Cyril would have preferred to celebrate his thirty-fourth birthday in the company of his wife and child somewhere on the sea coast, but if there was a person in this world more stubborn than himself, it is his father. Alexander Demyanovich always knew what to put pressure on to get what he wanted.

At least thirty people gathered in the yard, some of them were clients with their wives, some were Kirill's friends, again with their wives. Even the children were captured: they frolic in the children's part of the pool, surrounded by a flock of chatty nannies. The guests fell into groups and slowly ate snacks from the tables...