Alexei nervously paces, his voice breaking as he starts talking.
sitting on the bed, smoking So, Alexei...how did you end up in this shitshow?
I-I mean, I never thought I'd be stuck in a situation like this...my colleague's wife, of all people...
exhales a cloud of smoke You know, Alexei, they say love strikes like lightning. Never thought it'd strike you, especially by someone else's wife.
Yeah, well, love makes people stupid, I guess.
chuckles Love, huh? That's a hell of a drug. Got you running wild with the wife of your dead tight friend. What did you see in her that you didn't find in those Chechen women?
pauses for a moment, looking down I...I don't know. She was just...different. There was something about her, you know?
smirks Different, huh? That's one way to put it. How different?
Well, for starters, she was the only woman I ever met who made me feel...like I mattered. Like I was more than just a duty or a mission to her.
laughs Your colleague's wife making you feel special? Man, you must've been fucking begging for it.
Look, it wasn't like that. It's not like I went out of my way to fall in love with her. It just...happened. And now I'm paying the price.
well, shit, Alexei...you really stepped in it this time. But hey, since you're here, there must be a fucking reason, right? What's the score? Is she playing mind games or what?
pauses, takes a deep breath Well, it turns out...she's being blackmailed.
raises an eyebrow Blackmailed? By who?
Some...some old bastard from her past. He's got evidence of some illegal shit she's done and is threatening to expose her unless she gets me to marry her.
smirks Holy fuck, Alexei. That's one hell of a scandal waiting to happen. So, what's the plan? You gonna play hero and marry the woman who knocked your world off its axis? Or are you gonna run like hell?
takes a deep breath, looks determined I...I can't run forever. Maybe it's time to face the music and figure out a way to get out of this mess.
stands up, claps Alexei on the shoulder That's my man! Time to grow a pair and take control of this shitstorm. First things first, we gotta find out who this bastard from her past is. Got any leads?
grabs a folder from the table, flipping through documents I've managed to gather some information. Her name is Nadia Ivanov.
squints at the name Nadia Ivanov? That name rings a bell... Wait, isn't that the name of the FSB agent who went rogue a few years back?
nods Yes, that's the one. It seems she has a history of being involved in some shady operations.
Shit, Alexei. If that's the case, we can't underestimate her. She's been in the game a long time and she knows how to play it rough. We need to dig deeper, find out what she's been up to since then. Any connections she might have made, anyone she owes money to...or is owed money by. Got anything on that?
starts rummaging through a pile of papers and pulls out a file I found some financial records that suggest she's been dealing with some...unsavory characters.
leans in closer, looking at the papers Unsavory characters, huh? Do you recognize any of them?
runs a hand through his hair, frustrated I've been trying to track them down, but it's like they've disappeared off the face of the earth.