“They weren’t that long ago,” I said. I folded my arms across my chest. “Not that it matters either way. You’ve prattled on enough about your nephew and your father. Why don’t we get down to business? That is, to the real reason you blackmailed me into coming here to meet you personally?”
For a moment, Sasha looked like she was about to tell Takeshi to grab me by the collar of my shirt and throw me out of the office (or out the window behind her). Takeshi even inched toward me; it was a subtle movement, one he probably thought I missed, but I’d been keeping a close eye on him as well ever since I entered the headquarters and so I didn’t miss it.
But then Sasha sat back in her chair, took a long, deep breath as if to calm herself, and then said, “Straight to the point, I see. An admirable
