Chapter 7

He showed me a photograph. The woman in it had a ghost of my features.

"This was Sergei Volkov's dead lover. The Commission's interest in you was not random."

I calmly took the photo.

All my training was designed to turn me into another woman's shadow.

I knew how dangerous this mission was and didn't dare to lose focus for a second.

To that end, I even underwent minor surgeries, all for the sake of a perfect illusion.

For a long stretch of time, I lived with Dante.

He was a man of few words but incredible perception. When we had downtime, we would visit the local markets, buying household supplies.

To build our cover, we lived as husband and wife. As time passed, I grew completely used to his quiet presence.

He would remember my cycles, leaving pain medication on the counter for me in advance.

I, in turn, would silently mend the tears in his jackets, leaving them hanging by the door.