Back in the room, the atmosphere was quiet but thick with a deep lingering intensity. Exhausted, Alia held the soft pillow tightly with both hands, clinging to it. The beads of sweat on her forehead and the faint trace of moisture in her eyes showed the emotional storm she had just weathered over the past few hours.
She looked at Viktor with half-closed eyes and said in a soft, breathless voice
Alia: "No more... Viktor. I'm truly exhausted. I don't have an ounce of strength left."
Alia's plea instantly melted Viktor's cold heart. This was the version of her he loved most where there was no defiance, only complete surrender to him. Viktor gently brushed the stray locks of hair away from her face and pressed a long, tender kiss to her forehead.
Viktor: (In an incredibly soft tone) "Alright, love. No more. I just wanted to feel you. You sleep peacefully now."
Viktor pulled Alia into his own embrace. Letting go of the pillow, Alia rested her head against his broad chest. Listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, all her exhaustion seemed to vanish. Viktor pulled a thin sheet over her and held her even closer.
Outside, Moscow's famous snow continued to fall, but inside the luxurious suite, there was only peace. The "day" that started at 1 AM had finally settled into a weary wait for dawn. Viktor gave Alia a tiny, playful nip on her chin before closing his eyes, keeping his Queen safe and secure in his arms. It was morning. Sunlight streamed onto the massive dining table, and the snow-covered garden outside shimmered through the window. Viktor and Alia were sitting side-by-side having breakfast. Alia looked exceptionally fresh and beautiful, though a hint of sleepiness still lingered in her eyes.
Sitting directly opposite them was Anna. She was more occupied with glancing at Viktor and Alia and giggling than eating. There was a certain mischief and secret hidden in her smile.
Viktor noticed Anna staring and smiling as he took a sip of his coffee. He set the cup down and asked in a grave but curious tone—
Viktor: "What's with you? Why are you staring and smiling like that? Is there a problem?"
Anna widened her smile and took a bite of her jammed toast. She looked at Alia once and then met Viktor's eyes.
Anna: "No, brother, no problem at all. I was just thinking... you two must have been doing some very 'important' work last night, right? The palace walls are thick, but sometimes, certain sounds still manage to reach the corridor."
Hearing Anna's words, Alia flushed deep crimson. She quickly focused on her glass of juice so no one could see her face. Viktor gave Anna a sharp look to control the situation, but a faint smirk played on his own lips.
Viktor: "Don't talk too much, Anna. Focus on your breakfast. And remember, it's not good to poke your nose into adults' business."
Anna: (Teasingly) "Yeah, Father explained that exact thing to me last night. He even told me to cover my ears! I'm a very good girl, so I just went back to my room quietly."
Alia couldn't help but laugh at Anna's comment. Viktor realized his sister had caught onto everything, but at the Petrov dining table this morning, there was no mafia tension only the warmth of family and the sound of loving laughter. Amidst the laughter, Stepanovich and Anna Petrov (Viktor's parents) entered the dining room. Their presence instantly brought a sense of royal dignity, though today, their expressions were filled with a certain tranquility.
Viktor's mother, with her characteristic elegance, spoke to the maid standing at the side of the hall—
Anna Petrov (Mother): "Get the breakfast ready on the table quickly. We are all having breakfast together today. And listen, don't forget to bring that special hot soup for Alia."
The maid bowed respectfully and hurried to set the table. Stepanovich took his place at the head of the table. He glanced at Viktor with a faint smile and then turned to Alia, speaking in a fatherly tone—
Stepanovich: "How are you, child? You look very healthy and happy this morning."
Alia replied with a shy smile, "I'm feeling perfectly fine now, Father."
Viktor noticed the clever glint in his father's eyes. He realized that his father, too, was indirectly hinting at last night's events. Anna Petrov sat beside her husband and winked at her daughter, Anna, as if she had already caught on to her mischief.
The table was soon filled with steaming fresh coffee, French toast, fruits, and cheese. The entire Petrov family was at one table today. Despite the freezing Russian winter outside, there was a strange warmth and sense of fulfillment around the dining table.Stepanovich took a sip of his coffee and placed the cup back on the saucer. His gaze suddenly turned grave, just as an experienced Mafia Don's does when speaking to his successor. He looked Viktor directly in the eye and asked the question.
Stepanovich: "What's the update on you becoming a full-fledged Mafia Lord? Have the other families in the underworld accepted your authority, or are some still trying to rebel behind the scenes?"
A moment of silence fell over the table. Both Anna and Alia stopped eating, waiting for Viktor's response. Viktor calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at his father. His eyes held that familiar coldness and confidence.
Viktor: "The news is good, Father. Those who were meant to accept it have done so with bowed heads. And as for those planning rebellion in the shadows, I already have their list. While everyone was sleeping last night, my team already completed a few 'cleaning operations'."
Viktor glanced at Alia, as if reassuring her that he had everything under control. Then he turned back to his father.
Viktor: "No one will dare raise a finger against the Petrov empire anymore. I've made them realize that I'm not just your son—I'm their new nightmare."
Stepanovich felt a surge of pride hearing his son's words. He knew Viktor could be ruthless, but his devotion to the family made him even stronger.
Stepanovich: "Well done! Being a Mafia Lord isn't just about power; it's about always being one step ahead to maintain that power. I'm glad you've marked your territory."
