reaches a point of absolute explosion. The phone in Victor's hand vibrates again. This time, Marcos hasn't posted a photo; he has uploaded a video.The video is shot in a dimly lit room, the shadows making everything blurry and obscure. It shows a man and a woman in an intimate act. The woman's long, cascading hair is draped over her face, masking her identity entirely.
However, as Alia watches the screen from over Victor's shoulder, her heart stops. She recognizes the curve of the shoulders, the skin tone, and most damningly the gold bracelet on the woman's wrist. It is a video of her and Marcos, likely from the secret moments they shared behind locked doors.
Alia is completely paralyzed (Shocked). She cannot utter a single word. She realizes now that Marcos isn't just a lover; he is a dangerous player who kept this footage as a weapon to destroy Victor or perhaps to force her to leave him.
Victor's Suspicion and the Deadly Silence
Victor stares at the video, his pupils dilating. The room turns ice-cold. He watches the way the woman's hair moves, his eyes narrowing as he focuses on the jewelry.
Victor: (In a voice so calm it is terrifying) "The hair on this woman... it looks exactly like yours, Alia. And that bracelet... didn't I give you one just like that for your birthday last year?"
Alia remains motionless, pinned to his chest by fear. She feels like she is lying on a ticking time bomb. Did Marcos do this to "save" her by forcing a war, or is this a cold-blooded act of revenge?Notifications flooded Victor's phone screen. Marcos wasn't stopping. He sent several more short clips each showing the mysterious woman in intimate moments with him. Alia watched as Victor's jaw tightened, his breathing becoming heavy and ragged.
Alia knew that surrendering now meant certain death. She sat up slightly from Victor's chest and looked him directly in the eyes with absolute confidence. Her voice did not tremble.
Alia: (In a tone of disdain) "Victor, do you really believe this cheap trick? Don't you know how advanced modern technology has become? This is AI (Artificial Intelligence) a deepfake video! Marcos wants to provoke you; he wants you to lose faith in your Queen. He created this filth using my face and body double just to tear our empire apart."
Victor remained silent for a long moment. A deathly chill settled over the room. Suddenly, Victor burst into a fit of laughter. There was no joy in that laugh only a demonic cruelty.
Victor: (Laughing) "AI? Ha ha ha! Brilliant, Alia. I'm impressed by your wit. Marcos probably thought I'd go mad seeing this, but he has no idea how clever my Queen truly is."
Still laughing, he grabbed a handful of Alia's hair and pulled her face close to his. The laughter vanished instantly, his eyes turning predatory and fierce.
Victor: (Whispering) "You're right, it could be AI. But Alia, if I have this checked in a forensic lab and find out it's real... even AI technology won't be able to save you from my hands. And as for Marcos? I will make him pay one drop of blood for every single frame of this video."
The Cold War Intensifies
Victor let go of her hair and picked up his phone. He didn't delete the videos. Instead, he forwarded them to his head of cybersecurity with a simple command: "Verify."
Alia felt the bed beneath her turning into a bed of thorns. She had bought herself some time, but the clock was ticking. If the forensic report came back before she could find a way to destroy the server or silence Marcos, everything her life, her five children, and the secret heir in Italy would be erased.Victor is not a man to delay, especially when his honor is at stake. He immediately decides to activate his notorious IT team.
Victor: (Into the intercom) "Alexei, I've received some encrypted video files. I want to know if they are authentic or 'deepfakes.' Scan every pixel. Check the metadata, shadow rendering, and frame rates. I want a report in one hour. If it's a fake, I'll hunt the sender. But if it's real..."
He stopped mid-sentence and glanced at Alia. Her body was drenched in cold sweat. Victor put the phone down and stood up. "I'm going downstairs for coffee while I wait for the report. You should try to sleep, Queen. Although, I doubt sleep will find you tonight."
As soon as Victor left the room, Alia sprang out of bed. She knew Alexei was one of the best hackers in the world. Once he started working, the truth would be out in thirty minutes.Alia was caught in a lethal dilemma. She knew she had the skills—she could launch a Cyber Attack on Victor's secure server and wipe the video database in an instant. But she chose not to.
Why she won't attack:
Leaving a Trail: If Victor's server were attacked, Alexei would immediately realize the breach came from within the mansion. It would be undeniable proof of her guilt.
Implicit Confession: Attacking the files would be an admission that they are real. Victor wouldn't bother with a lab report anymore; he would go straight for his executioner's blade.
