LOGINAnya pov.
The mansion was quieter than usual. The kind of silence that pressed against your eardrums.I had spent enough time here to know when something felt off. And today, it felt like everything was closing in. The walls, the people, even Viktor's trust.I had never expected to be here—this deep into the game, trying to spy on Viktor’s own people.But when Boris threatened me, everything changed. I had to give him some information.But I was careful, not wanting toViktor pov.The walls of my office were suffocating, shadows creeping in from every corner. A half-empty glass of whiskey sat on the table, untouched. It had no effect anymore—not after Vlan. His death gnawed at me relentlessly, sharp and unforgiving. “Vlan… otets,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. (Father.) That’s what he’d been to me in every way that mattered. And now, he was gone—stripped from me by enemies who thought they could outmaneuver me. The pills sat on the desk, I grabbed the bottle, shaking two into my hand. The bitterness burned down my throat as I swallowed them dry.It didn’t matter. What mattered was vengeance. A knock interrupted the stillness. My muscles tensed. “Come in,” I barked, my voice colder than I intended. Yuvi entered, his face grim. His expression told me everything—he wasn’t here for pleasantries. In his hands was a folder, thick with papers I didn’t want to see. “Pakhan,” he started, tone cautious, “
Anya pov.The mansion felt different after Vlan’s death, as if the walls themselves were mourning. It was quieter, heavier. I wandered through the halls, trying to shake the unease that had settled deep in my chest. But no matter how hard I tried, the feeling wouldn’t leave. I found myself drifting toward the quieter parts of the house—the ones no one seemed to use. Maybe I needed space to think, or maybe I was just looking for something, anything, that could make sense of the chaos Viktor’s world had thrown me into. It was in one of those halls that I heard the voice. “…his strength finally snapped. We’ll see how long it takes for him to crumble.” I froze. The voice belonged to Anton. He was speaking in hushed tones, his back to me, phone pressed to his ear. My heart started to race. Those words—they felt loaded, dangerous. Anton paused, listening to whoever was on the other end of the line. Then he muttered something I couldn’t cat
Anya pov.The mansion had its own way of holding secrets. The walls whispered things when no one was looking—words you weren’t meant to hear but couldn’t ignore. That morning, as I lingered near Viktor’s study, the low rumble of voices reached me. “…you can’t afford sentiment,” Yuvi was saying. His voice was sharp, like a blade slicing through the air. “Not now. Especially not for her.” For me. I froze, my fingers gripping the edge of the wall. My stomach knotted as shame burned through me. “She’s not your problem, Yuvi,” Viktor replied, his tone colder than I’d ever heard it. “I’ll handle her.” Handle me? What did that mean? I felt my chest tighten, their conversation pressing down like an anchor. Yuvi didn’t back down. “You’re distracted. Don’t deny it. You think Boris won’t notice? That he won’t use it against you?” “Enough.” Viktor’s voice dropped, low and deadly. “Do your job, and I’ll do mine.” The scrape of a chair made
Viktor pov.The room felt like a pressure cooker. Every man in my inner circle sat around the table, faces grim, tension thick enough to choke on. I leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled under my chin, forcing myself to appear calm even though fury roiled in my chest. Yuvi spoke first, his tone clipped. “Whoever did this wanted to send a message, Pakhan. They know Vlan was more than just a consigliere to you.” My jaw clenched. “It’s not about the message. It’s about the cowardice. Execution-style? At the docks? They didn’t even have the decency to look him in the eyes.” “Or maybe,” Yuvi continued, his dark eyes meeting mine, “they wanted you to feel the sting. They think you’re weak now. Exposed.” I let out a low growl, slamming my palm onto the table. “Do I look weak to you, Yuvi? Does anyone here think I’m exposed?” No one answered. Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket. Yuvi finally broke it. “It’s not about what we think
Anya pov.Yesterday, I woke up to the silence of the room, thick and suffocating. Viktor’s side of the bed was empty, the sheets cool against my fingertips. I reached out instinctively, but he wasn’t there. The first thought that crossed my mind was that something had happened. He was always gone before me, but this felt... different. Pulling the blanket around me, I sat up and stared at the room. The faint scent of his cologne lingered, mingling with the leather and wood of the furniture. It was a comforting smell, one I’d come to associate with him, but that day, it only made my chest tighten. Something was wrong. I felt it. ***I wandered out into the hallway, my bare feet padding against the cold floor. The mansion was alive with movement, but the usual hum of activity felt muted, like everyone was trying not to draw attention to themselves. Two staff members passed me, their heads bent close together as they whispered. “...found h
Viktor pov.I woke before the sun, the room was still cloaked in shadows. Restless. Unsettled. Something in my gut gnawed at me, like a warning I didn’t understand. Anya lay beside me, her hair was a tangled mess against the pillow, her breathing soft and even. Peaceful. She looked nothing like the fighter I knew—sharp-tongued, defiant, always pushing buttons she shouldn’t. Here, she was... different. Vulnerable. It should’ve been enough to make me look away, but I didn’t. Couldn’t. “Ty moya slabost,” I muttered under my breath. You are my weakness. It wasn’t a compliment. It wasn’t even anger. It was the truth. I dragged a hand down my face and sat up, the cool air biting against my skin. This—whatever she was doing to me—it needed to stop. I wasn’t built for softness, for distractions. Anya was supposed to be a pawn, leverage, nothing more. And yet, here I was, watching her sleep like some lovesick fool. I grabbed my phone fr
Anya pov.The mirror in my room was my worst enemy. It showed me too much. Every morning, I’d stand in front of it, looking at the woman staring back. The perfect mask. The poised, detached girl Viktor saw. But beneath that mask was someone unraveling.I pulled my hair into a tight b
Anya pov.The air in the mansion was colder than usual, or maybe it was just me. I kept my hands busy wiping the same spot on the countertop over and over again, pretending like I wasn’t stealing glances at him from the corner of my eye.Viktor sat at the dining table, his pierc
Viktor’s pov.The room was dimly lit, as I sat at the massive oak table in my study. Papers and maps were spread out before me, but I wasn’t reading any of them. My thoughts kept drifting back to earlier that evening.Anya.Irina had humiliated her in front of everyone
Anya pov.Viktor’s words hung in the air, heavy and possessive.“You’re mine.”I felt my chest tighten, a mix of anger and unease curling in my stomach. His voice wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be. The weight behind it was enough. I looked at him, trying not to let







