It was at a similar event as today's. Then at age twenty-two, she had been young, innocent and impressionable. She had just started out at ATGT as a junior translator. She had been providing support to the senior translator, who had surprisingly and encouragingly, invited Olivia to take the lead. She had enthusiastically grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Then it had been the Russian and German governments who were conducting the proposed trade agreement. About thirty minutes into the meeting, the Russians requested their preferred service provider be allowed to address the Germans. And in had walked Fedor Zykov. Tall, commanding, confident, with his powerful aura and his intelligent eyes focused and trained on the German contingent. Olivia had gasped at how arresting he had looked, with his light skin, thin narrow eyebrows, sharp strong jaw line, full kissable lips, which she had had no business analyzing, and his very unRussian narrow-tipped nose, that made his face look striking.

On the outside, nobody would have known that she had ogled the Russian energy magnate. She had continued to conduct the translations for the Russians and Germans with her usual consummate professionalism for the two days. She had been polite, reserved, had not tried to be friendly or familiar with anybody.

At the end of the third afternoon, Fedor had approached her desk. She had removed her headphones, thinking he had needed assistance with something but then he'd informed her, with his sexy russet eyes teasingly, that his request was not work related. She had nodded, thinking perhaps he had wanted the name of a good restaurant, bar or popular night club. Instead he'd asked her to have dinner with him, later that night. His seductive tone, the commanding eyes, his magnetic aura, had rattled her normally protective guard. Her head had slowly dropped, studying her pencil heel sandals. When she had dared to lift her eyes up again, a shiver rushed down her spine. The erratic pulse in her chest, curious anticipation and her rushed breathing had caused adrenaline to surge through her excitedly. She had stared at him wide-eyed, unsure whether to accept or not. She preferred not to mix business and pleasure, normally, but Fedor was one hot, sexy, irresistible package of testosterone. He had towered over her, taking over her personal space. He had shifted closer, deliberately. The hint of woodsy cologne had tantalized her nostrils. Her heart had begun to pound feverishly.

We are all done,' he had smiled. 'We return to our respective countries tomorrow. How about it? He persuaded in quick fire Russian.

She had considered his invitation. Perhaps one dinner would not be harmful, after all she may never see him after the next day. She had nodded, her eyes gazing into his.

'Yes,' she had breathed in a soft whisper.

He had nodded confidently, as if he had not expected her to decline his invitation.

'Can we have dinner here? I can meet you in the lobby at eight pm,' she had responded with belated caution.

He had hesitated, smiled, then nodded. She had suspected he was a man that liked to take charge and perhaps he had had another venue in mind, but he had nodded to her suggestion.

        And as it had happened, Fedor had thoroughly enjoyed their dinner. He had informed her he'd changed his travel plans and wanted to see her again the following night. She had also thoroughly enjoyed his company, and pleasantly surprised, she had agreed.

He had told her on the second date that during the meetings, when he'd often requested her to repeat translations, it had not been because he had not correctly heard the first time, but because he had enjoyed listening to her speak Russian.
Olivia had laughed and shook her head. After a week, of them having dinner every single night, Fedor, had decided he would be staying in London indefinitely. He had swiftly purchased a home in luxurious Knightsbridge. Olivia had innocently accepted his 'house-warming' invitation, only to discover she had been the only guest. She had laughed, partly ecstatic, partly livid that he'd duped her. But then he had kissed her and she'd thought his lips on hers was the most sensational experience of her entire adult life.

During their romantic dinner, before dessert, he had told her, in a passionate tone, that all he had wanted was to make love to her. She had wanted the same as well, but she had been a virgin, and had wondered if he would balk at her inexperience, and run for cover. When she had hesitated, he had thrown down his napkin and informed her he would drive her back to her home. Then she had hastily blurted to him that she was a virgin, before she lost her nerve.

His eyes had widened. He'd walked around to her chair and lifted her into his arms. He'd wanted to know if she'd wanted him to make love to her. She had whispered yes. Her light hazel eyes twinkling with passion and hunger ... for him.

Fedor had carried her to his bed and gently made love to her. He had been an amazing and patient lover. She had enjoyed every second of her first sexual experience. He had coerced her into spending the weekend with him and they had duly christened every room, including the kitchen and bar counters, swimming pool and the balcony recliner...

      Everyday their love affair had gotten better and better. After two weeks, he'd demanded she move in with him. She'd laughed, thinking it was ridiculous, seeing, very soon he would be leaving, but it continued passionately and unabated for eight months. Most weekends, they travelled to romantic cities around Europe. She had accompanied him on six trips to Russia until one afternoon, he had dropped his bombshell announcement.

