Moscow City At 09:15
As I watched Ivan leave, I looked up at my apartment building and thought,
"This place is no better than a haunted house..."
I sighed and started walking in-
But a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.
"You're early today."
I turned around and saw Natalia.
She's my neighbor. We've known each other for quite a while now, and even though she's 31, we're kind of like friends.
"Yeah... fucked-up shit happened at the restaurant, so I got off early tonight."
One look at her face and I could tell-she knew it was something I did.
Not like I meant to.
She laughed, "So you fucked up again, huh? I hope it's not a big deal."
I sighed, "I hope tha-"
"Alina! Did you fight again?"
Before I could even finish, a small voice interrupted me.
It was Ruslan-Natalia's son. He's just six years old, but this little guy keeps saying he's gonna marry me when he grows up just to protect me.
Yeah, I know he's a kid, but damn... it makes my heart feel warm whenever he says it. Even if it's all just childish talk.
When he saw me, he ran straight over. I knelt down in front of him and patted his head.
"Why are you still up, huh?"
He looked up at me with those big, serious eyes. I couldn't tell if he was mad or sulking, but he looked way too damn cute.
"I was taking a walk with Mom..."
Then suddenly, he grabbed the hand I had on his head.
"Stop treating me like a kid! I'm not a kid anymore. I can protect you!"
Here we go again.
"Right, right, I forgot... you're my little savior."
I chuckled as I said it, and he pouted like he always does.
Then I remembered-
"Oh, yeah!"
I pulled out a bag and showed it to him with a big smile.
"I got you your favorite-Olivier Salad."
His eyes lit up and he took it, clearly happy. And honestly? That's all I needed tonight.
"Alina, let's eat together, please?"
God, I swear... he was looking at me like a lost puppy.
I really wanted to say yes. But I couldn't waste a single minute right now.
I sighed, staring down at his hopeful little face.
"Sorry, little savior... but I've got some other things to take care of."
"Is it leftovers? You have other plans?" Natalia asked as she walked over to us.
"A customer left without even touching it," I said. "So I thought, why waste good food? It's just Borscht and Olivier Salad. And no, I don't have plans... just an assignment to finish."
Yeah, that was a lie.
I feel bad for lying to them-but I have to.
And you know what? I've noticed I'm getting good at lying.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
...Who gives a fuck.
I stood up and looked at Natalia.
"We'll have dinner some other time."
Then I looked at Ruslan.
"And I'm sorry, little savior, I-"
He interrupted me,
"No! Don't be sorry... it's fine. But... don't fight anymore, please."
...Seriously, is this kid really just six?
I couldn't believe it.
I patted his head again.
"Okay, little savior... I got it."
He pouted again.
"I'm not little!"
Natalia and I both laughed at his cuteness.
After a while, I said goodbye to both of them and headed into my apartment.
I turned on the lights.
Threw my keys on the table.
Then I dropped the Borscht on the table and collapsed onto the couch, completely exhausted.
"I'm so fucking tired of all this..." I muttered.
Ever since that attack at our house six years ago, everything's been a mess.
Thanks to Uncle Dmitri, I somehow escaped.
Oh right-you guys don't know about him yet.
Let me start from the beginning.
When I turned six, I started understanding things.
Yelena was eleven then.
And I realized...
Our life was nothing like other kids'.
The one thing I knew for sure?
There was no freedom.
You couldn't go outside without a bodyguard.
Couldn't even go into the garden alone.
Hell, you couldn't sleep peacefully without wondering,
What if something happens? What if one of the guards kills us?
It was suffocating.
My school friends used to say that home was where they felt safest.
But for me?
Home felt like a fucking prison.
But my father? He was proud.
Proud that he had the power to destroy anyone in seconds.
He used to tell Yelena and me that we were the future of the mafia.
On the other hand-
After I was born, my mom never stayed healthy.
She was always sick.
The maids around the house used to say I was bad luck.
Like my birth cursed the family.
My relationship with Yelena was... I don't know.
Normal, maybe?
I don't even remember us playing together as kids.
She was always busy studying-trying to be top of her class so Dad would praise her.
But he never did.
He always told her to do better next time.
I don't know if you could even call it a family.
It never felt like one.
I wanted us to live together...
Not just exist in the same damn house.
When I turned seven, I thought it was gonna be another boring day.
But when I left school that day...
There was no guard.
After all those years, that familiar fear hit me like a truck.
Something's wrong.
That's all I could think.
I had a panic attack right there.
Back then, I didn't even know what that was.
I was frozen.
I wanted to run.
Scream.
Anything.
But I couldn't move a fucking finger.
And then-
I felt someone grab me from behind.
Before I could even see them, they jabbed a needle into my neck.
I passed out.
When I woke up, I couldn't see anything.
They'd blindfolded me.
Taped my mouth shut.
My hands and legs were tied.
I was terrified.
I tried to untie myself, but it barely helped.
And then...
I heard footsteps.
Someone was approaching.
The sound of footsteps-
Getting closer.
Louder.
Heavier.
My heart started racing, pounding so hard it felt like it might break through my damn chest.
