immediately she sat up straighter. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'll just be underground a lot."
Ulyana understood immediately.
There were parts of Rowan's world that operated far away from reliable networks and modern conveniences. Places where communication became sporadic and sometimes impossible.
"Okay."
"I'm giving you a heads up because I don't want you thinking I've disappeared."
The thoughtfulness behind it made her smile.
"Thank you for telling me."
"Of course."
Even with limited communication, Rowan made arrangements.
The flowers continued every day without fail, the cards continued too.
Though they became shorter.
More practical.
Still unmistakably Rowan.
For a while, things worked, Ulyana texted him whenever she could.
Updates about work.
Funny stories.
Photos of meals.
Pictures of flowers he had sent.
Occasional complaints about his sleeping habits.
And whenever Rowan resurfaced with network reception, he'd call her.
No matter the hour.
No matter how exhausted he was.
For a while…
That was enough.
Then the messages slowed.
At first Rowan didn't think much of it.
Ulyana was busy.
Nivasa was expanding.
She often disappeared into work for days at a time.
The last message she'd sent had been completely normal.
A photo from a meeting room.
A paragraph enthusiastically explaining Nivasa's newest product launch.
A teasing reminder that he better watch the announcement stream.
A selfie of her before going to a gala, she looked beautiful as per usual, then…
Nothing.
One day.
Three days.
A week.
Then another.
Rowan remained underground. He couldn't wait to get some network because even when Ulyana was busy, she always replied.
Even if it was just:
"Busy."
"Miss you x"
"Call you later."
Something.
Anything.
Almost weeks of silence wasn't like her.
Not at all.
Unfortunately, Rowan was still operating in an area with extremely limited communications.
And so his concern sat unresolved.
Waiting.
Until finally…
Rowan's reception returned. The moment his satellite connection stabilized, his phone exploded with notifications.
Hundreds of messages, calls, emails and voicemails.
Missed communications flooding in all at once.
Rowan frowned.
Immediately opening the most recent messages.
Then his expression changed.
Beside him, Hak's phone began doing the same thing.
Then Graham's.
The three men exchanged looks.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Rowan opened Lionel's messages first.
Dozens of them.
Then Ulyana's security team's communications.
Then Nikolai's.
The further he read, the colder he became. The warmth vanished from his face.
The concern and exhaustion.Everything disappeared.
Leaving only something far more dangerous.
Absolute silence.
Graham watched him carefully.
"Hak."
The younger man was already reading his own messages then a call from Chairman Vasily came through and Hak answered immediately.
Hak went silent on the phone.
His face had gone pale.
"What is it?" Graham asked.
Neither answered.
Finally Graham snatched his own phone and opened the alerts.
His stomach immediately dropped.
For several moments nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
The world seemed to stop.
Then Rowan slowly lowered his phone, his voice was terrifyingly calm.
"How long?"
Hak swallowed. "Twelve days."
The air suddenly felt heavier.
"Twelve days?" Rowan repeated.
Nobody answered, because there was nothing to say.
No explanation that would make it acceptable.
No justification.
No excuse.
Only one fact.
One simple horrifying fact.
Ulyana Vasily had been missing for twelve days.
-
For a moment, nobody moved. The reality of the situation hung heavily in the air.
Twelve days.
Twelve days.
The number repeated itself inside Rowan's mind. Twelve days since anyone had heard from her; since she'd vanished.
Twelve days while he was halfway across the world.
The calm expression he'd worn moments earlier disappeared completely, Rowan slowly lowered his phone with a darkened expression.
Graham immediately recognized the warning signs. In all the years he'd known Rowan, he'd rarely seen him genuinely lose control.
The man possessed remarkable patience.
Remarkable discipline.
Even under enormous pressure. But this…
This was different.
Without saying a word, Rowan turned and walked toward the nearest wall.
Hak looked up. "Ro—"
The word never finished. Rowan's fist connected with the concrete.
The impact echoed through the room, dust scattered. Fragments of plaster hit the floor.
And when his hand pulled back, a hole remained where it had struck.
Nobody dared speak because the terrifying thing wasn't the damage. It was how quiet Rowan remained afterward.
Just silence.
Then he turned and swiftly walked out.
Dangerously.
The door slammed behind him.
For several seconds neither Graham nor Hak moved. Then reality snapped back into place.
"Hak."
"I'm moving."
Both men immediately sprang into action.
Phones appeared.
Orders were issued.
Personnel were contacted.
Resources were redirected.
Because if Rowan was moving, everyone else needed to move just as fast. The problem was… Rowan had already disappeared by the time Graham reached the doorway.
Completely gone.
Outside, a motorcycle engine roared to life.
The sound echoed across the compound.
Hak reached the courtyard just in time to see Rowan securing a helmet.
"Rowan!"
No response.
The motorcycle started.
"RO!"
Still nothing. Rowan wasn't listening anymore.
The machine accelerated violently, then shot forward.
Gone in seconds.
Hak watched the taillight disappear down the road. "Fuck."
Graham appeared beside him moments later.
"Where's he going?"
Hak stared into the distance. "I don't know."
Rowan always had a destination.
Always had a plan.
Always had control.
This wasn't that.
This was a man whose worst fear had just become reality. A man who had spent months imagining a future with someone.
Only to discover she'd vanished.
Hak's hands curled into fists. Despite everything else…
Despite the complicated feelings.
Despite the history.
Despite Rowan.
Ulyana was missing.
And neither of them intended to stop until they found her. Alive.
No matter what it took.