Encouraged by the first victory, the next day I expected stunning results. And they did not keep themselves waiting long, with the only difference that I was stunned.

After the scene in the elevator, I expected a meeting with Smolov, looked forward to how I would look in response to the gaze of a man, trained a hip gait, a slight smile, a dreamy halo. But all the blanks were shattered when Smolov walked past me, without even looking at me, as if I were an empty place.

And I put on the best office dress: fitted, emphasizing only the best in me! And I spent an unprecedented forty minutes...