He had arrived to his home early. Normally, he would only ever arrive home around six pm, but that afternoon, she had been lounging in his sitting room, with a book, when he had arrived around four pm. She had been happy all day, had made him his favourite pasta and chicken dish. She had purchased a bottle of expensive white wine, for no good reason other than it was his favourite and because she loved him so much and wanted to spoil him. She had never confessed her love to him, for she always suspected that one day, he would end their romance. Nor had he ever spoken those three words to her.

Olivia could tell from the tension on his face, his coiled stance and unsmiling eyes that something had been wrong. Anxious and trying to curb the uneasy pang, she'd had in her stomach, she had asked him what was wrong, suspecting he was going to give her, her marching orders.

In a quiet, deadly serious tone of voice, he had instructed her to quit her job, and move with him permanently to Russia. Olivia had blinked. Then she had stared at him wide-eyed with her jaw dropped, until the enormity of what he had asked sunk in.

'You want me to quit my job and become your kept woman!' She had questioned.

His only response had been to stare at her, with those big russet brown eyes, only this time, it displayed no warm fuzzy attraction, or desire for her, just cold authority.

She had looked away, her heart sinking. She had always known this day would come, just not like this. The way she had imagined he would dump her was to say, he met somebody else, that their relationship was over, not this cold, Neanderthal's instruction that he had issued.

'Are you wanting to return to Russia?' She had asked.

He had nodded, repeating his order that she just up and go with him. She had felt insulted, offended, had thought it barbaric, the way he had issued his clinical order. If he had told her that he had loved her, that he'd wanted her permanently in his life, perhaps she may have gone with him, but the way he had phrased his demand, all she would have gotten from him was sex, and accommodation at any one of his numerous palatial homes.

After almost eight months in their relative informal, relationship, she had at least expected him to consult with her about him accompanying her to Russia, for what she had always suspected was an indefinite, not permanent arrangement.

Olivia had shook her head, met his eyes steadily and defiantly declined his somewhat crude invitation. Luckily, she had still been paying the rent on her apartment. She had kept a limited wardrobe at Fedor's Knightsbridge home. He had often bought her sexy lingerie, jewelry, shoes and designer cocktail dresses, so she had not bothered to bring over too much of her off the rail clothing.

Olivia had subsequently walked to his bedroom, removed all her clothes out of his wardrobe, and toiletries from the bathroom and neatly packed them into her suitcase. She had not taken a single item of the clothing, jewelry or lingerie that he had bought for her. She'd thought he could throw it all into the dustbin, she had just not cared. She did steal the photo on his side of the bed. It was a picture of him and her taken in Rome, about three months previously. He had surprised her with a magical short holiday to Florence and Rome and his chauffeur had taken the snap of them, laughing, outside a theatre in Rome.

Olivia had tiptoed back to the kitchen. She knew he would have been nursing a glass of vodka at his bar. She had called a black cab whilst packing, without saying a word to Fedor, she left her set of keys on the kitchen counter and had quietly walked out of his home and his life.

           It seemed fate was destined to drive a cruel knife through her heart, for three months later, she had discovered she had been pregnant. Shocked, she had not known what to do.
The one thing she had been certain of, was that Fedor needed to know he had impregnated her, not because she needed financial aid from him, she had just thought he deserved the courtesy of knowing he was to be a father.
She had called him three times, but he had not pick up any of her calls nor returned them. When they had been courting, he had always answered when she had called, so she'd known he was just avoiding or punishing her. Olivia had decided to email him and let him know she was pregnant. It had taken Fedor a week to answer. She had repeatedly checked the email, making sure the email address had been correct, because he had not responded for over five days. His response a week later had astounded and pierced her heart.

"I always used protection with you," he had stated, "so do not pin your irresponsible actions on me. I am not buying your lies!"

Olivia had felt the shrill piercing ache in her heart. How could he have been so cruel? How could he have thought that she would within three months hop into another man's bed?

Thankfully she had been saving a lot of her finances, living with Fedor. He had laughed and rejected her proposal of contributing to their living expenses, whilst they had been together. On odd occasions, she had spent her money buying him romantic gifts or the ingredients for special meals she made for their dinners, but other than that, she had hardly used her money, save for the rent of the apartment she had wisely not given up. She was ever so thankful for her meager one-bed apartment, but hey, at least it would be a roof over her and their child's heads.

                  -end chapter 3-