While the irritation and discomfort from the awkward encounter had faded, allowing Daniel to follow the presentation, he found it challenging to fully immerse himself in the process. His attention wandered from one minor unsubstantial detail to another. As the slides progressed, he fixated on individual elements rather than telling a cohesive story. He idly speculated that the light-hued table, crafted from what appeared to be a single piece of wood, was likely made of precious yew. His family braught similar one from Indonesia though smaller size. He observed Alexander's fingers, long and robust with well-manicured nails, rhythmically tapping the table, hinting at his grooming habits. A white metal watch with a black dial, prominently displaying the brand name "Patek Philippe" in silver against the dark dial, adorned Alexander's wrist. The silver text not only accentuated the watch's luxury but did so without appearing ostentatious. Beneath it, the model name in smaller lettering remained elusive to Daniel from his vantage point, yet he figured that Alexander's choice wasn't a mass produced model.

On Georgy's thick boned wrist rested an electronic watch, worn-out and evidently an older model, possibly a vintage piece. It exuded a subtle style, contrasting sharply with the luxury of Alexander's watch. Georgy appeared to know his niche and was content to stay within its boundaries, avoiding the limelight. He toyed with a black and gold pen, twirling it leisurely between his fingers. When he uncapped it to jot something down, Daniel noticed it was a fountain pen. This detail spoke volumes about Georgy's penchant for a touch of elegance, even if it might not be the most practical choice. Despite its quality, such a pen could potentially leak, risking damage to either the notebook or the briefcase.

The conference room's décor was precisely what Daniel had anticipated: undeniably luxurious, contemporary, and elegantly minimalist - a perfect reflection of the young oligarch's taste.

As Pavel advanced to Daniel's slide, he turned to him, prompting to take over the presentation. At first, Daniel's voice quivered with nervousness, but as he progressed, it grew more assured and composed. As he approached the second-to-last slide, the most important one, Daniel felt a surge of anxiety. A fleeting thought crossed his mind: should he express uncertainty about the startup's valuation, suggesting they might need more time for a thorough reassessment? He quickly dismissed this impulse, that could let down the entire team together with Pavel.

Consumed in the presentation, Alexander let out a prolonged exhale and suddenly slapped his hand on the table, declaring.

"I knew it! What are your thoughts?"

Georgy responded in a subdued tone.

"Pricey."

Alexander narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

"Have you considered the market size and its potential?"

"I saw it," Georgy admitted hesitantly, toying with his fingers. "But the real question is, can we be certain this market will take off in Asia? What if it doesn't? Remember the e-commerce boom ten years ago. Companies were valued at billions, and everyone believed e-commerce would capture up to fifty percent of the retail market. Where are we now? Twenty? Many of those startups have vanished."

Alexander, clearly irked, retorted, "What's e-commerce got to do with this? You can't be serious."

Daniel exchanged a meaningful glance with Pavel - Georgy had astutely pointed out the potential risks. It was an important moment for Daniel to interject, suggesting a re-evaluation and further validation of scenarios with the startup and expert teams. Catching Pavel's subtle eyebrow raise, indicating he should refrain from intervening, Daniel kept quite. His heart raced, feeling as though its pounding was audible to everyone in the room. However, Pavel remained composed and confident, demonstrating the assertiveness that had earned him his partnership. He was adept at taking calculated risks and coming out on top. It was a lesson in risk-taking Daniel needed to learn. With no visible signs of tension from the team, it seemed the moment had passed. Suddenly, Alexander shifted his attention directly onto Daniel.

"Daniel, are you certain there aren't any mistakes?"

"In any due diligence exercise, there's always a margin for error," Daniel responded cautiously. "From our perspective, we've considered and outlined potential market risks in the presentation and factored them into the financial model. However, there's always the possibility of unforeseen factors..."

"This is Daniel's first project in Moscow" Pavel interjected briskly. "It's understandable if he's feeling a bit apprehensive about the project, especially since he was responsible for a specific stream and might appear uncertain about the overall results."

While Alexander paid close attention to Pavel's words, his eyes remained fixed on Daniel. Daniel made a conscious effort not to look away, fearing it might reinforce the perception of his uncertainty regarding the project. He observed with surprise as Alexander's face changed: subtle patches of color flushed his cheeks, the black of his pupils once again seemed to engulf the green of his irises, and his nostrils flared slightly. Was it possible Alexander had taken drugs earlier, leading to this reaction? The idea was unnerving and somewhat jarring. Daniel had never witnessed a civilized man so swiftly into primal behavior.

A distant memory from Daniel's childhood suddenly flashed before his eyes. The crispness of the air-conditioned interior, the faint spicy scent of Pak Hadi. Yes, that was it! Pak Hadi, their Indonesian driver, was taking him to a playdate with his friend Simon. Daniel pressed his nose against the window out of boredom, observing the familiar scenery without much interest: mobile carts where vendors fried stuffed tortillas, pedestrians in vibrant sarongs and cheap polyester shirts ambling under the blazing tropical sun, and shops displaying large, spiky durians – it was durian season.

Suddenly, he snapped to attention. A middle-aged woman burst out from a narrow alleyway towards the car, yanking off her headscarf and pulling her already messy braid. Her round, tanned face was flushed a deep maroon, and her wide, empty eyes gleamed with dark madness. She yelled something so fast that Daniel, who had retreated from the window, couldn't make out her words. Her lips, almost purplish from the blood rush, quivered as foamy drool trailed down. She frantically pulled at her hair and clothes, shamelessly undressing in public, while furiously clawing at concerned bystanders attempting to restrain her.

"What's going on with her?"