Alia placed her hand over Viktor's. She knew how harsh the rules of this world were, but she had unwavering faith in him. Even amidst the familial warmth of the breakfast table, the shadow of the mafia empire's cold reality loomed for a moment. Anna's question instantly shifted the light mood at the dining table. Her eyes were filled with concern, directly pointing out the extreme brutality of the mafia world.
Anna: "Did everyone have to be killed, brother? Did you not even spare the children of those families? What was their crime?"
A pin-drop silence fell over the table. Alia sat stunned, looking at Viktor. Viktor calmly took the last sip of his coffee, showing no sign of regret or hesitation. He looked at Anna and replied in a calm but ice-cold voice.
Viktor: "In the mafia world, crime is mixed with blood, Anna. The ones I spare today as 'children' will be the ones aiming a bullet at my chest ten years from now. I don't leave any weeds behind when it comes to the safety of my family."
Viktor picked up the knife from the table and placed it precisely on his plate.
Viktor: "Never leave an enemy's legacy behind. If you want to destroy someone, do it completely. So that even in the next hundred years, no one dares to look up at the Petrov family. Mercy is a luxury in this world that we cannot afford."
Stepanovich didn't protest; instead, a look of approval flickered in his eyes. He knew this was the unwritten rule of their world. However, Viktor's mother, Anna Petrov, sensed her daughter's discomfort. She took Anna's hand in hers and said softly
Anna Petrov (Mother): "Anna, this world is as dark inside as it looks polished outside. What your brother did, he did only to keep us alive. Neither politics nor empires are ever complete without blood."
Alia shivered seeing the hardness in Viktor's eyes. She knew how tender he was for her, but to the world, he was a ruthless monster. Viktor tightened his grip on Alia's hand, as if reassuring her that as long as he stood by her, no one could touch her. At Anna's question, Alia's eyes glaze over as her memory plunges years back into a horrific past. The light of the dining room chandelier seems to fade, replaced by a bloody, old memory.
In the Flashback:
Alia's maternal uncle's house. There was a festive mood in the air. Her Uncle and Aunt adored her like their own daughter. Her little cousin sister, who used to follow Alia around constantly, filled the house with laughter. They lived together, ate together. Her uncle would place a hand on Alia's head and say, "You are the light of our home."
But that peaceful night was suddenly shattered by screams. A sudden mafia raid turned the house into a living hell. Right before Alia's eyes, her beloved uncle and aunt were ruthlessly shot. Streams of blood flowed across the beautiful floor where they had been laughing just moments ago.
Alia grabbed her little cousin and scrambled inside a dark wardrobe. The air inside was stifling. Outside, the sound of heavy boots and gunfire echoed. The small child was trembling with fear; Alia pressed her hand over the girl's mouth to stifle her cries. Through a crack in the wardrobe, Alia watched as her happy world turned to ash.
The little sister whispered: "Alia-apu, will they kill us too?"
Alia couldn't answer; she just held her sister tight through her own silent tears. They survived that night, but the memory left a deep scar on Alia's soul.
Returning from Flashback:
Alia snaps back to the present. Her hands are shaking. The silver spoon slips from her hand and clatters onto the table. Her eyes are now brimming with tears. She looks at Anna and says in a low, trembling voice
Alia: "I don't know if the children will come back for revenge when they grow up, Viktor... but the hell that a surviving child goes through for the rest of their life is more terrifying than death itself."
Viktor is startled by the tone of her voice. He sees her face has gone pale. He quickly takes her hand in his. Everyone else at the table Stepanovich, Mother Anna, and little Anna sits in stunned silence. They can feel that today, Alia isn't just a Queen; she is a living witness to a shattered past. The veil of memory shifts again, revealing a scene far darker and more sinister than before. This flashback uncovers a horrific truth that threatens to shatter their current world of love.
In the Flashback:
On that cursed night of the raid, the leader of the young assassins was none other than Viktor himself. Viktor was young then, but the primal madness of becoming a mafia lord was already in his blood.
Alia was only a 13-year-old girl, but she was tall and beautiful for her age. She and her little cousin were trembling inside the wardrobe. But there was no escape. Viktor kicked the wardrobe door open.
Viktor dragged Alia out by force. Her little cousin shrank into a corner in terror. Viktor made no effort to recognize Alia; to him, she was just a woman of the enemy faction. There was no mercy in him that night. He forced himself upon her, brutally assaulting (raping) her. Alia's screams were lost in the silent night.
Viktor didn't know who he was touching, and Alia didn't know then that this boy would one day stand before her as her husband. That night, Viktor walked away casually, leaving Alia behind as a living corpse.
Returning from Flashback:
The light of the dining table now pierces Alia's eyes like arrows. She looks at Viktor's hand, the same hand that is now holding her with affection. This very hand had destroyed her once. Her skin crawls, and a wave of nausea hits her.
She jerks her hand away from Viktor. There is no love in her eyes anymore only unspeakable hatred and terror.
Alia: (Screaming from her soul) "Don't touch me! Your hands... I can still smell the blood of that night on these hands!"
Viktor is stunned. He doesn't understand why Alia is suddenly acting this way. Stepanovich and Anna Petrov stand up from their chairs in alarm.
Viktor: "Alia? What happened? I'm right here beside you..."
Alia: (Gasping for air) "You aren't beside me, Viktor you are my killer! You didn't recognize me that night, did you? But I have recognized you... I haven't forgotten that look in your eyes for a single second!"
A terrifying silence falls over the dining room. Viktor's past and present have collided in a toxic explosion. The truth that remained buried for so long has finally surfaced to tear everything apart.