Chapter 91:The Intercepted Message

The morning after I handed the note to the driver felt different than any other morning. I woke up before the sun was fully over the horizon. For the first time in weeks, I didn't feel the usual weight in my chest. I had done something. I had reached out to the world outside these walls. I lay in bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling and imagining that piece of paper traveling through the city. I hoped it was already in the hands of someone who could help me.

I got out of bed and dressed slowly. I chose a simple sweater and jeans, wanting to feel like myself for as long as possible before the gala preparations started again. I walked down to the dining room, expecting to see the usual spread of breakfast and the twins buried in their tablets.

Instead, the room was empty. It was also very quiet. Usually, there was a sound of staff moving in the kitchen or the hum of the vacuum in the hallway. Today, the house felt like it was holding its breath.

I wandered toward the kitchen to find Dmitri, but the hallway was blocked by Ivan. He was standing by the large windows that looked out over the driveway. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket yet. He just had on a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked like he hadn't slept at all.

"You're up early," Ivan said. He didn't turn around to look at me.

"I couldn't sleep," I replied. I tried to make my voice sound normal. I didn't want him to hear the heartbeat thumping in my throat. "Is everything okay? It's very quiet."

Ivan finally turned. He didn't look angry. He looked disappointed, which was much worse. He held up a small, crumpled piece of paper. Even from across the hall, I recognized it. It was my note. The ink was slightly smeared from the moisture in the air.

My stomach dropped. The small spark of hope I had been carrying since yesterday went out instantly. I felt cold from my head to my toes.

"Come with me, Leo," Ivan said. He walked past me without waiting for an answer.

He led me toward the study at the back of the house. This was the room where they did the real business, the stuff Arthur didn't want the public to see. When we walked in, the lights were dim. There was a computer monitor glowing on the desk.

"Sit down," Ivan said, gesturing to the chair in front of the screen.

"Ivan, I can explain," I started, my voice shaking. "I just wanted to talk to someone. I didn't mean to—"

"I don't need an explanation," Ivan interrupted. He leaned over me and pressed a button on the keyboard. "I already know why you did it. You think we are the villains in your story. You think the world outside is waiting to save you."

A video began to play on the screen. It was security footage from the back loading dock. I saw myself walking out with the crate of oranges. I saw the delivery driver leaning against his van. I watched the moment I faked the stumble and pressed the note into his hand. It looked so obvious on the screen. I felt like a fool for thinking they wouldn't see it.

"He was just a kid," I whispered. "He didn't do anything wrong. He was just being nice to me."

"I know," Ivan said. He clicked to another file. This one was a document with a company logo at the top. It was a formal letter. "His name is Marcus. He is twenty-two years old. He has worked for that delivery company for three years. He has a clean record. He was hoping for a promotion next month."

"Was?" I asked, the word catching in my throat.

"I contacted his employer an hour after he left the gates," Ivan explained. His voice was very calm, like he was reading a weather report. "I told them that one of their employees was caught attempting to smuggle personal correspondence out of a private estate. I told them it was a security breach. I told them that if he remained on their payroll, the Volkov firm would cancel all future contracts with them."

I stared at the screen. "You got him fired? Over a piece of paper?"

"It wasn't just a piece of paper, Leo. It was a betrayal of the rules we have set for your safety," Ivan said. He sat on the edge of the desk, looking down at me. "Marcus lost his job this morning. He was escorted out of his building. Because of the nature of the report I made, he will not be able to get a job in logistics or delivery ever again. He is blacklisted."

I felt a tear run down my face. "That’s not fair. He didn't know what was in the note. He was just trying to help me because I looked sad. Why would you ruin his life to punish me?"

"That is where you are wrong," Ivan said. He reached out and wiped the tear away with his thumb. His touch was soft, but it felt like a brand. "I am not punishing you. I am teaching you. Every time you try to reach outside of us, someone else will pay the price. If you run, the person who hides you will lose everything. If you speak, the person who listens will be silenced."

"You're a monster," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

Ivan didn't flinch. "No. I am the man who loves you. And I am the man who has to make sure you understand how the world works. People like Marcus are fragile. They are easily broken. You, however, are a Volkov. Your actions have consequences that ripple out and destroy people who have nothing to do with your choices."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the gardens. "I didn't hurt him physically. I didn't send anyone to his house. I simply took away his ability to support himself. I wanted you to see that your 'rebellion' isn't a movie. It doesn't end with a hero saving the day. It ends with a regular person sitting at their kitchen table wondering how they are going to pay their rent."

I looked at the crumpled note on the desk. It looked so small and pathetic now. I thought about the driver's face, how he had looked at me with a little bit of kindness. I had rewarded that kindness by destroying his career.

"I won't do it again," I said. I felt hollowed out, like there was nothing left inside me but gray ash.

Ivan turned back to me. He walked over and pulled me into a hug. I didn't hug him back, but I didn't pull away either. I didn't have the strength. He rested his chin on the top of my head and sighed.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Ivan said. "We have the gala tonight. I want you to be happy. I want you to smile. But I want you to remember Marcus when you look at the people in that room. They are all just as fragile as he is. Their lives are in your hands, Leo. If you behave, they stay safe. If you don't..."

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

"Go get some breakfast," Ivan said, releasing me. "Dmitri made the pancakes you like. Try to eat something. You need your energy for this evening."

I walked out of the study, my legs feeling like they were made of lead. The house didn't feel quiet anymore. It felt heavy. I went to the dining room and sat down in front of the plate of food Dmitri had set out for me. The pancakes looked perfect, but they tasted like dust.

I looked at my hands. I thought about the driver. I thought about the note. I realized that Ivan had done something much worse than hitting me or locking me in a room. He had made me the villain of my own story. Every time I looked at the gates from now on, I wouldn't see a way out. I would see the faces of the people I would hurt if I tried to leave.

I pushed the plate away and stared out the window. The sun was fully up now, shining brightly over the estate. It was a beautiful day, and I had never f

elt more alone in my entire life.