A cruel yet satisfied smile curled at the corners of Viktor's lips. Outside the window, the roar of the blizzard intensified, as if the fury of nature itself was echoing the vengeance burning within him. Staring into the dancing flames, he spoke in a low, measured voice.
Viktor: "Whether the city trembles or not is only a matter of time, Anna. But for now, my thoughts are only on that one girl—Alia."
Anna: (Arching an eyebrow as she takes a final sip from her glass) "Still that girl? She was supposed to be just a pawn on your chessboard, Viktor. Has the charm of her excessively long hair and those enchanting eyes finally captivated even our 'Russian Devil'?"
Viktor: (Eyes fixed intensely on the fire) "It's not charm, Anna. It's an addiction. Alia thinks she knows me; she thinks she can wash these blood-stained hands with her tears. She doesn't realize that her very purity is what goads me to become even darker."
Anna: "She is completely broken now. The way she screamed over your 'lifeless body'... it was as if she were a fragile vine that lived only by clinging to you."
Viktor: (Touching the locket around his neck, where Alia's picture is hidden) "That is exactly what I wanted. To shatter her completely and rebuild her in my own image. I will take Alia to a hell where she won't seek freedom, but rather embrace that hell as her heaven. She will be the witness to my destruction and the reason for my resurrection."
Anna: "So, will you bring her to this mansion? Will you force her to face our hidden truths?"
Viktor: (Walking toward the window and staring into the pitch-black night) "Yes. Alia must understand that she isn't just Viktor Demidov's wife; she is now the Queen of this dark empire. And for a Queen of the Petrov lineage, blood on her hands is mandatory. I could have conquered this city without her, but the joy of conquering it with her by my side is incomparable."
Viktor's voice was as cold and hard as stone. He was already relishing the moment Alia would realize that her beloved 'Russian Devil' hadn't died at all, but had returned with a master plan for a new reign of terror.Inside the vast drawing room of the mansion, as the flames of the fireplace flickered, Anna took a final sip from her wine glass and turned toward Viktor. Her white hair shimmered like diamonds in the firelight. She spoke in an incredibly grave tone:
Anna: "Viktor, you think Alia is simple, but she isn't. I have observed her closely over these past few days. That girl is dangerous—far more dangerous than you realize. Beneath her calm exterior lies a power that even you might not be able to imagine."
Viktor: (Narrowing his eyes) "Dangerous? Alia is but a fragile woman, drowning in her grief for me. Are you afraid of the power of her sorrow, Anna?"
Anna: (Letting out a cold, sharp laugh) "It's not her sorrow I'm talking about, Viktor—it's her bloodline. Do not forget she is an Isronova. Her connections to the CIA and the 'Russia God Mesher' are no trivial matter. When she held me and wept, I saw the depth in her eyes—it wasn't just grief; it was a furnace. If she ever discovers you are alive and that you've played this game with her, she won't hesitate to destroy you."
Viktor: (Staring out the window, where owls were circling in the night) "That would be even better, Anna. I want her to become my equal. I want her to unleash that terrifying side of herself."
Anna: "Be careful, brother. The Petrov family has many enemies outside, but if a lioness wakes up inside this house, she will be impossible to tame. Alia is no longer just your wife; she has become your greatest mystery."
Viktor's voice remained hard as stone, but Anna's warning lingered in the air like the scent of gunpowder before a storm. Anna: "Viktor, Alia doesn't fully know if you are alive or dead. But she has formed a hunch. That intuition is poisoning her mind."
Viktor: (In a deep, obsessive voice) "She doesn't just guess, Anna; she feels me. Every drop of blood in her body knows where I am. When those trembling lips of hers call my name, I realize how deep she has entered into my soul. Her excessively long hair, the mole on her neck... everything about her is an addiction to me. If she suspects I am alive, that suspicion will drive her mad. And I want her to return to me in that madness."
Anna: "You are destroying her, Viktor. Every inch of her body now carries the memory of the pain you've given her."
