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IRINA
"I swear, they're having sex in the car! Oh my god, Brooklyn is going to go crazy over this," I whispered, making a phone call with Cessie.
I couldn't believe my eyes. A passionate lovemaking scene unfolded before me. Miron Pavlov, the most dangerous businessman of the Century, was making passionate love to Daisy Carman, the rising poet of the season.
Daisy's movements were so expert as she rode Pavlov; their facial expressions showed how immersed they were in the pleasure of sex. Don't they feel suffocated? Doing it in the car, and their bodies drenched in sweat. Somehow, they understand pleasure.
"Irina , you have no idea how big this is, they’re going to pay dearly for this scandal. Now get their video."
"What?" I gasped. Cessie's orders felt a bit heavy.
My current position was hidden behind a tree, obscured by the long bench in front of me. I didn't even understand why Brooklyn's city park was so deserted this afternoon. The sky bore witness to how passionately they made love, with the car windows open.
"Listen, this is an epic, fantastic moment; it would be worth a fortune if we had a video file, so grab it."
"I've taken some photos, isn't that enough?" I said feeling a bit doubtful.
"For God's sake Irina, don't you want more pay?"
"Of course, I need a lot of money; the hospital can't wait any longer."
"Then, do something to save your grandmother's life!" Cessie's voice provoked me.
Firm, compelling, clear.
It wasn't just Cessie's order; I needed this opportunity too. The hospital bills wouldn't wait.
"Alright, I will do it."
"You can, and be careful. I warn you, Miron Pavlov, this man is dangerous, he's not just a businessman, but a cold-blooded man, so don't get caught."
My body shivered hearing that, no choice, reckless, fear of losing. I only have myself as a goal, and my grandmother as a reason to survive in my life.
Lost family, ostracized, and without love.
My camera was on, making sure I had the right angle. "How can someone enjoy sex? What's so good about doing that disgusting thing?" I grumbled.
The video was almost three minutes long, so I moved forward because it was dark in the afternoon. I needed additional lighting to prevent the video from being blurry.
"Bitch!" a hoarse voice.
My head turned back, oh my god. I got caught. My brain gave me the command to save myself. My legs were shaking, but fear made me act recklessly. I screamed, then ran while saving my things.
"Catch her!" the man ordered the others.
Where did that man come from? Why didn't I see him approaching? I was so focused on the video I was taking that I didn't realize danger was also lurking behind me.
I was out of breath. I ran towards the alley, looking for a place to hide. The sky had turned dark. I hid behind a gap near the trash can, thinking they wouldn't find me here.
"I-I have to call Cessie, no, no, just 911." Anxiety made me lose my mind.
Dark, scared, alone. Cessie has warned me many times. Miron is a devil in an Armani suit; he is dangerous because he shows no mercy to his opponents. Once he pulled the trigger, there was no second chance. It doesn't matter whether the opponent is a woman or even a man.
"Here's what you look like!" the voice repeated. I gasped, dropping my phone. 911 was already connected, my eyes bulging as I was about to scream for help, "HELP…." I couldn't finish my sentence.
My body was pulled, my mouth was gagged. The man hung up. Another man came and dragged me into the car. They gagged my mouth with a wad of cloth and covered my head with a black bag.
"Hmmm, mmphh," my voice rebelled. My throat is hot because I can't scream freely.
My head was spinning, feeling the car speeding away. I didn't know where they were taking me. Was this the end of my life?
I've lived my life half-dead, lost my father, been abandoned by my mother, nearly raped by my stepsister, and cared for my dementia-stricken grandmother, who is now suffering from heart disease. And this is how I'm going to die?
They dragged me again as soon as the car stopped, roughly, silently, quietly.
Someone grabbed my shoulders and pushed me down. I was forced to sit down. After that, they removed my head covering, removed my mouth covering, and tied my hands behind my back.
My bangs were a mess, stabbing my eyes. But I can't fix that. My breath hitched as I looked around. Men in black jackets were standing at various points, watching me.
The door swung open, and a man in a navy shirt stepped in. As soon as he stood in front of me, my mind assessed his appearance despite the fear I felt. He had an intimidating charm.
His eyes were sparkling emerald green, his combed haircut, his defined jawline, his broad chest with muscles hidden beneath his shirt, the scent of cologne from his body, and, most importantly, a dark shadow enveloped him.
"You’re a reporter?" His baritone voice sounded calm when he spoke, but witnessing Miron making love to a girl firsthand made me fantasize about his voice.
"I'm just a librarian!" I answered firmly, choosing to challenge his eyes without fear.
I'm afraid of dying just because I can't leave my grandmother alone, but more than that, it feels like my life is worthless. Nobody wants me.
On the Table, my camera, my bag, and other equipment were arranged. "A librarian with a camera? Hiding behind the bushes, and all my photos are here?" he said, pointing at my camera.
I was about to open my mouth, but a movement I didn't expect. The muzzle of a Makarov gun was already at my forehead. "Tell me, little thing ! What were your last words?" he said.
