Chapter 32 #2
We talk about the old days and the first time we met face to face.
It was his suggestion. Not because he wanted anything from me, but because he thought I was wasting my talent.
He said there were legitimate ways to earn money identifying security flaws and helping companies fix them. He thought I'd be good at it.
At first, I thought it was a terrible idea.
But after months of talking, I'd started to trust him.
It was the same day I met a few of the others.
He told me later that he'd vetted me beforehand.
In fact, he vetted everyone before letting them anywhere near his circle.
Vlad trusted almost nobody. He was cautious by nature, deeply suspicious of authority, and convinced that the real predators weren't ordinary people, but the oligarchs, politicians, and corporations who operated beyond accountability.
That belief shaped everything he did.
When we took on ethical hacking jobs, we weren't interested in targeting civilians or causing chaos for the sake of it. The goal was always to expose vulnerabilities, reveal corruption, and avoid collateral damage wherever possible.
At least, that was the idea.
Vlad rarely talked about his past, but from the scraps I picked up over the years, he'd built himself from nothing. He never talked about family, and he didn’t have connections.
No wealthy benefactors. No lucky breaks.
Just intelligence, determination, and an almost obsessive need to stay three steps ahead of everyone else.
I'll never forget how outraged he was when I told him about my life. The three jobs I was juggling just to keep the lights on. The nights I'd gone to bed hungry because rent came first. The times I'd donated blood plasma for extra cash when I was desperate.
He was fiercely protective, of us, of the work, of the systems and networks he'd spent years building.
He had a brilliant mind. He saw patterns nobody else saw and could solve problems before most people even realized there was one.
I've learned to do that now, because of him.
But now, something makes me uneasy, because the man sitting across from me feels a world away from the Vlad I once knew.
Vlad helped me, and saved me, and I’ll never forget it.
That's why Matteo's opinions about him don't sit well with me. But sometimes I feel like I owe him my life, and I don’t like that feeling. It’s complicated. There’s a sense of gratitude and loyalty, but it’s laced with discomfort and guilt because I feel indebted to him.
He doesn’t let me question him, and the boundaries are up between us. He can question who I am and find out who I’m flying with, but when I ask him any questions, I get nothing in return.
“How did you meet this man?” he asks.
I balk internally, because I don't want to discuss our relationship, or my work, which doesn't leave room for anything else. I doubt Vlad would be interested in knowing about Arthur and Irene.
“Through work.”
“Through work.”
“I’m doing a security audit at the company. It’s good for my profile. I need this role.”
“No doubt you’ve impressed him.”
I sense that he doesn’t like that I’m with Matteo. “I like to think that he saw more than just my ability to read code.”
“Obviously, mala. Obviously.” He sits back, his eyes burning into mine. “You know, the Knights are exactly the type of people we would go after, and now you're dating one of them.”
One of them.
I don’t know how I feel about that, being on the other side. Not that I’m on the other side, but I’m involved with Matteo. I care about him, and I care what happens to him.
I’m starting to discover that the world isn’t so black and white, and there are many shades of gray. And now that I think about it, there’s not much difference between Vlad and Matteo. They are different sides of the same coin.
Matteo has power, privilege and control through wealth. Vlad has power, privilege and control through his skillset.
That’s because Vladimir Vukovi? is the kind of man who doesn’t need power handed to him. He knows exactly how to take it. It’s clear to see that he’s doing exceptionally well, and I shouldn’t be surprised.
“Things have changed, Vlad. I couldn’t leave the States and start over.
I’m sorry that you had to, and I can see that you’re doing very well, but for me, I’m a former grey-hat trying to go legit.
My company has gotten off to a slow start.
A contract with Knight Enterprises is a big deal. Huge. I’d be stupid not to take it.”
“Come and work for me, mala. I’ll take care of you.”
I huff out a sigh. “I can’t come and work for you, and I can take care of myself. But also, my life is in the States, not here.”
