Maksim Ivanov

The lights of the club flickered as I balanced my way through the crowd, the tray of drinks safely in my hands. The Red Velvet Club was the center of Bratva's business in New York. High-ranking businessmen, politicians and shady characters congregated here. I was aware that I had landed in a dangerous world - but I had no choice. My older brother Samuel had fallen into debt to Artem Ivanov, one of the most powerful men in the Russian mafia, and the Bratva showed no mercy to debtors. Samuel made the wrong decisions and now we're both paying for it. I had been working as a waitress at the Red Velvet for three months and was constantly on my guard to avoid being drawn deeper into this world. My job was clear: serve drinks, don't attract attention and don't get involved in the darker business under any circumstances. It was just after midnight when Maksim Ivanov entered the VIP lounge. The future Pakhan of the Bratva had a presence that electrified the room. Tall, with sharp features and steel gray eyes, he exuded authority and danger. Maksim was not like his younger brother Artem - where Artem was cold, erratic and unpredictable, Maksim was the calm before the storm. The rumors about him went through the streets of New York like a dark whisper: he was the man who made decisions with a frightening calmness and coldness - whether it was about a contract or a death sentence. My hands trembled slightly as I brought him and his business partner their drinks. I lowered my eyes, as I always did, and hoped that he would take no further notice of me.