IRINAThey say true love will find its way back. I wasn't entirely convinced by this statement. Ever since I became convinced that Miron had destroyed everything in my life, I really didn't want to be trapped in the trap of love with a weapon."Repeat what you just said," Miron's voice was still the same, demanding, firm.Unconsciously, I felt like I was still under his control. It was as if something instinctive within me was awakening. Even so, I did my best to control myself.If anything had changed, it was Miron's appearance. He seemed thinner, I think. He'd let his beard and mustache grow out, but he hadn't trimmed them. I don't even remember what his haircut was like now."You heard me perfectly well, Miron.""I said, repeat what you just said, Irina!""Aria, the daughter you tried to get rid of, the one you thought was illegitimate, she was your daughter! Your daughter, your biological daughter!" I emphasized every word, sentence, and everything I shouldn't have said.I'd pushe
MIRON“Enough of your grief, Miron! It's been four years!” Tanya pulled me out of the club.Today, I wasn't drunk. However, I missed two important meetings, and I felt like I didn't care anymore. For four years, I had completely lost my way.A man of principle like me, a respected Pakhan, a mentality accustomed to violence. Suddenly, I felt so weak. I tried, and always tried, to maintain my position, but the years seemed increasingly difficult.Ever since my wife left me, and Irina disappeared from me, my world felt upside down. I know this sounds ridiculous. But losing half your soul, or rather, your entire sanity, is a difficult thing to handle.“I told you,” I pushed Tanya's hand away, “Stay out of my business!”“Since Papa asked me to monitor you personally, of course you know I have the right and responsibility for your behavior!”"I'm not drunk! I just want to calm down a bit," I said, about to go back inside. Tanya stopped me, dragging me away from the elite club.She gasped, s
IRINA“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped at Horton. I felt like I’d had enough of all the violence I’d witnessed in my life. Can’t these people resolve things in the most reasonable way?“Who is this bitch?” Horton cast his condescending gaze at me, scanning me from head to toe. Then slowly, his gaze changed. His lips curled into a smile, as if there was a hidden meaning there.The meaning was that he was going to ravish me, devour me lustfully, and if necessary, he would shackle me with all his disgusting desires.“Well, well, looks like I have a new toy,” Horton said.Ariel immediately stood in front of me, shielding me. “Sir, I’m going to replace your drink. Please enjoy yours, or if you’re in the mood, you can leave,” Ariel said firmly.“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ariel whispered, protesting, her face tense.“How could I let him hurt you?” I glanced at Horton’s grip on Ariel’s hand.“I told you not to interfere.”“I just—”“Didn’t you think about your daughter
IRINAI made a major decision in my life, just as Maria had said. The only area not controlled by the mafia was Oregon, as the suburbs here weren't their business destinations.It was a big decision. I left home, taking only my remaining savings with me. No one knew I was leaving, because I had carefully considered my steps. There was no reason for me to stay there.My grandmother had passed away, and all that was left was my body and my baby's. I fought my way through, and four years passed. Starting a new life wasn't easy. I had truly gone through the hardest four years of my life."Oh my gosh, Aria!" I rushed over, running to the apple tree, taking off my gloves. My heart nearly exploded, watching my three-year-old daughter climb the tree."Mommy, Mommy, look," her voice was low, her tiny hand pointing at a butterfly on the tip of a branch."Aria? What did Mommy say about not being a bad girl?" I pinched the tip of her nose.I once saw Aria fall when I was too distracted gardening.
MIRONWhy did I avoid Irina?There was a reason!Everything I do, has a reason that I think suits my plot.When my mother and the others came to protest, I knew they wanted the same reaction from me. Like, I immediately decided to divorce my wife. But, I'm not that type.They know how I act, how I behave. And yet, they still dared to test me. Daria and Tanya hid behind my mother's back, thinking I couldn't make many decisions when it came to my mother.But this time, they were wrong!I sent Irina back to her room, and for a few hours, I listened to my mother's complaints. Daria's complaints. I also assessed how Tanya was behaving. After they went home, I wanted to go back to Irina's room, but something was different.I felt like I was afraid Irina would feel too depressed. I was worried she wouldn't find comfort anymore. After she heard her fertility test showed she was infertile. It seemed too sudden.So, I took the step I felt was right. I felt like I had to be quiet for a moment, t
IRINAIt took me two days to convince myself, after getting Gia's phone number, and for those two days I tried to act normal. Like, completely normal in front of Miron, Ella, even Cessy. They just thought I was still grieving, because I was quiet, unenthusiastic, and didn't have much of an appetite."What do you want to do today?" Ella asked, after several days of not asking me what I wanted, no longer monitoring my activities."I want to go out," I said calmly, still in my usual tone. "Without anyone watching.""You know you can't keep going like this, right, Mrs.?""Ella, do you think I have a purpose now? My in-laws say I'm infertile. My grandmother's dead. I lost my job. What else do you want? Me to die?"Ella's eyes widened, not accepting that I had said that part, as if it wasn't the right thing to say, as if I didn't deserve to say it."Stop saying negative things, it's not good for you.""Then let me do whatever I want from now on, do we have a deal?" I'm sure Ella sensed a ch
IRINA“He’s out of his mind, this is so wild, really. Oh my god,” I muttered at my desk, unable to focus on my work.Ever since Miron mentioned the wedding yesterday, all logic had vanished from my mind. It was like several sentences were spinning around in my head, but I couldn’t put any of them i
MIRONFour Cadillacs were parked on my porch, surprising me somewhat because I recognized each one just by its license plate. The high-ranking officials, some of whom were about my father’s age, were driving, and that was what created a distance between us.I didn’t get along very well with these a
IRINAThat afternoon, after calming myself amid real denial, I visited my grandmother. Trying to be strong in front of someone I love was incredibly draining. My hands still felt frail as I opened the door to my grandmother’s room.“Welcome, Miss Irina,” Paisley greeted. She immediately jolted from
MIRON“Is everyone here?” the head of the family’s voice echoed.One by one, my extended family took their seats at the dining table. The oval table was specially imported, according to my mother's wishes. Each chair had its own owner. The chair on the far right of the table belonged to my father.







