In an instant, the entire atmosphere shifted. Paying no heed to the relentless ringing of the phone or the tense surroundings, Sofia calmly and swiftly reached into her handbag and pulled out an intricately designed antique locket. Hanging from a silver chain, the center of the locket was engraved with a mysterious symbol that shimmered with a faint golden glow.
Before Artem could even process what was happening, Sofia placed the chain around his neck and fastened the locket. Then, resting a hand on his bare chest, she leaned in close and pressed a deep, warm, lingering kiss on his cheek.
Before the warmth of that kiss could fade, Sofia swiftly slipped out of bed, wrapped a shawl around herself, and hurried out the door. Left behind in the room was only her lingering scent and Artem's stunned, motionless gaze. The fading winds of the storm still howled outside, while inside, Artem sat alone, touching the locket around his neck and staring blankly into the empty space. It was nearly two in the morning. When Sofia stepped through the main entrance of her grand estate, the atmosphere all around was draped in an eerie, oppressive silence. But piercing through that stillness, the presence of the man sitting on the living room sofa made the air in the room feel heavy and suffocating.
Dimitri Sofia's powerful and cold-blooded husband sat upright in the dark on a sofa, holding a crystal glass in one hand, his facial expression as chilling as ice. Even though the clock had struck two, there wasn't a trace of fatigue or sleep in his eyes; he sat like a predator waiting in the dark, patiently anticipating this exact moment.
As soon as Sofia entered the room, Dimitri placed his glass down on the table. His sharp gaze didn't dwell on Sofia's damp clothes or fatigue, but instead locked straight onto the confident expression on her face. In a cold, heavy voice that echoed through the room, he demanded
"Where are you coming back from at this hour, Sofia? And your phone has been ringing endlessly, yet you didn't even have the basic courtesy to pick it up?"
Without panicking in the slightest, Sofia stood by the doorway and offered a faint smile. The golden irises in her eyes shone even brighter in the lamplight. In a calm and utterly fearless voice, she fired back
"I went out to catch a breath of fresh air outside the cage, Dimitri. And believe me, that air felt far more alive than this suffocating house of yours ever has." A terrifying, twisted smirk broke across Dimitri's lips. Slowly standing up from the sofa, every step he took seemed to spread a chilling, deadly aura across the room. Stopping right in front of Sofia for a moment, a crooked smile curved on his lips as he asked in a sharp, mocking tone
"What fresh air, what 'aliveness' are you talking about, Sofia? What kind of 'life' did you find outside the walls of the palace you've cursed as your cage all this time enough to change your entire routine? In whose shadow did you grow the courage to talk back to me like this?"
Dimitri's cruel, piercing gaze didn't shake Sofia in the slightest. Standing even taller, she met his eyes head-on with the blazing glow of her golden gaze.Dimitri's threatening tone, not a shred of fear showed on Sofia's face. She took another step closer, looking straight into Dimitri's eyes. A confident and disdainful smile played at the corner of her lips. In a clear and mocking voice, she replied
"Want to know what real life is? Then listen... I've chosen a new bodyguard of my own liking. Believe me, for my protection, he's far better and much more reliable than your archaic rules, and he certainly doesn't know how to suffocate me."
The moment Sofia delivered such a direct and challenging statement, the smile vanished from Dimitri's face instantly. His pupils narrowed with rage, and an ice-cold silence descended upon the entire room. Dimitri's cold smile froze instantly. His jaw muscles tightened, and his gaze turned as sharp as a predator's. Without uttering a single word, he slowly began to circle around Sofia like a skilled hunter pacing around his prey, measuring every inch of her.
The room was dead silent, save for the soft tapping of his shoes. Stopping right behind Sofia, he leaned in close to her ear and murmured in a dangerously low, velvet tone in fluent Russian
"Твоя игра зашла слишком далеко, моя дорогая... Ты думаешь, что нашла защитника, но не понимаешь, в какую пропасть сама себя толкаешь."
Your game has gone too far, my dear... You think you've found a protector, but you have no idea what abyss you are pushing yourself into.
The heavy, threatening Russian words hung in the air like venom. Yet, Dimitri's psychological intimidation didn't faze Sofia in the slightest. Instead, she burst into a bright, mocking laugh right in his face! The defiant glow in her golden eyes carried a sense of utter disdain and fearlessness, pushing Dimitri's fury to the absolute brink of an eruption. Without a word, Dimitri slowly walked over to the mini-fridge in the corner of the living room. As he opened the door, a pale blue light illuminated the inside. Reaching in, he pulled out a strange, small glass flask filled with a thick, juice-like colored liquid that shimmered under the light.
Holding it in his hand, he walked back toward Sofia, extended the glass toward her, and said in a calm yet unsettlingly mysterious tone—
"You're showing a lot of courage, Sofia. You've been quite rebellious. Go on, wet your throat a little... drink this juice and test what it tastes like."
Frowning slightly, Sofia looked at the glass of liquid with suspicion. Though Dimitri's abnormal gaze made her slightly uneasy, she confidently took the glass from his hand. Without a shred of fear, she brought it to her lips and took a sip.
