One day, Alia stepped into her office exuding an aura of powerful elegance and cold confidence. As she walked over and settled into her massive executive chair, a thick cigarette was held between her two fingers. Standing around her like stone statues were her three loyal, armed bodyguards.
The entire air in the office was thick and heavy with suspense. Alia took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and looking sharply ahead with a strange, eerie smile, she spoke up:
"2 plus 3 equals 5 a game of double-dealing. Do you know what that means?"
Alia's riddle-like words made the atmosphere inside the room grow even colder. Right at that moment, the first of the three bodyguards standing beside her stepped forward slightly, bowing his head with utmost respect and caution as he replied:
"Madam, the meaning is crystal clear. Those who tried to join hands with the enemy while staying with us you've settled their accounts down to the very last digit. The ultimate fate of anyone who plays a double-crossing game has been drilled into their bones today."
A mysterious, chilling smile played on the corners of Alia's lips as she tapped the ash off her cigarette. Her gaze carried such intense sharpness that it was enough to send a shiver down the spines of the remaining bodyguards. Taking another deep drag from her cigarette, she blew the smoke into the empty air, then spoke in a soft yet heavy voice:
"And... the real meaning is that whoever dreams of stabbing me in the back in this city forgets that I don't just play alone both sides of the board are right in the palm of my hand. The next rule of this game will be written in the blood of those who tried to double-cross me today."
The first bodyguard lowered his head a fraction more and replied with utmost loyalty:
"Madam, no one can ever stand against your brilliance and foresight. But... about that order Viktor's father gave you back then to eliminate Viktor with your own hands will you actually go through with it? I mean, will you end up killing Viktor yourself?"
Hearing the bodyguard's direct and probing question, the chilling smile on Alia's face deepened slightly. She tapped the ash of her thick cigarette into the glass ashtray on the table. Taking one final, deep drag, she let the smoke drift into the air and answered in a voice that was eerily calm yet terrifying:
"Yes... when the right moment finally arrives, I will kill Viktor with my very own hands. I will do exactly what his father wanted but on my own terms, in my own game. The game of power and vengeance is far stronger than any love, and Viktor knows that better than anyone."
The first bodyguard paused for a moment, trying to fully grasp the depth of Alia's ruthless and double-edged plan. Then, stepping a little closer, he spoke in a tone of absolute loyalty and caution:
"Madam, your far-reaching strategy is truly unmatched. Viktor might blindly believe that you are by his side, but he has no idea that he is actually just a pawn on your board. However, there is one thing we need to keep in mind alongside keeping an eye on Viktor, we must keep the movements of his father's people under strict control, so that there is no room for error at the final moment."
Alia paused for a moment in her speech and took another smoke-filled drag from her cigarette. Then, suddenly reaching toward her collar, she roughly undid the top button of her shirt, leaving the neckline slightly disheveled and open.
Seeing this sudden and erratic action, the first bodyguard looked somewhat caught off guard and quickly reached out his hand to fix or adjust her collar and button. But before his fingers could even reach her shirt, Alia moved with lightning speed and grabbed his wrist with an iron grip.
Alia's grasp carried a ruthless and chilling force. Staring directly into the bodyguard's eyes, she spoke with a freezing, glacial smile:
"Don't cross the line, James. Loyalty is good, but if you overstep, I'll cut off the exact hand that dares to touch me without permission."
The bodyguard, James, froze in absolute terror. His wrist felt as though it was about to shatter in Alia's iron grip. Trembling, he stammered out a desperate plea:
"M-Madam, please forgive me! It was my foolishness... a mistake like this will never happen again!"
Alia didn't look away from his face. After staring for a few seconds at James, who was sweating out of pure fear, she suddenly gave his arm a violent shove, pushing him back. As she stubbed out the remainder of her cigarette in the ashtray, she said in a cold, rigid voice:
"Get out of my sight, all of you. And rememberthere is only one rule in this office, and I'm the one who makes it."
Alia walked slowly out of her office. There were no bodyguards behind her, as she alone possessed the power to command herself in this moment. The sharp, rhythmic clicking of her heels echoed, breaking the silence of the corridor.
Standing in front of the elevator, she pressed the call button. As the elevator doors slid open, she stepped inside and glanced briefly at her reflection in the mirror. Then, she pulled out her smartphone.
