The night was heavy with a velvet silence, but inside the master suite, a magnetic tension filled the air. Alia looked breathtaking in a sheer black lace nightdress. The delicate, translucent fabric left little to the imagination, accentuating her slender frame and making the Phoenix and snake tattoos on her skin appear like living shadows.
As she sat on the edge of the bed, focused on her phone perhaps checking the latest movements in Dimitri's accounts Victor moved like a predator through the dim light. He approached from behind, his large hands sliding around her slim waist, pulling her firmly against his chest. Alia gasped softly as he leaned down, pressing a deep, lingering kiss on her neck, right over the black snake guarding her collarbone.
Alia let out a melodious, lighthearted laugh, her head tilting back as she surrendered to his touch. Victor, driven by a sudden surge of passion, swept her off her feet and lifted her into his arms. He looked into her eyes with a gaze that promised both protection and possession before leaning in for a long, intense lip-kiss.
He carried her to the center of the grand bed and laid her down gently. As the black lace fanned out across the silk sheets, Victor shed his clothes and joined her. As they became intimate, their bodies uniting in the quiet shadows of the room, the world outside ceased to exist.
Alia lay there, her fingers intertwined in Victor's hair, staring up at the ceiling with a triumphant smile. She wasn't just a woman in love; she was a strategist who had won the ultimate game. The flickering light from the chandelier danced in her eyes as she laughed softly, feeling the absolute power of their bond.
Through the window, the blue-eyed owl remained perched, a silent guardian witnessing the union of the Owl and the Phoenix.In the heat of that intense moment, as Victor and Alia were lost in each other's embrace, the red-eyed white snake began to move with a mysterious grace.
It slithered away from the corner of the bed, gliding slowly over their intertwined bodies. The sensation of the snake's cold scales against Alia's feverish, heated skin created a thrilling, bone-chilling contrast. Finally, the serpent coiled itself perfectly upon Alia's abdomen, its glowing red eyes locking onto hers with an ancient, predatory intelligence.
It felt as though the snake was no longer just a creature, but a living testament to the power dynamic between Victor and Alia. As Alia lay back, smiling in the aftermath of their passion, the snake slightly raised its hood and swayed rhythmically, as if celebrating their absolute dominance.
Victor, pressing a sweat-dampened kiss to Alia's forehead, whispered:
"Do you see, Alia? This white snake has become a part of you. It feels your heartbeat. From now on, any enemy who dares to touch you will have to face its venom before they even reach your skin."
Alia reached out a hand, gently stroking the serpent's head. The creature submissively rubbed its scales against her fingers. Under the glow of the chandelier, the snake's snowy skin and the sheen of sweat on Alia's body created an ethereal, almost supernatural aura. Alia realized then that this snake wasn't just a pet; it was the final omen of Dimitri's destruction.
Suddenly, the blue-eyed owl perched on the window sill let out a sharp, piercing hoot, as if signaling a new movement from Dimitri's side. But Alia and Victor remained unfazed within the sanctuary of their union, no fear could touch them tonight.Morning arrived as golden shafts of sunlight pierced through the heavy velvet curtains, illuminating the room. Victor and Alia remained fast asleep, locked in each other's arms, exhausted from the intensity of the night before. Alia's head rested securely on Victor's broad chest, while the white snake lay coiled peacefully at the foot of the bed like a silent guardian.
Without warning, the heavy bedroom door creaked open. Victor's mother, the true matriarch of the dynasty, stepped inside. Dressed in a rich silk saree with an air of unshakable authority, she rarely intruded, but today was different.
As she approached the bed, her eyes widened in a rare moment of surprise. She took in the scene:
Her son and Alia entwined in a deep, intimate embrace.
The sheer black lace of Alia's nightdress and the dark Phoenix and wing tattoos glistening in the morning light.
And most shockingly the red-eyed white snake resting on the silk sheets.
Any other woman would have screamed, but the Queen Mother remained composed. Just as she took a step back, the blue-eyed owl perched by the window let out a sharp, resonant hoot.
The sound woke Victor. He opened his eyes and saw his mother standing there. Instead of being startled, he pulled Alia a little closer and spoke in a calm, gravelly morning voice:
"Mother? You're here early. Is there news?"
His mother glanced at the snake sticker on Alia's neck and then at the living white serpent. A knowing, subtle smile touched her lips. She realized that Alia was no longer just a daughter-in-law; she had evolved into the new lioness of the empire.
She spoke in a low, firm tone:
"Dimitri is attempting to flee the palace. Chaos has broken out downstairs. I didn't realize the tiger and the lioness had already redesigned the map of this empire. Wake Alia, Victor. Today, you must descend together."
