Over the next four days, a quiet pattern settled between them.
Hak would come to see her without fail. Sometimes early in the morning, sometimes late at night, always at moments when the house was still. He never announced himself. He would simply appear, as he always had, standing just within reach but never crossing it unless she allowed him to.
"Are you alright?" he would ask.
And every time, Ulyana would nod. "I'm fine."
Her answers were short. Polite. She never turned him away, but she never invited him to stay either.
Hak noticed.
He noticed the way her tone had changed, the way her eyes no longer lingered on him the same way they had that night. The warmth was still there, buried somewhere beneath the surface, but she kept it carefully guarded.
So he adjusted. He kept his distance.
Stayed only long enough to ensure she was safe, then left without pushing further.
And every time the door closed behind him, the room would feel emptier. Ulyana would sit there for a while, holding herself together, staring at nothing in particular as the silence crept back in.
Then, when she was certain no one was coming back, she would let it break.
Quietly.
The tears came slipping past the composure she worked so hard to maintain. She never made a sound. Never allowed herself that much.
It wasn't just that he was leaving. It was what he represented.
Hak was the one person she never had to think around, never had to perform for. With him, she didn't have to be the granddaughter of Nikolai Vasily, didn't have to be the composed, untouchable figure everyone expected her to be.
With him, she could just exist.
And yet, that same person belonged to a world she could never separate him from.
He was, first and foremost, one of her grandfather's men.
Loyal. Unwavering.
Not hers.
That truth sat heavily in her chest every time he walked away. So she stopped reaching for him. Stopped letting herself depend on something that would inevitably be pulled away.
But no matter how much distance she tried to create, the feeling didn't fade.
If anything, it only made it clearer. He was her safe place.
And he was never going to stay.
- - -
On the fourth night, Hak entered quietly.
He was already dressed for departure, his presence sharper, more distant. The familiar stillness around him had changed into something purposeful.
Ulyana noticed immediately. She was sitting upright in bed, her posture composed, though her eyes lingered on him longer than usual.
Beside her, Nikolai sat in a high backed chair, a book resting open in his hands. He did not look up right away, turning a page with calm precision before finally closing it.
Hak stepped forward and bowed his head in respect. "Sir."
Nikolai regarded him for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "You've done well," he said. "You have my thanks."
Hak remained still. "It was my duty."
A faint pause settled before Nikolai continued, his tone steady.
"I have your next assignment. One you may find… difficult." His gaze sharpened slightly. "We will discuss it upon your return."
Hak inclined his head. "Understood."
"This time," Nikolai added, "you won't be alone. Ivan and Vadim will accompany you."
At the mention of the twins, Ulyana shifted immediately. Her composure cracked just enough for it to show her affection. "They're here?"
Almost as if on cue, the door opened.
Ivan and Vadim entered with an ease that contrasted the heaviness of the room. Their presence carried a lighter energy, though beneath it was the same precision and awareness that defined all of Nikolai's men.
"Yanie," one of them greeted warmly.
They crossed the room without hesitation, their attention fully on her.
"You look better," the other added, setting down a carefully arranged bundle beside her.
Flowers. Chocolates. Silk sleepwear. A collection of skincare and hair products, all chosen with obvious care.
Ulyana's expression softened despite herself.
"You didn't have to bring all this," she said, though her voice carried a quiet warmth.
"We always do," Ivan replied casually.
"And we always will," Vadim added.
They lingered for a moment, checking on her properly, their concern genuine beneath their usual composure.
Ulyana let herself lean into it just slightly, her guard lowering in a way it hadn't over the past few days.
After several moments, just as naturally, the mood shifted. They stepped back, letting their focus returning to Nikolai.
Nikolai rose from his seat, setting the book aside.
"Listen carefully," he said.
All three men straightened instinctively.
What followed was brief but precise. Instructions delivered with clarity, expectations set without room for misinterpretation. Every detail mattered. Every movement accounted for.
Hak stood silent, absorbing it all.
Ivan and Vadim remained just as attentive, their earlier ease replaced by sharp focus.
Ulyana watched from the bed, her hands resting lightly over the gifts they had brought. Her eyes moved between them, lingering just a moment longer on Hak.
This was his world. And now, he was stepping fully back into it.
When Nikolai finished, the room fell quiet once more. There was nothing left to say.
Only departure.
-
After the briefing ended, the atmosphere in the room gradually softened again.
Nikolai excused himself first, leaving the younger generation behind while Hak remained near the doorway, silent as always. Ivan and Vadim wasted no time reclaiming the lighter mood, settling themselves comfortably around Ulyana's bed as though they had never been apart for months.
One of them reached for her phone on the bedside table and connected it to the speakers nearby. Soft music soon filled the room, low enough not to disturb the calm.
Ulyana watched them fondly, warmth slowly returning to her expression.
