Carefully stepping onto the slick pavement in high heels, I somehow managed to get out of the taxi. The evening was frosty, yet windless and eerily quiet. As I watched the yellow car drive away, an inexplicable heaviness settled in my chest—a mix of longing and sadness.There I stood, in front of a club I knew all too well. Once, crossing its threshold had filled me with happiness and anticipation—another secret meeting with Alec. I still remembered how, like a love-struck girl, I would slip past security and sneak down to his basement room, where we spent our evenings together.A sad smile touched my lips and sank deep into my soul, squeezing it with the weight of regret.Not so long ago, I believed I had changed—that I had become more independent, more self-reliant. What a delusion. Back then, foolishly in love, Masha depended entirely on her father, obeying his will without question. Now, grown-up Maura depended just as completely on Ares. No matter which path I chose, this vicious
Last Updated : 2026-02-13 Read more