The moment the liquid slid down her throat, its harsh, unnatural flavor turned intensely bitter and stinging, like poison inside her mouth. Her stomach instantly churned. Unable to suppress the reaction, Sofia quickly slammed the glass down on the table, turned her head to the side, and threw up!
The bitter taste of vomit lingered in her mouth, and sweat beaded on her forehead. Burning with anger and discomfort, she stood straight and glared furiously at Dimitri.
Dimitri burst into a twisted, cruel laugh. Smiling crookedly at Sofia, he mocked her with a taunting tone
"What's wrong, Sofia? Why does your face look like that? Tell me, how did you like the taste of this juice?"
Wiping her mouth, Sofia stared straight into Dimitri's eyes without a single trace of fear in her glowing golden gaze. A mocking smile curved on her lips as she replied in a cold, razor-sharp voice
"The taste of this juice of yours is exactly like your own private parts, Dimitri bitter, toxic, and rotten!"
The moment such an extreme, reckless insult left Sofia's lips, the smile vanished from Dimitri's face entirely. His pupils dilated with blinding rage, ready to snap at any second. Hearing such an extreme and humiliating insult from Sofia, Dimitri could take it no longer. All his restraint shattered into pieces in a fraction of a second. Blinded by rage, he raised his hand and lunged toward Sofia just as he was about to bring his hand down to strike or punish her, a sharp, piercing ringtone suddenly echoed across the entire room.
The sound was so loud and unexpected that Dimitri's hand froze mid-air. The ringtone was coming from Sofia's phone the very same phone that had rung earlier while she was with Artem, signaling Dimitri's call.
Bursting with anger and frustration, Dimitri dropped his hand. Trembling with rage, he glanced at the phone screen. The moment he saw the name or number flashing on the display, his anger instantly morphed into a strange look of dread and anxiety. He knew there was no way he could ignore this call right now it was from someone whose orders even Dimitri dared not disobey.
Sofia, still standing steady against the table, wore a triumphant, cold smirk on her lips as she gazed calmly at Dimitri. The phone continued to ring relentlessly. Dimitri's raised hand remained suspended in the air. The fire in his eyes had not died down yet, but a lingering sense of dread had now overshadowed his rage upon seeing that caller ID. Unable to bear Sofia's mocking, triumphant smirk for a single second longer, Dimitri clenched his jaw and grabbed the phone from the surface.
Giving Sofia one final, venomous, and warning glare, he turned on his heel and strode rapidly out of the room toward his private study ensuring that whoever was on the other end of the line wouldn't witness his explosive fury.
Inside the room, only the sound of Sofia's quiet breathing and the howling night wind remained. Calmly walking over, Sofia sat down on the sofa. Her chest still felt slightly heavy from the bitter taste of the sickness, but the golden glow in her eyes shone with absolute triumph. She knew the storm of this night had only just begun. The next morning, Sofia's luxurious and quiet office cabin was bathed in golden sunlight. Sitting behind her massive glass desk, Sofia was deeply focused on reviewing her work files. Standing straight in the corner of the room was Artem dressed in a sharp suit, wearing a professional and stern expression.
Yet, beneath that strict bodyguard exterior lay a deep, unspoken bond. Every now and then, whenever Sofia shifted or concentrated on her desk, Artem's gaze instinctively drifted toward the antique silver locket hanging around his neck. Tucked gently beneath his shirt collar, the locket was a reminder of the previous night. Feeling its touch filled his chest with a strange warmth, making him glance sideways at Sofia and resolve even more fiercely to protect her.
The hustle and bustle of the outside city couldn't pierce through the thick glass walls into the cabin, but within this quiet space, a silent, powerful connection flowed between them. The serious and quiet atmosphere inside the office suddenly shifted into a heavy and ice-cold environment. While Sofia was focused on her files and Artem occasionally stepped in to assist her with the paperwork, the cabin door was forcefully shoved open.
Dimitri walked in without the slightest bit of permission. He was dressed in an expensive suit, but his gaze was intensely vicious and intimidating. The rage on his face had multiplied manifold since the events of the previous night. Right behind him stood two armed guards.
Seeing this sudden, uninvited intrusion, Artem didn't waste a single second. With lightning-fast professional reflexes, he stepped in front of Sofia's desk—shielding her as a loyal bodyguard and standing face-to-face with Dimitri.
Sofia, however, didn't flinch at all. Calmly lifting her eyes from the files, she looked straight at Dimitri. The gaze in her golden eyes carried supreme arrogance and disdain.
Placing his hands on the desk, Dimitri gritted his teeth and spoke in a terrifying, menacing voice
"Looks like you're running a cozy little office here, Sofia! Having a great time with the bodyguard of your choice, aren't you? But don't you forget, every single corner of this estate and this empire is under my control. Today, I've come to see whose strength is backing up all this arrogance of yours!" Dimitri's threat made the air in the cabin feel even heavier. But Sofia didn't budge an inch. Sitting up even straighter in her chair, twirling a pen in her hand, she fired back a cold and calm counter-question
"Who gave you the audacity to step into my cabin without my permission, Dimitri? Or have you forgotten outside your own mansion that I am the director of this company?"