"You both disappear for months and come back acting like nothing happened," she muttered.
"That's because nothing happened," Ivan said smoothly.
Vadim scoffed. "Don't lie to her. We nearly got arrested twice."
"You nearly got arrested," Ivan corrected.
Ulyana laughed quietly for the first time that evening.
The twins exchanged amused looks before beginning to recount parts of their recent operation. They spoke casually, almost too casually, considering the danger behind the story.
The assignment had taken place in the territory of a rival family. To avoid suspicion, they had disguised themselves as older businessmen while investigating a mole hidden within Nivasa's international staff network.
"You should've seen Vadim with grey hair," Ivan said dryly. "He looked seventy."
"I looked distinguished," Vadim argued.
"You looked like somebody's bitter ex husband."
Ulyana shook her head, smiling.
The twins described how they spent weeks building contacts, gathering information, and tracing financial irregularities back to someone feeding information to opposing groups.
"Honestly, we were stuck for a while," Vadim admitted. "Then Hak showed up."
At the mention of him, Ulyana's gaze shifted instinctively toward the doorway.
Hak remained leaning quietly against the wall, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"He cleaned up half the operation in two days," Ivan said. "Found patterns we missed."
"He also terrified everyone we questioned," Vadim added casually.
Hak didn't respond.
Ulyana lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the small flicker of emotion that crossed her face.
"We were supposed to finish together," Ivan continued, "but Deda called him back urgently during his birthday banquet."
The room quieted briefly.
Neither twin elaborated further. They already understood enough from Nikolai's sudden summons and Hak's return.
Vadim eventually leaned back in his chair. "After Hak left, we wrapped everything up ourselves."
"We found the mole," Ivan said bluntly.
"And punished him," Vadim added, his tone flattening slightly.
Ulyana understood what that meant without needing details. Growing up in the Vasily household meant learning early that betrayal was never treated lightly.
Still, the twins moved on from the topic with practiced ease. Soon they were discussing legitimate business matters instead, particularly their recent work expanding Nivasa's influence throughout Asia.
"The South Korean partnerships are progressing faster than expected," Ivan explained. "Luxury retail especially."
"And China's becoming more profitable every quarter," Vadim added. "We're building stronger connections there now. Entertainment, fashion, technology. Everything's opening up."
Ulyana listened carefully, genuinely interested. Unlike many of their relatives, the three of them had always taken the business seriously. Nikolai valued that more than almost anything.
The conversation continued late into the night, shifting between work, travel, teasing remarks, and old memories.
Like they were simply siblings spending time together instead of people raised in a world built equally on power and violence.
And through it all, Hak remained nearby in quiet silence, listening without interrupting, already half gone before he had even left.
-
After a while, the tension in the room eased completely.
Music continued playing softly in the background while the twins lounged around Ulyana's room as if they had never been gone at all. Between stories, teasing, and laughter, the atmosphere became warm enough for Ulyana to momentarily forget everything weighing on her.
Still, Ivan and Vadim noticed the signs immediately.
The way her eyes had begun to droop slightly. The subtle pauses between her responses. The exhaustion she was trying so hard not to show.
Neither of them mentioned it directly at first.
But Vadim reached over and gently flicked her forehead.
"You're tired."
"I'm not," she protested weakly.
"You are," Ivan said flatly. "You look seconds away from collapsing."
Ulyana sighed dramatically. "You two are insufferable."
"And yet we're your favourites," Vadim replied without hesitation.
The twins exchanged a knowing glance beneath the teasing was genuine concern. They wanted her healthy again, back to her usual routine instead of confined to bed recovering from stress and exhaustion.
"You need proper rest," Ivan said more seriously this time. "Recover first. Then you can go back to terrorising the company executives."
"And the media," Vadim added.
"And Deda." Ivan said.
Ulyana rolled her eyes but smiled softly nonetheless. The reality of their departure settled back over the room.
Neither twin knew how long this assignment with Hak would last. Operations overseas could take weeks, sometimes months depending on how complicated things became.
So they stretched out the goodbye as long as they could.
Vadim tucked the blanket around Ulyana dramatically while Ivan handed her the flowers again as though presenting them for the first time. She laughed quietly at their antics while they crowded onto the bed beside her for photos.
"Smile properly," Vadim complained while holding up the phone.
"I am smiling."
"You look like you're planning a murder."
"That is her happy face," Ivan said.
After several chaotic selfies and one blurry picture of all three of them laughing, the twins finally stood.
Vadim kissed the top of her head affectionately followed by Ivan.
"We'll be back before you know it," Ivan promised.
"And if not," Vadim added, "we'll call enough to annoy you."
"You already do that," Ulyana replied softly.
The twins lingered only another moment before finally leaving the room, their voices fading down the hallway.
Then it was quiet again.
Only Hak remained.