He knows I have no family, and that he was my family. He made me feel like I belonged, but I have Arthur and Irene now. And Matteo, too. I think.
He leans towards me. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, mala. Two decades ago,” he drops his voice, “we hacked Knight’s company headquarters. I guess your boyfriend would’ve been a child back then.”
The words hit like a hammer and I stare at him speechless. Two decades ago, Matteo and his family would have been in Italy.
“Don’t look so surprised. Those are exactly the types of corporations we used to hit. You had no problems then.”
“I wasn’t working with you two decades ago—”
“But when you came along, those were exactly the types of corporations we’d hit,” he reminds me. “Knight Enterprises aren’t clean and Paul Knight is not a good man,” he cautions. “That’s why I want you to be on your guard. Even with Matteo. Men like him are dangerous, mala.”
I don't like the way he's talking about Matteo, but at the same time I question being involved with a Knight. Still, any slight reservations I might have had about taking a job at Knight Enterprises quickly vanished when I realized how good that experience would be for me.
Talking to Vlad leaves me feeling conflicted again, and I hate it. “I wish you would just let me be. I wish you’d be happy for me, like I am for you.”
He puts his hand on my arm. “I don’t mean to upset you, Elizabeth. But know that you are playing with fire here. These people, the Knights, they are not normal people. Insane wealth creates monsters.”
“Not everyone who is rich is a monster,” I fire back.
Matteo is nothing like his father, I know that for a fact.
He's incapable of treachery, and I’m beginning to slowly understand how Matteo can’t tolerate secrecy or evasiveness because of his past. I'm beginning to see how anything that feels hidden puts him on edge immediately, and now I understand why he's been so angry with me.
Vlad looks startled. “I never thought I’d hear you defend the other side.”
“You look just like the other side.”
He breaks out into a smile. Points to himself. “Me? I’m not an oligarch, and I don’t fuck others over to enrich myself.”
A river of silence flows between us. Today has been a shit show of epic proportions. Me and Vlad arguing, after me and Matteo have been arguing is a testament to just how awful today has been.
“Enough about me,” I say, determined to change the subject. “Tell me about Valentina. When do I get to meet her?”
“Soon.” He seems relieved that we’re talking about something else. “Come to dinner tonight.”
He takes out a notebook from his jacket, and scribbles down an address. “Dinner, small, informal gathering. Eight o’clock. You can ask her all these questions yourself.”
He slides the scrap of paper towards me. I take it, but I’m unsure about going. I’m exhausted, mentally, and physically, and I don’t even want to ask Matteo if he wants to come.
“Show me a photo of her at least,” I beg.
He pulls out his wallet and shows me a photo. The woman staring back at me isn't what I expected. She's beautiful, but not in a polished, trophy-wife sort of way. Her smile is warm and genuine, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders as she leans into Vlad.
He has his arm placed protectively around her and now he’s smiling as he looks at the picture. Now he looks more like the Vlad I remember.
Guilt twists inside me.
Maybe I've got this wrong.
Maybe I'm the one making assumptions. The same thing I accused Matteo of doing. Vlad slides the photo back into his wallet, and a few moments later we're talking and laughing as though no time has passed at all.
“It is so good to see you again, mala.” He takes my hand in both of his.
I am genuinely, ecstatically happy to see him. “It's so good to see you, Vlad.”
“I care about you. You know that. Life has been cruel to you, and it’s good to see that you’re looking happy.”
We talk about events in the past, and I start to relax a bit.
“Another drink?” Vlad asks, when he summons a server to our table. I nod.
“I’ll have a vodka soda this time, please,” I tell the server.
“Is Matteo joining us?” Vlad asks. “I want to get to know him better.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s with you.”
He senses that I don’t like that. “Perhaps it was wrong of me to turn up at your hotel room unannounced,” he offers, “but I wanted to know you were okay. Is that such a bad thing?”
“No.” I reply. Not when he says it like that. He's always cared about me, and for that I’ll always be grateful.