Viktor: "Pain is our language of love, Anna. When she learns that her 'Devil' has counted her every breath, she will either hate me or worship me. I am ready for both."Suddenly, the heavy doors opened and Anna's boyfriend walked in with a confident "Hey!" Anna's cold expression melted into a smile as she approached him and gave him a deep kiss on the lips right in front of Viktor. Holding his hand, she proudly said, "My Love... Brother, look, he's here." Viktor, unmoved, looked at them with a smirk, questioning the boyfriend's courage to enter the Petrov stronghold. Anna warned Viktor that while they both have their obsessions—he with Alia and she with her boyfriend—their personal lives must not interfere with their dark mission.Viktor's piercing blue eyes burned even brighter than the flames in the hearth. The romantic display between Anna and her boyfriend didn't unsettle him; instead, it fueled his internal loneliness and heightened his intense craving for Alia. He took a final sip of his drink and spoke in an exceptionally low, grave voice.
Viktor: "The two of you, leave for now. I want to be alone for a while. I'll be along shortly."
Anna glanced into Viktor's eyes. She knew that when he was this calm, a terrifying storm was brewing inside his head. Holding her boyfriend's hand, she stepped out of the room. As the heavy door clicked shut, an eerie silence descended upon the drawing room.
Right then, Viktor's pet owl emerged from the shadows with a flurry of wings. It circled the room a few times before landing directly on Viktor's outstretched hand. The owl's sharp talons dug into his skin, but he felt no pain.
Viktor began to stroke the owl's head gently. His mind drifted back to that night the last time he had been intimate with Alia. It felt as though the sensation of her excessively long hair was still lingering on his fingertips. He closed his eyes, losing himself in the memory:
The Scent: The fragrance of Alia's silky hair that used to envelop his entire body.
The Touch: The warmth of her trembling body, which served as his only sanctuary in this ice-cold world.
The Union: Those moments where Alia tried to resist him but couldn't, ultimately dissolving into the intoxication of Viktor's presence.
Viktor began to mutter to himself:
"Alia... every curve of your body, every breath you take I know it all. You think I'm gone, but I am woven into your every sigh. When those long tresses of yours fell upon my chest, it felt as if the entire world was in the palm of my hand."
The owl suddenly let out a sharp cry, as if sensing its master's deep yearning. Viktor opened his eyes. They were no longer filled with just love, but a primal sense of possession. He released the owl into the air and stepped toward the dark balcony. He knew Alia was sitting alone in a corner of her room, weeping and he was preparing himself to hear the sound of those tears. In that solemn moment, Anna suddenly shattered the tension. As Viktor was lost in his memories of Alia, Anna crept up behind him like a cat and shouted, "Boo!" Viktor, the fearless Mafia Lord, actually jumped in fright for a split second.
Anna burst into laughter and, like a typical "big sister," grabbed his ear and gave it a firm tug. "What's the matter, Brother? Diving too deep into your thoughts? I knew you'd be obsessing over that girl, so I thought I'd bring you back to reality!"
Viktor, rubbing his ear in embarrassment, muttered, "Anna! Let go! If someone sees this, my reputation is ruined." Anna just smirked, "Reputation? In this room, you're just my brother. Stop drowning in Alia's hair and let's go work comes first."Viktor was not one to back down easily. As Anna tried to pull his ear like an overbearing older sister to bring him back to reality, Viktor swiftly brushed her hand aside. In an instant, his signature cunning smirk reappeared on his face.
Before Anna could even react, Viktor reached out with his long arm and grabbed Anna's ear in return.
Viktor: (Twisting her ear with a bit of force) "Acting like the big sister now, are we? Don't forget, we share the same blood. If you can scare me, I certainly have the power to turn your ear red!"
Anna: "Ow! Viktor! Let go! What will my boyfriend think if he sees this? What about my image?"
Viktor: (Laughing) "Image? There's no one in this room but me, Anna. And to me, you'll always be that little sister who was terrified of the owl's hooting all night."
Anna winced in pain but couldn't help laughing. This playful banter between the siblings momentarily lightened the heavy, grief-stricken atmosphere of the drawing room. Viktor finally let go of her ear and placed a hand on her shoulder. Their features were identical the same piercing blue eyes, the same sharp nose. They were truly two sides of the same coin.
Viktor: (In a grave tone) "Enough. Let's go. But remember, Anna both my plan for Alia and your mission must succeed. There is no room for error."
Anna: (Rubbing her ear) "The word 'error' doesn't exist in the Petrov dictionary, Viktor. Come on, everyone is waiting."
As the two walked down the corridor together, they looked like two dark shadows merging into one. Before leaving, Viktor cast one last glance toward the door where Alia had been brought into the mansion. In the corners of his mind, the scent of her excessively long hair and the echo of her sobs still resonated.