Chapter 31 Thirty-one

• Maria
• It isn't until morning that I hear someone knocking gently at my door. At first, I don't answer. But whoever is knocking is persistent and doesn't leave. It can't be Mikhail, I reason, because he has a key to the room. And I get the feeling that if I don't answer, things will only go from bad to worse for me.
• So, I make my way over to the door and, with a trembling hand, pull it open to reveal a concerned-looking Dominika on the other side.