The next few days were like a blur for me. Nothing was ever found out about Max. His phone was still switched off. Misha's parents even tried casually to ask Max's parents where he could be. But they did not know and were not even interested in why relatives who live with him in the same city are calling to another country. They only asked if the club brings income. And having received a positive response, they praised their son and hung up.

I felt like a robot. Morning, breakfast, car in the yard of either Igor or Misha. Classes at the university, where I successfully ignored everything, then the...