Hearing such a fluent and sharp challenge from Sofia, Dimitri's jaw tightened. Artem still stood silently right in front of Sofia like a vigilant guard, the muscles in his hand hidden beneath his jacket slightly tensed ready to intercept any sudden attack at a moment's notice.Dimitri's voice dropped into a low, harsh whisper that spread through every corner of the room like venom. Leaning even closer to Sofia's desk, he glared at her with mad, bloodthirsty eyes and snapped
"Director? You dare flaunt your power, Sofia? Tonight, neither your bodyguard nor those golden eyes of yours will be able to save you! Tonight is your final night... your death is certain, and you will pay for your sins!"
Every single word of his threat carried the chilling scent of death. The temperature in the room seemed to drop below freezing in an instant. The armed guards braced themselves even tighter.
Yet, Sofia didn't tremble at all. A mocking smile still lingered on the corner of her lips. Glancing sideways at the ancient locket hidden beneath Artem's shirt collar, she met Dimitri's furious eyes with supreme arrogance and replied in a cold voice
"You show the fear of death only to those who have something to lose, Dimitri. As for whose death tonight brings, time will tell!" Dimitri didn't stay there for another second. Hearing such a fearless and defiant reply from Sofia pushed his anger beyond all limits. Before leaving, he suddenly shifted his gaze away from Sofia, fixing his razor-sharp, vicious glare entirely on Artem, who stood like a statue in front of her.
A twisted, deeply mocking smile curled across Dimitri's lips as he looked straight into Artem's eyes. Toning his voice with a dripping, sarcastic jab, he taunted
"And you... Mr. So-called Loyal Bodyguard! The one this woman is banking on so proudly let's see how far your arrogance lasts once tonight is over. Guard her well, understand?"
Finishing his sentence, Dimitri spun around abruptly. Signaling his two armed guards, he shoved the cabin door open and stormed out. As the sound of his heavy footsteps faded down the corridor, the ice-cold, suffocating atmosphere in the room slightly thawed, but the air still reeked of the gunpowder of an impending storm. After Dimitri left, the heavy atmosphere in the cabin slowly eased. Sofia leaned back comfortably in her chair. The stern and harsh look on her face melted away, replaced by a touch of curiosity and a sweet smile. Resting her hands on the desk, she looked up at Artem and asked in a soft, gentle voice
"Tell me, Artem... so much has happened, yet I don't even properly know who you are! By the way, which country are you actually from?"
Hearing Sofia's casual and curious tone, the tension in Artem's face relaxed slightly. Standing straight in front of Sofia's desk, he looked at her with deep, calm eyes and revealed his homeland
"I was born and raised in Russia, Sofia. The snow-covered streets of Saint Petersburg and my entire past... I left it all behind there. But now, I only have one address wherever my duty lies." As the tension of Dimitri's terrifying threat dissolved, a wave of sudden relief swept through the cabin. Hearing Artem's straightforward reply about Russia, a sweet smile bloomed on Sofia's lips.
Unable to hold it in any longer at his serious yet devoted expression, Sofia burst into a bright, carefree laugh. Seeing her joyful laughter, the other staff members and employees outside the cabin, who had been trembling in fear moments ago, also began to smile in relief. The suffocating atmosphere of the office instantly transformed into a light, warm vibe.
Even Artem, looking at her vibrant smile, dropped his stern facade and smiled faintly. He knew that no matter what storm lay ahead, after the dangerous tension of the night, Sofia's laughter was the greatest reward for all his struggles.
Stopping her laughter, Sofia leaned forward slightly and asked with curious eyes
"Well then, you must really know how to melt the ice of Saint Petersburg! Tell me, Artem, what's the real story behind how you ended up coming all the way from Russia to this city?" Artem remained silent for a moment, gazing into Sofia's curious eyes. Then, glancing once toward the sunlight filtering through the glass window, a faint, mysterious smile touched his lips. His voice carried a strange depth and the heavy weight of past memories
"The snow in Russia might freeze everything around it, Sofia... but life sometimes gives you experiences that keep the internal fire burning forever. Those dark alleys and foggy streets of Saint Petersburg once brought me face-to-face with a harsh truth, after which living within the familiar bounds of my own country or home was no longer possible. A specific promise and the need to escape my own shadow are what forced me to leave my homeland."
Artem paused, a flicker of dormant sorrow gleaming in his eyes for a second. But the very next moment, he pulled himself together and looked straight at Sofia. His voice now carried an unwavering, resolute confidence
"And the real story of how I ended up in this city is quite simple... fate, or perhaps some inner calling of my own, brought me straight to your door. No matter what storm or danger comes whether it's the ice of Saint Petersburg or the fire right here I will shield you with my own chest before letting a single hazard touch you."
The unconditional loyalty and profound promise of protection woven into Artem's words filled Sofia's heart with a strange, soothing peace. Without saying another word, she simply gazed deeply into Artem's eyes, where an invisible fire to fight against any peril of the coming night was burning bright.