Alia stood before the mirror, a new spark of determination in her eyes. She knew she had to play a game not of technology, but of psychological warfare.The situation turned violent in an instant. A loud crash of shattering glass echoed from outside. Alia looked out the window to see Victor standing on the lawn, having smashed his crystal glass against the stone floor. The suspicion in his eyes had been replaced by a murderous rage.
His security chief, Alexei, rushed to him with a tablet. The scan was complete. In just 20 minutes, they had confirmed the video was not AI—it was 100% authentic. Victor stormed up the stairs and kicked Alia's door open, a loaded pistol in his hand.
"How many more lies, Alia?" Victor roared. "My team matched the thermal signatures and the reflections on your bracelet. This isn't a program. It's you! You slept with that Italian dog!"
Trapped against the wall, Alia realized the game was over. Her tears dried up, replaced by a cold, hard resolve. She stood tall and looked him straight in the eye.
Alia: (In a firm, steady voice) "Yes."
That single word shook the room. "Yes, Victor. It was me. I was suffocating in this golden cage of yours. You may rule the Pentagon, but you never ruled my heart. Marcos gave me the respect you never could."Victor pressed the cold barrel of his pistol against Alia's forehead. His hand was trembling, not out of fear, but with a primal, uncontrollable rage.
Victor: "Then so be it. If you cannot be mine, you will belong to no one else in this world. Think of the faces of your five children one last time, Alia."
The Breath of Death
The silence in the room was suffocating. The metallic scent of the gun pressed against her skin was all Alia could perceive. Victor's finger tightened on the trigger, his knuckles turning white. He was a man who had burned cities for less, and now, his pride was bleeding.
Alia: (Whispering, her voice devoid of fear) "Kill me, Victor. But know this—if I die, the secret codes to the Pentagon's black-site servers die with me. And Marcos? He is already miles away with his heir. You can take my life, but you've already lost the war."
Victor's eyes flickered. For a split second, the cold calculation of a Mafia Lord fought against the fury of a betrayed husband.
Victor: "You think those codes will save you? I will tear Italy apart stone by stone until I find that bastard and the brat."Victor's finger tightened on the trigger. His eyes were narrowed with murderous intent. But at the very second he was about to fire, his hand trembled violently. The same hand that had killed hundreds without hesitation now rebelled against him.
He threw the pistol across the room; the sound of it hitting the floor echoed through the silence. In the next heartbeat, Victor lunged toward Alia—not to strike her, but to hug her with desperate force.
Victor: (In a broken, sobbing voice) "I can't do it, Alia! I can't end you. Why did you do this to me? Why?"
He buried his face in her shoulder, sobbing like a broken man. His cold, powerful persona shattered instantly.
Victor: (Whispering) "Sorry... I'm so sorry, Alia. I know I'm a monster. I know I kept you in a cage. But without you, this empire, this power it all means nothing. Don't leave me."Victor's sudden vulnerability and tears sparked no pity in Alia's heart. She kept thinking of the moments she shared with Marcos and her infant child, whom she had just handed over in the freezing snow.
Alia: (Screaming) "I said get off me, Victor! Don't touch me!"
With all her strength, she pushed him away. Victor stumbled back, shocked. He never imagined Alia would have the courage to reject him so fiercely.
Alia composed herself and stood far apart from him, her eyes flashing with rage. "What good is your 'sorry' now? Do you think not being able to pull the trigger erases everything you've done? You don't love me, Victor; you just want to possess me. I am not one of your expensive trophies!"
Victor collapsed onto his knees on the floor, looking completely devastated.Victor's rage returned in a flash. He sprang up from the floor, his eyes burning with a murderous glint once again. He grabbed Alia's arm with crushing force, his jaw tight as he snarled.
Victor: "You b*tch! Where does this arrogance come from? Huh? I tried to forgive you and you're lecturing me? Do you think I don't know about the ten other men you've slept with? Do you think I haven't kept track of whose beds you've crawled into behind my back?"
Alia didn't flinch from the pain. Instead, she looked him dead in the eye and gave a sinister laugh. She knew exactly how to hit him back.
Alia: (In a biting, mocking tone) "Ten men? Maybe. But Victor, are you some saint? Have you kept count of the hundreds of women you've played with, or the lives you've destroyed? You and I are just two sides of the same coin. If I am filthy, you are the sewer. We are just two killers and traitors living in a mansion. So, who should I trust? You? Never!"