Inside the brightly lit elevator, Alia began scrolling through reels on her phone with undivided attention. She lost herself momentarily in the fast-paced, entertaining videos flashing across the screen. The terrifying intensity from earlier had vanished from her face, replaced by a deep, detached nonchalance. A strange contrast hung between the rhythm of the video's music and the labyrinth of thoughts inside her own mind. As the elevator descended toward the ground floor, she continued scrolling, as if the outside world and everyone in it held no value to her at all.
The elevator reached the ground floor and slid open with a soft chime. Without taking her eyes off her phone screen, Alia walked through the lobby. Looking at her expressionless face, no one could ever guess the terrifying warning she had given her bodyguard just moments ago.
Upon reaching the basement parking garage, she approached her sleek, black luxury car. A click of the remote unlocked the doors. Without pausing the reels on her phone, she opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. After starting the engine, she pulled the car out of the parking spot with a sharp jerk and merged onto the city's main road. The bright neon streetlights streaked across her car windows as they flashed rapidly behind her, while Alia remained completely lost in her phone world as if the small screen in her hands felt far more real than the chaotic city outside.
While driving, Alia connected her phone to the Bluetooth and joined a video call with Viktor. Viktor's face appeared on the phone screen mounted on the dashboard. Seeing her, Viktor's face lit up with a warm smile as he asked:
"What's up, janu? Driving at this hour right after finishing work? Seems like you're in a great mood today!"
There was pure affection and a deep sense of reliance in Viktor's voice. Yet, this very man had no idea what terrifying plots were being woven behind his blind trust. For a split second, Alia took one hand off the steering wheel and glanced at the screen. Flawlessly masking the ruthless entity within her, she instantly spun an illusion of endearment, crafting a sweet, affectionate facade on her face looking just like a devoted girlfriend whose entire world revolved around him.
In a soft, sweet, and pampered voice, she replied:
"Oh, janu! My head was literally spinning from work all day! I was driving alone and could only think of you. I figured I'd video call this long road just refuses to pass by without seeing you!"
On the other side of the video call, Viktor gave a playful wink with a sweet smile. Seeing his lively and romantic gesture, Alia looked at the screen and let a soft blush creep onto her face though the entire thing was a flawless act. Lowering her eyes, she replied in an affectionate, slightly teasing tone:
"Ugh, Viktor! You always have to tease me like this, don't you? You've gotten way too smooth!"
Hearing Alia's sweet, shy response, Viktor chuckled even more. Then, with a mixture of excitement and mystery in his voice, he said:
"Why are you blushing, janu? I've kept a special surprise for you today. Head straight over to my place as soon as you're done, because your jaw is going to drop when you see this surprise!"
Viktor's gesture held a deep, sensual undertone his gaze, the mischievous smirk at the corner of his lips, and a subtle yet clear romantic signal made it blatantly obvious that he didn't intend to keep tonight's meeting limited to just a casual hangout.
From the other side of the screen, Viktor brushed a finger against his lips, flashing a sultry and provocative look. Seated in the driver's seat, Alia caught the hint on her phone screen. In the dim light of the car cabin, a mysterious, crooked smile played at the corner of her lips. Viktor's open and reckless insinuation only made her act feel even more alive.
Blinking away any trace of her inner coldness, she replied in a mesmerizing, intoxicating voice:
"Really? Such a big surprise... or is it something else? With the hints you're dropping, Viktor... I feel like tonight is going to be hard to handle."
On the other side of the video call, with a mischievous grin, Viktor lowered his voice and murmured something raw and provocative in Russian the kind of crude, intimate flirtation meant strictly for their most private, closed-door moments.
Alia understood Russian fluently. Hearing those reckless and unfiltered words slip from Viktor's mouth, her eyebrows arched slightly. But instead of being caught off guard, she only grew more unfazed and confident. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she leaned slightly closer to the camera lens, fixing him with a gaze that was ice-cold, razor-sharp, and utterly deadpan as she fired back a sharp retort in Russian:
"Watch your mouth, you wretched stray; don't you ever dare utter filth like that with your dirty tongue without my permission, or I'll rip it straight out."
Taken completely aback by Alia's unexpected, lethal, yet intensely fierce rebuke, Viktor froze for a split second. The playful smirk vanished from his face, replaced by a dizzying mixture of shock and sheer excitement. He hadn't expected his sweet girlfriend to shut him down with such terrifying proficiency and bite.
The next second, looking thoroughly amused and flustered, Viktor burst into a hearty laugh, raising his hands in mock surrender as he stammered:
"Whoa! Easy, Madam, easy! Such lethal Russian curses coming from such a gorgeous face... mercy! I yield, I won't say another word I'll just wait until I see you face-to-face to deliver the surprise!"