Dmitri sat quietly on the floor, his knees drawn tightly to his chest, his arms wrapped around them as if holding himself together. His gaze remained fixed on the soft candlelight flickering in front of his mother's picture.
The ceremony had been interrupted halfway.
Everything had been calm… perfect ...until Alexei arrived with the news.
Their father was coming.
Nik had tensed immediately, his body going rigid.
Nothing was prepared. Nothing was perfect.
And with everything already going wrong within the organization, this was the worst possible time for their father to be in the city.
Mikhail Petrovich hated imperfection.
More than that—he valued the organization above everything else in this world.
Power was not just something he held.
It was something he was obsessed with.
Dmitri swallowed hard, his grip tightening around his legs.
An hour later, their father had arrived.
And the first thing he did…
Was slap Nik.
Dmitri's eyes burned at the memory.
They were already slightly red now, heavy with unshed tears. His vision blurred for a moment before he blinked and forced himself to look up at his mother's picture again.
The soft glow of the candles made her expression seem almost alive.
"Mom…" his voice came out small, breaking slightly.
"I'm sorry."
He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against his knees.
"I told you I'd be strong for Nik… but I couldn't."
His shoulders trembled faintly.
"I don't know why I can't stay calm when he's around… I just—"
His voice cracked, and the words faded into silence.
"Sorry, Mom."
The room fell quiet again, filled only with the faint crackle of candle flames.
Time passed.
Slowly.
Five hours.
Five hours since Nik had left to meet their father.
****************
Ash had just reached the gates of the mansion. He and Emil had parted ways not long ago after hours of drinking—with Emil getting completely drunk.
Ash pushed the thought aside as he stepped inside.
The mansion was quiet.
He frowned slightly as he opened the main door and entered. There were no maids in sight.
Ash's steps slowed.
He moved toward the staircase and began climbing, his gaze scanning the empty halls. The silence followed him all the way up—
Until he reached the upper floor.
That was when he saw them.
A group of maids stood gathered in front of one of the doors, whispering among themselves.
Ash's brows knitted together as he walked toward them.
Before he could say anything, one of the maids noticed him and quickly rushed forward, relief washing over her face.
"Sir Ash—thank God you're here," she said urgently.
He stopped in front of them.
"What's going on?"
"It's Sir Dmitri," she said, her voice filled with worry. "He locked himself in this room hours ago."
Another maid stepped forward.
"He hasn't eaten anything," she added. "And he won't open the door no matter what we say."
The others nodded in agreement, their concern evident.
"Where is Sir Nik?" he asked.
The maids fell silent.
They exchanged glances… but no one answered.
Ash exhaled quietly before nodding.
"Alright," he said. "You can all go. I'll handle it."
The maids nodded one by one.
"Please… try to get him to eat something," one of them added softly.
Ash gave a small nod in response.
With that, the maids slowly dispersed, leaving him alone in the hallway.
Silence settled again.
Ash stood in front of the door, his gaze fixed on it.
Ash knocked once.
"Boss…" he called, his voice low.
No answer.
He knocked again, a little firmer this time.
"Dmitri."
Still nothing.
Silence pressed heavily from the other side of the door.
Ash waited for a moment longer, listening—
Nothing.
He let out a quiet sigh, already turning away, to leave—
Click.
The sound made him pause.
Ash turned back just as the door slowly opened.
For a brief second, he stood there… then pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The first thing that caught his attention was the table at the far end of the room.
A framed photograph stood there, surrounded by candles that had burned low. The soft glow flickered against the image of a woman with striking features—emerald eyes, red hair…
Ash stilled for a moment.
She looks just like Dmitr he thought
His gaze lingered for a second longer before shifting.
That's when he saw him.
Dmitri.
He was sitting on the floor against the wall, curled in on himself, his knees pulled tightly to his chest. His arms were wrapped around them as if he was trying to hold himself together.
Small.
Fragile.
"Boss…" he called again, gently this time.
No response.
Ash walked toward him slowly.
Dmitri's head was lowered, buried in the space between his knees and chest.
When Ash got close, he lowered himself, bending down until he was at Dmitri's level.
"Hey…" he said softly.
Dmitri didn't move.
"I don't look good," he muttered, his voice muffled.
Ash didn't respond to that.
Instead, he gently reached out and lifted Dmitri's chin.
Dmitri didn't resist.
Their eyes met.
Ash stilled slightly.
Dmitri's eyes were faintly swollen—clear signs that he had been crying.
For a moment, Ash just looked at him.
Then—
"Stop staring," Dmitri said, turning his face slightly away. "I told you I don't look good."
That snapped Ash out of it.
"It's just strange to see you like this."Ash said .
Dmitri let out a small breath, his gaze shifting elsewhere.
"What's strange about it?" he asked.
Ash tilted his head slightly.
"The boss i know always smiles...always joking," he said. "So seeing you like this is… different."
Dmitri didn't respond immediately. He just let out a breath .
Ash then moved and sat down beside him, leaning lightly against the wall.
There was a short silence before Dmitri spoke again.
"Aren't you supposed to scold me?" he asked. "Or ask why I locked myself in here and worried everyone?"
Ash let out a quiet huff.
"Since when does a bodyguard have the right to scold his boss?"
Dmitri glanced at him.
Ash continued, his tone softer now.
"But… if there's anything weighing on your mind—this bodyguard can be your listening ear."
For a second, Dmitri just stared at him.
Then suddenly—
He laughed.
Ash blinked. "What?"
" What, were you born in the 90's or something" Dmitri said unable to stop laughing.
Ash sighed, pushing himself up from the floor.
"Well… it looks like you're back in a good mood," he said. "I'll take my leave."
"No—wait," Dmitri said quickly, reaching out slightly. "Okay, I'll stop."
He took a breath, calming down, though a small smile still lingered on his lips.
Then—
His stomach growled.
Both of them paused.
Dmitri looked up at Ash, completely unbothered.
"It looks like i'm hungry."
Ash raised a brow.
"What did you expect?" he said. "You haven't eaten since morning."
"Hey, I had pastries this moning"
Ash pinched the bridge of his nose and gestured toward the door.
"The maids already prepared your meal, so you can—"
"Can you carry me?"
Ash stopped mid-sentence.
"…What?"
"I've been sitting here for too long," Dmitri said, shifting slightly. "My legs are numb."
Ash stared at him.
"Is carrying you part of my job description?"
Dmitri smiled.
"I can add it starting today."
Ash rolled his eyes.
"And this is the same person who was miserable a few seconds ago."
"I heard that," Dmitri replied.
Ash sighed—but despite that, he stepped forward and bent down.
Carefully, he lifted Dmitri in a bridal style.
Dmitri rested his head on Ash's chest, catching his natural scent and alcohol.
"You've been drinking." Dmitri asked.
Ash glanced down at him briefly.
"…Yeah."
They stepped out into the hallway, the quiet of the mansion wrapping around them once again.
Both of them were quiet before Ash spoke.
"…The woman in the picture," he said. "She's your mom, right?"
Dmitri nodded slightly against him.
"You two look alike."
A faint smile touched Dmitri's lips.
"Yeah… I've heard that a lot."
And with that they continued on their way in silence.
**************
📝Author's Note 💌
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