There remained the only, most realistic way out of the situation - to follow Sergei Ivanovich, hoping that sooner or later he would appear in public with a mysterious girl. Preferably unaccompanied.

Yes, only here, too, luck turned to Babay not in the place he would have liked. His people found out that the Controller had gone to Moscow. And there Babai was powerless. Firstly, his influence, and therefore the possibilities, did not extend so far. Secondly, given the almost unlimited power of Uncle Sergei, it was not worth even trying to do anything until Mr. Aleksandrov returned to Dnepropetrovsk.

***

After a night spent in Sergei's house, Irina did...