“One thing’s clear,” Bernard burst out the moment Günter finally disappeared into his own house. “You’ve let your emotions take over your brain — but risking everything just because you can’t control yourself? That’s beyond stupid!”
“Oh, really?” Noud shot back. “You’re one to talk. You’re the one who threw everything away — God knows why — for some random woman!”
He took the stairs to the bedroom two at a time. Bernard, breathless with anger, rushed after him.
“I didn’t throw anything away!”
“Oh yes, you did! We moved here for this job. We’ve been working on it for months, watching every step, and now you go and make this colossal mistake!” Noud was furious. “Everyone knows you and Viktoria are ‘taking care of’ Ted.”
“That’s a lie!”
“Oh, is it? Then how do I know about it?” Noud asked with biting sarcasm, not waiting for a reply. “The Slovaks were talking about it at dinner — imagine that! And Dajana even confirmed it afterward.”
Bernard’s mouth twisted in contempt.
“I know you’re lying,” he said coldly. “They didn’t mention me.”
“But they did mention Viktoria.”
“So what? That’s none of our business.”
“Our business?” Noud sneered. “Oh, now it’s our business? Until you got caught, it was your little solo mission — and now suddenly it’s a team effort?”
“That’s exactly your problem. That’s why Timothy said you’re not a professional,” Bernard snapped before he could stop himself.
He pressed his lips together, too late. The words hit Noud like a blade.
“So that filthy bastard Timothy said that, huh?”
Bernard didn’t answer. He turned toward the window, resting his hands on the sill. Noud sank onto the edge of the bed.
“Fine. I quit. You can work with Timothy.”
“Yeah, because that’s how it works…”
“What if I just leave the island?”
“As if you didn’t know.”
“So what? Who would even care? I’ve got no kids to look after. Nothing’s keeping me here.”
“And me?” Bernard whispered.
“You’ve got Timothy,” Noud hissed.
Bernard’s shoulders twitched. He pressed his forehead against the cold glass.
“There’s only one thing you got wrong,” he began in a dry voice. “It wasn’t Ted who moved here for Viktoria — it was the other way around. She’s been hunting him. For nearly twenty years.”
Noud’s jaw dropped. Bernard went on:
“Back in the day, Viktoria’s father was Ted’s business partner. Then Ted double-crossed him, pushed him out of their casino, left him with nothing. The man eventually took his own life.”
Bernard turned around. Noud stared at him, bewildered.
“And why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Viktoria won’t stop until Ted signs over his entire fortune to her.”
“Which… basically hands us the solution on a silver platter,” Noud whispered.
“Exactly. But letting you in would’ve been too risky. Viktoria’s a genius — one twitch of your face and she’d have known I told you.”
“She knows nothing about us?”
Bernard gave an irritated cough.
“You kidding?”
“Then why did she ask you to help her?”
Bernard shrugged.
“Because she, like everyone else, thinks we’re just petty criminals who can be bought off with a bag of cash.”
A deep sigh escaped Noud’s chest.
“So what now?”
“We wait. Until Ted confesses everything and hands it all to Viktoria.”
“Poor woman… all those years, all that effort — just to deliver everything to our client.”
“Unless…”
“Oh no, Bernard, don’t,” Noud groaned. “Please, don’t you dare say unless.”