Viktor's father frantically grabbed hold of Anna's hand, struggling with all his might to push himself up from the floor. His eyes were burning red with a mix of terror and blind rage. Trembling violently, he pointed a shaking finger toward the bed where Alia and Viktor had been just moments before.
Every word scraped from his broken, ruthless throat like venom:
"That... that monster Viktor and that cursed girl... Alia! They wanted to grind my entire empire into dust! They tried to murder me! Quick... catch them! Don't let either of them escape!"
As those harsh truths fell straight from Anna's lips, the fierce shouting caught in her father's throat, halting instantly. Not a single word could escape his mouth anymore; his eyes widened in sheer shock and disbelief.
Leaning even closer toward her father, Anna spoke in a voice dripping with absolute chill, deep-seated hatred, and unshakable confidence:
"Did you really think we wouldn't see right through your pathetic lies, Dad? We know every single gruesome detail of the mental and physical abuse you inflicted on your own children just to keep your precious empire standing. What Viktor and Alia did today? You deserved every bit of it!"
Katrina stood right beside their father, trembling slightly, but the fear and weakness of the past were completely gone from her eyes replaced instead by the cold, calculated readiness for a merciless vengeance. In the suffocating air of the room, every word Anna spoke struck like a poisonous arrow.
Her father's entire body trembled uncontrollably from rage, humiliation, and searing pain. Hearing such cruel, piercing truths thrown right in his face by Anna, he simply couldn't comprehend that his own flesh and blood had turned against him.
Propping himself up painfully on his elbows against the floor, he hissed back with a voice shaking with fury:
"You... you carry my blood, yet you're siding with that foreign dog?! Don't you ever forget this empire, this power I built every single piece of it with my bare hands! The blood running through your veins is my blood! That Viktor and that unhinged girl tried to destroy me today, and you're standing guard for them? Does your chest not ache at all seeing your own father like this?!"
Anna flashed a cold, mocking smile right in her father's face and stepped even closer. There was not a shred of respect or mercy left in her eyes only pure, unadulterated hatred. She replied in a voice that was razor-sharp and crystal clear:
"Yes, we have become just like Viktor! Because in this brutal world, the only ones who teach people how to live like human beings are those who know how to stand up against monsters like you. You claim us as your own flesh and blood, but after the inhumane torture you put us through our entire lives, you never deserved to be called a father!"
Hearing Anna's words, all the rage on her father's face vanished in an instant. A wave of helplessness and profound despair swept across his features. In a broken, whispering voice, he muttered:
"So... even you two have turned against me today? You... you sound exactly like Viktor..."
Anna cast one final glance down at her father. Her eyes held a strange sense of complete detachment and the sheer joy of ultimate liberation. Neither his helpless whispering nor his last-minute plea could shake her resolve even a fraction.
Taking Katrina by the hand, she turned and headed straight toward the exit. As she walked away, she spoke her parting words in a chilling tone:
"Thank you for teaching us how to survive on our own terms, Dad. Now get used to living entirely alone in the very hell you built."
Without once looking back, Anna and Katrina walked out through the doorway. Their firm, steady footsteps faded away into the light of the corridor, leaving behind nothing inside the room except a lonely, helpless monster trapped within the ruins of his own shattered empire.
Anna and Katrina crossed the corridor and headed straight toward the room where Viktor and Alia had gone earlier. As Anna pushed the door open slightly and peeked inside, the sight greeting her made her eyes widen in shock.
Near the bed, Viktor and Alia were caught in a deeply intimate and passionate moment. Seeing them in such an open and tender embrace, Anna froze for a second. Her cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment. She quickly covered her eyes tightly with both hands, turning away as she let out an awkward, flustered cry:
"Ugh! Big brother! At least have a little bit of shame! You should have at least closed the door first!"
At Anna's embarrassed cry, Viktor and Alia quickly pulled apart from each other. Viktor hurriedly sat up, trying to fix his rumpled shirt as he glanced toward the door. The haze of passion was still lingering in his eyes, though he looked somewhat caught off guard by his sisters' sudden appearance.
Meanwhile, Anna was still standing with her face hidden behind both hands, while beside her, Katrina stood with her head bowed in matching embarrassment, letting out a sudden, suppressed chuckle. Peeking through the gap in her fingers for a split second before covering her eyes again, Anna spoke in a tone mixed with annoyance and amusement:
"Do you guys have any sense left at all? Did you even stop to think about what just happened outside? Dad is agonizing in pain back in that room, and here you two are... ugh, I don't even know what to say! Viktor, couldn't you at least have been a bit responsible? We thought there might be some serious discussion going on in here, only to walk in on this!"
Viktor gave a slight smile, though his expression carried a strange, profound sense of peace. He calmly stepped down from the bed and said:
"Anna, the war is over. At least for today. The chains of fear and shadow we lived under for all these years have finally broken. Alia is with me now, and we've broken free from the hell Dad created. It's actually a good thing you both came. We need to start thinking about rebuilding our lives from scratch."
Katrina raised her head and spoke in a soft voice, "Dad is alone now, big brother. He's never going to forgive us, and he'll probably start plotting something else soon. You two might be enjoying this moment right now, but tomorrow morning is going to bring a whole new storm."
Lowering her hands, Anna's face lost its embarrassment, replaced now by a look of deep contemplation. Locking eyes with Viktor, she said firmly, "You're right, Katrina. But no matter what happens, starting today, we are no longer subjects to that devil. Viktor, you and Alia have some huge decisions to make. But before that, at least get out of this room. We need to leave this place for good."
With a gentle smile, Anna pulled the door completely shut from the inside, and as she began walking toward the hallway, she teased with a lighthearted laugh:
"Well then! Looks like we'll have to arrange a grand wedding for the two of you! But you're going to have to manage all the preparations yourselves, because I don't even have a clue about my own wedding yet!"
Hearing Anna's remark, Katrina burst into a fit of giggles. Tossing a playful, mischievous look at her older sister, she chimed in:
"Oh, Anna, why are you stressing over getting married so soon? Just look at me! I already had a child a long time ago; I've already crossed through a whole chapter of life!"
Katrina's unexpected words broke the stillness of the corridor. Anna stopped dead in her tracks, turning to look at her sister in absolute surprise, while from inside the room, Viktor and Alia parted the door just a fraction, listening in to the witty exchange with quiet, amused smiles.