로그인Zeden. I exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, watching it curl toward the ceiling like it could carry away some of this fucking frustration.“But then…” I continued, voice low. “I know it’ll go exactly how I planned. Keep eyes on those maids. Every single one. Feed me back on whatever shit is happening. Do you understand?”“Yes, boss.” Rukov turned to leave but stopped at the door. “I hope she doesn’t find out that you know exactly what you’re doing. I think it’s too much for her.”He walked out before I could reply.I sat there for another hour, smoking through most of the pack Rukov had brought, chain-lighting one after another until the room reeked of tobacco. I stood by the window the whole time, my ears straining for the sound of her car returning. The blindness made everything louder — every distant engine, every voice, every small cry from downstairs that might be Yulia. Waiting felt like another form of torture.Eventually I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed the tapping stic
Zeden. “There’s a fucking spy in my house, Rukov.” I took a long, slow drag from the cigarette, letting the smoke burn my lungs before exhaling it toward the ceiling. The nicotine did nothing to dull the fire in my eyes, but it sharpened the edges of my thoughts. Rukov stood near the window, still processing, confusion thick in his silence. I could feel it rolling off him.“If there’s a spy among the boys, then we do what we usually do — bait them. Put them in a test,” he suggested finally. “But what has the spy got to do with the whole act toward Amber then?”“That’s the point.” I paced slowly, tapping stick clicking against the floor with every step. “It’s not among the boys. It’s one of those lowly goddamn maids. I just can’t pick out which one yet. And I can’t start torturing them one by one while Amber’s hovering around like a fucking guardian angel. One silly disadvantage of getting stuck with someone so opposite of me.” I hissed the last words, throwing the smoked-out ciga
Zeden. My eyes hurt like hell. God, it fucking hurt. I kept repeating it in my head like a curse even after the nurse finally left. She’d been gone about two hours, and even with the damn drugs she pumped into me, it still felt like a million needles were stabbing straight into my sockets. The pain pulsed with every heartbeat, sharp and unrelenting. I clenched my fists tighter, pacing the room with the long tapping stick in my hand, the tip clicking against the floor like a reminder of everything I’d lost.This wasn’t like the times I’d pretended to be blind. Back then it was control — a game, a weapon. Now I was truly fucking blind, and the rage it stirred in me burned hotter than the pain itself. I reached for the drawer, my fingers fumbling until I found it empty. No cigarettes. I’d thrown them all out because my dear little wife hated the smell. Another stupid mistake in a long list of them.“Damn it,” I growled under my breath.I made my way to the door, tapping the s
Amber. The next morning came too soon, pale light filtering through the curtains like it had no right to be gentle after the night I’d endured. I woke early, my body aching in places I didn’t want to name, and went straight to Yulia. She fussed softly in her crib, her tiny hands reaching for me as I lifted her, fed her, changed her, and rocked her back to sleep with whispered promises I wasn’t sure I could keep. Once she settled, I asked one of the maids to stay with her. “Don’t leave her side,” I said quietly. “I’ll be back soon.”My heart hammered as I made my way down the hall toward Zeden’s— Our —room. I didn’t know if he’d even let me in, but I had to try. The door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open without knocking and stepped inside.Rukov stood near the bed, his arms crossed, while a young nurse worked carefully beside Zeden. He sat upright on the edge of the mattress, shirtless, shoulders tense. The nurse was slowly peeling away the old bandage, the fabric sticking
Amber. Night fell too quickly, swallowing the mansion in thick darkness that pressed against the windows like an uninvited guest. I stood there, staring out into nothing, my mind a storm of colliding thoughts — Zeden’s cold grip around my throat, the slammed door, the way he looked at me like I was a stranger who had invaded his home. The pain in my waist from his shove was already fading, but the ache in my chest only grew sharper.“Ma’am… Amber?” Cara’s gentle voice cut through the chaos in my head.I turned slowly. She stood just inside the room, her expression soft with understanding.“I wanted to let you know I’ll be leaving tomorrow,” she said quietly. “My assignment here was only supposed to be for a few days. The hospital expects me back on the main ward.”A fresh wave of unease settled in my stomach. With my marriage crumbling into something unrecognizable, the idea of losing the one steady person I trusted with my children made everything feel heavier. “Cara… please. C
Amber. The sharp pain in my waist from where he shoved me was nothing compared to the deeper ache ripping through my chest. Nothing compared to having a husband who looked at me like a stranger. Who didn’t remember the nights he’d burned my skin with his touch, fucked me whenever he wanted, broke me and then pieced me back together like I was his only salvation. It didn’t compare at all. “Did you remember something, Zeden?” I whispered, slowly pushing myself up from the floor. In a rush of desperation I was right in his face, staring up at the man I loved more than life, whose bandaged eyes showed zero remorse for pushing me away. “Answer me!” I shouted. His jaw clenched hard. His head tilted slightly, like my voice had triggered something dangerous inside him. For a second his bandaged eyes shut tight, then opened again. “Why the fuck does it matter?” His voice was ice-cold, shaking me to my bones. “You’re blonde. Of course that’s what I’d call you. It’s just a fucking desc
Amber.I was hurt. I was pissed. But those words felt too small for what boiled inside me now. My anger had levels—deep, jagged layers—and every single one had a reason.Zeden had hurt me. His mother had hurt me worse. And everything the other maids whispered about her was true. She was a monste
Zeden. I paced the room like a caged animal, every step heavier than the last. What the hell was wrong with me? I had meant to do it—meant to clip those nails from her fingers, make her feel the sting of real consequences. That was why I’d told Rukov to bring the bag. That was the plan. Cl
Amber.I stood at the sink in the restroom, gripping the cold porcelain edge until my knuckles ached. My reflection looked like a stranger—mascara-streaked cheeks, wet hair plastered to my neck, uniform clinging in dark patches from the spilled wine. I tore a tissue from the box on the counter
Zeden.I was angry. I should be angry. There were a million reasons stacked on top of each other, each one sharper than the last, but the one that burned hottest—the one that refused to let go—was Amber.I couldn’t shake the feeling that I still hadn’t punished her.Not properly.Not the way s







