*Noah's POV*
"Ivan, I can't help you with that."
My voice comes out colder than I intended. Through the phone, I hear the chatter of whatever social event he's attending, the clink of glasses, the sound of people who think everything can be bought or arranged.
"Oh. I see." Ivan's tone shifts, becoming cautious. "Have I misunderstood something?"
"You have a wife."
"As I mentioned, Mia and I have an arrangement—"
"I heard you the first time."
I hang up before he can say another word. My hands are shaking slightly as I set the phone down on the hotel room desk.
Leo was right. This was never about justice. This was about me projecting my own pain onto a situation I didn't fully understand.
The next morning, I text Leo: "Mission canceled. No need to see her again."
His response comes immediately: "What happened?"
"The husband already knows. He doesn't care."
"Told you this was complicated."