"She's going amok! Amok!" happily declared Pak Hadi, watching her with avid curiosity and putting the car on the parking brake. "It's when an evil spirit possesses someone, causing them to wreak havoc around them. It's just starting; she hasn't begun attacking people yet. Aya, she started..."

Daniel recoiled in horror as the woman, bearing more resemblance to a malevolent spirit than a human, suddenly pounced on the stout, hefty woman who had attempted to pull her away, biting into her ear. The hefty woman's piercing scream shattered the tranquil hum of the street...

Shaking off the disturbing image, Daniel, avoiding Alexander's increasingly ominous stare, scrunched his brow. Dizziness overcame him, his mouth watered, and the pain from his bruised forehead pulsated intensely. He yearned to escape the mansion, take a day off, swallow a Tylenol, indulge in a cold shower, and crawl into bed.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Georgy interjected loudly, cutting off Pavel, to which Daniel murmured in response.

"I'm really not feeling well. I've got a pounding headache."

"We should get you to the hospital," Alexander stated abruptly, but Daniel hesitated.

"No, that's not necessary. I'll just grab some pain relievers and get some rest. I had a rough night's sleep, and today's mishaps didn't help. It'll get better."

The darkness in Alexander's eyes receded, returning them to their usual green color. He looked at Daniel with concern, no longer appearing on the verge of losing his temper. Daniel took a deep breath and repeated more calmly.

"I just need some rest."

"Alright then. Let's wrap things up. Please send over the presentation, and I'll need to discuss it with..." Alexander paused momentarily, then continued with a serious tone. "Discuss it further. I'll reach out either tomorrow or the day after. Sound good?"

"Certainly," Pavel eagerly jumped up, extending his hand across the table with a slightly anxious, deferential bow. Alexander had to lean forward to shake it, a fleeting look of discomfort crossing his face. Pavel's resemblance to Gollum had never been more apparent, to an extent Daniel understood Alexander - such a sudden transition to subservience was unpleasant.

Alexander strode purposefully around the table, while Daniel, gripping the strap of his backpack tightly, waited for Nikita to unplug the laptop from the display cable. He felt a sense of unease as he sensed Alexander steadily approaching him – wondering what more he might want.

"Could you perhaps leave a contact number? In case I have questions about the deck," Alexander unexpectedly asked with a hint of timidity. Suppressing his initial reluctance, Daniel handed over his business card.

"Absolutely. My work phone number is on there, but I'm often tied up and might miss calls. Email is generally a more reliable way to reach me," Daniel focused his attention on Alexander's trendy stubbled chin, avoiding direct eye contact.

"We'll keep in touch. Still, I'd recommend going to the hospital," Alexander whispered almost intimitely, seemingly oblivious to the others around them. He clearly didn't give a shit about the people around them.

"I appreciate your concern, but it's not necessary," Daniel replied, noticing the gathering crowd and briskly shaking Alexander's lingering hand. He felt a slight discomfort as the handshake persisted longer than usual.

Once outside, Daniel felt a wave of relief wash over him. Breathing became easier, less constrained. He shook his head to dispel the unpleasant experience and winced as a dull pain throbbed in his head. The group dispersed, saying goodbye as they headed to their cars.

"I can drive you. You really should see a doctor. There's a clinic nearby," Pavel suggested, eyeing the bruise on Daniel's forehead. "Looks like you've got quite a bump there. Get it checked out and then rest up. We've wrapped up our work, now it's just a waiting game."

"Quite a show, wasn't it?" Nikita laughed, waving goodbye. "We're heading to the subway. Take care," he whispered something to Mikhail, who remained composed and calm, and they strolled towards the archway together.

Pavel pressed the button on his car remote, settled into the driver's seat, and started the engine. He waited as Daniel circled the vehicle to enter from the passenger side. He smirked, tilting his head upwards to acknowledge Alexander observing them from the modest third-floor balcony.

"That's a side of him I've never seen," Pavel remarked, navigating carefully through the tight gaps between parked cars. "Alexander is typically charismatic, confident. But today, he seemed like a flustered bird, even stumbling over his words. I never anticipated such a reaction from him. I suppose playing the knight in shining armor got him quite excited."

"I'd rather not discuss it," Daniel interjected tersely, stealing a reluctant glance at the balcony and feeling his cheeks warm. " And I'd prefer not to engage with him further. Is my part in the project complete, I hope?"

"Not quite yet," Pavel whispered. "Until the client signs off on the project, we're still in play. I don't think we have much longer to wait. Now the son will speak with his father, secure his approval, and then we'll be in the clear," Pavel emphasized the last phrase with intensity. "However, there's a chance there might be one or two more meetings; he might have further questions. So, I've staffed you for another week on this project."

"Can I decline these meetings?" Daniel asked anxiously, dreading the thought of once again being the center of Alexander's unwelcome attention. "It's quite clear he has... an inappropriate interest in me, which could be considered sexual harassment, so..."

"You can't. Forget about sexual harassment, Daniel," Pavel retorted with a smirk. "This isn't the United States. No man here has ever raised a sexual harassment complaint against another man, and I wouldn't recommend you start. You'd become a laughingstock. You wouldn't want to be mocked within the company, would you?"

Daniel fell silent, feeling dejected. He didn't want to become a subject of ridicule, yet the thought of facing Alexander again was equally unappealing. It was a frustrating predicament. His only solace was the hope that Alexander would settle for a Zoom meeting rather than an in-person one. As Pavel hummed a tune to conclude their conversation, Daniel felt a sense of gratitude. Discussing the incident felt distasteful, as if he had been tarnished by it. He reassured himself that it was just one more week to endure. Soon, he'd be back home, putting the disturbing meeting with the eccentric oligarch behind him.