Alia opened her eyes then. Seeing the matriarch, she didn't show embarrassment; instead, a look of cold determination filled her gaze. She knew it was time to give Dimitri the final answer to his treachery.The two of them got ready quickly. Alia wore a sharp black blazer and trousers, looking like a cross between a CIA officer and a Mafia Queen. Victor fastened his shirt buttons, concealing the blue-eyed owl tattoo on his chest.
They sat down regally on the massive sofa in the living room. Without a word, Alia wrapped the red-eyed white snake around her left wrist. The snake remained still on her arm, looking like an expensive, living diamond bracelet.
Alia gave a cold command to the maid standing nearby:
"Go. Drag Dimitri here. Tell him his judge is waiting."
A few moments later, the maids brought Dimitri in. He looked pathetic disheveled and trembling with pure terror after his failed escape. As he entered, he saw Victor and Alia sitting side-by-side.
Alia extended her hand, holding the white snake toward Dimitri. Sensing the traitor, the snake raised its hood and let out a sharp hiss. Dimitri stumbled back with a terrified scream.
Alia laughed coldly:
"What's wrong, Dimitri? You were bold enough to get close to me last night, so why so scared of this little snake today? It just wants a taste a taste of a traitor's blood."
Victor added in a heavy tone, "Where will you run, Dimitri? The skies of this palace are watched by the blue-eyed owl, and the ground is filled with the venom of this white snake. Now, tell us the final password to your secret bank account, or should I let my pet take your last breath?"
Dimitri collapsed to his knees. He realized there would be no mercy today.Alia's pupils were frozen, devoid of even a flicker of mercy. She slowly loosened her grip on the white snake coiled around her wrist. As if sensing Alia's unspoken command, the serpent slithered onto the floor, gliding with lethal grace toward Dimitri. Its snow-white body shimmered, but its glowing red eyes burned like the gaze of death itself, coming to claim a soul.
Dimitri scrambled backward across the floor, his voice cracking with desperation. "Alia! Don't kill me! I'll give you all the passwords! Victor, brother, stop her!"
But Victor remained unmoved, sitting regally on the sofa like a silent god of war. Alia leaned forward slightly, her cold gaze piercing Dimitri's soul. She spoke in a voice as sharp as a blade:
"It's too late, Dimitri. I'll extract the passwords from your dead fingerprints and your laptop anyway. But there is no password for betrayal. Today, my white serpent will drink your final drop of blood."
The snake was now upon Dimitri's legs. His entire body turned numb with paralyzing fear. Alia let out a sharp, specific whistle. In that split second, the snake lunged with a deadly strike (Final Strike), sinking its fangs deep into the side of Dimitri's neck.
No scream escaped Dimitri's lips only a horrific, guttural gurgle. Within seconds, the venom took hold, and his skin began to turn a sickly shade of blue. From the window sill, the blue-eyed owl flapped its wings and circled over Dimitri's head, as if ushering his soul into the depths of eternal darkness.
Moments later, Dimitri's body went limp, lying motionless on the cold floor. Alia calmly extended her hand, and the snake slithered back to her, coiling obediently beneath her clavicle (beauty bone) once more.
Alia looked at Victor and smiled a triumphant, chilling smile.
"The trash has been cleared, Victor. Now, let's rebuild this empire in our image."
Victor pressed a victorious kiss to Alia's forehead. Outside the palace, the sun was rising on a new dawn, but for Dimitri, eternal night had arrived.Alia was about to leave the room, but she stopped abruptly. A cruel smile played on her lips. Dimitri was on the verge of death from the venom, but Alia didn't want him to have such an easy escape. She pulled out a small antidote injection from her pocket.
She leaned over Dimitri's body and pushed the needle in. Exactly 3 minutes later, Dimitri took a sharp breath and suddenly woke up. His eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body was trembling. He thought he had been saved, but Alia's plan was far more terrifying.
Alia gripped Dimitri's chin tightly and hissed:
"I'm not letting you die that easily, Dimitri. I saved you so you can die a little every single day. You dared to eye my sister? You thought you could make her your toy?"
Alia looked at Victor and then revealed the ultimate humiliating truth to Dimitri:
"Listen carefully. My sister will no longer be under your watch. Instead, you will be under her command. You will accept her as your wife and live like a slave at her feet. You will do exactly as she says. This is your punishment for betrayal living the rest of your life as a servant."
Dimitri stared blankly, paralyzed by the realization. He understood that death would have been easier. Now, he would have to spend every moment bowing before the very girl he once looked down upon.
Victor placed a hand on Alia's head and said, "Excellent decision. Humiliation is far more painful than death."
Alia looked at her white snake, which seemed to hiss in mockery at Dimitri's new life of servitude