Breathing became harder, my throat felt tight.
I think...
Maybe I wouldn't have been this scared if I wasn't blindfolded.
But then-
I heard a voice.
A voice so sharp, so fucking haunting-
It still echoes in my head to this day.
Like a goddamn curse.
I don't even remember what the man said.
Not the words.
Not the meaning.
All I remember-
Was how it felt.
That voice didn't talk.
It cut.
Right through the darkness,
Right through my skin,
Right through my soul.
He touched me... every inch like he fucking owned me. My skin crawled-burned like acid. That bastard had a knife... but I didn't realised that... not till he started slicing through my clothes like he was unwrapping a fucking gift he didn't deserve.
I tried to scream, but the rope cut into my wrists, gag choked my voice. I struggled, kicked-fucking useless. He laughed. Like I was entertainment.
But when I slammed my knee between his legs, he roared like a wounded animal. Dropped the knife. His fury? Oh, babe, it was fucking hell unleashed.
He grabbed my hair-ripped at it-spat on my face.
"Whore," he growled. "Filthy fucking whore."
And through it all, my mind kept screaming just one question: What did I ever do wrong?
Maybe my fucking crime was being born in this goddamn family.
Blood roared in my ears. I reached for the knife-shaking, desperate-and sliced through the rope, hand trembling with hate and fear.
But before I could lunge, he was already on me-grabbing my wrist. I didn't even see the blade until it kissed my skin and ripped across the back of my hand. The pain was lightning-but I didn't stop. I couldn't.
I snapped.
Blinded. Bleeding. Broken.
But I grabbed his face and plunged my thumb into his eye socket, feeling the wet pop, the way he shrieked like a dying beast. He punched me. Again. Again. My jaw cracked, ribs screamed-but my finger stayed buried in his fucking eye. And then the other one too.
He fell. Howling.
Blood and screams and sweat-I tore the blindfold off and saw red-only red.
The knife was cold in my hand but felt like justice.
He tried to crawl. Turn over.
I didn't let him.
I stabbed him. Face. Neck. Cheek. Again. Again. I don't remember how many times. I just remember the blood-everywhere. On the floor. On the walls. On my face. In my mouth.
And on my hands.
God, my hands...
I wasn't even crying. I was silent.
Empty.
But I was alive. And he fucking wasn't."
After that...
I was just sitting there.
Frozen.
Staring at the blood on my hands.
It was worse than hell.
Time? I don't even remember how much passed. Could've been minutes. Could've been hours.
Eventually...
My father's men broke in.
And then-
Nothing.
I blacked out.
When I woke up...
I was in my room.
Alone.
No warmth. No comfort.
Just guards stationed like statues.
I mean... I get it. You're all fucking busy, right?
But staying by my side for even a few minutes-
Was that really too fucking much to ask?
That day, I understood something real fucking clear-
Don't expect shit from anyone.
Not even from the ones you think are close.
They'll all disappoint you.
They'll all walk the fuck away.
After that...
I refused to go back to school.
I didn't let any other man come near my room again.
That's why Dad hired a personal tutor.
Uncle Dmitri.
He used to be in charge of the SS-Secret Search-Headquarters.
Well, not so "secret" anymore.
He resigned a year before he started tutoring me.
I asked him why...
He never told me.
And then professor David became the incharge of HQ.
But for some reason-
I felt safe around uncle Dmitri.
And that...
Was rare.
He taught me how to fight.
How to think fast.
Move faster.
How to be one step ahead of everyone.
I wasn't learning this shit to lead the mafias.
Fuck no.
I was doing it for me.
Because depending on others?
That shit ain't power.
It's weakness. And because of that sick bastard who kidnapped me...
I started doubting everyone in the house.
And I mean everyone.
I found traitors-
People working with my father behind his back.
Snakes in the fucking walls.
Maybe that's why my dad started saying I'd handle the mafia better than anyone.
And every time he said it?
It wasn't just me who felt pissed.
Yelena felt it too.
She wanted that position.
She wanted the power.
Well, now she has it.
I hope she's fucking happy.
Things were going okay after that...
Until I turned 17.
That attack...
It flipped my entire life upside down.
I would've died that night-
If Uncle Dmitri didn't rescue me in time.
But the shock...
It wiped out everything.
Memories-gone.
The only thing that stayed with me
Was the scar on the back of my hand.
Over time, some memories came crawling back,
Mostly because Uncle Dmitri kept talking about it-
Little pieces that started to fit together again.
And now...
I've got one mission.
Find the one who planned that attack.
I'm even able to do that
Because of Uncle Dmitri.
His connections got me into this university,
Put me in the same fucking building as people I needed to watch.
I've learned so much because of that....
I was so deep in my thoughts
When my phone started ringing.
I grabbed it-
And of course...
It was Irina.
Look-
It's not like I'm scared of her or anything,
But she gets mad so fucking easy.
Like her dad.
Oh yeah-forgot to mention, Irina is Uncle Dmitri's daughter.
We studied together, became close-best friends.
I'll tell you that story later.
Right now, I had to answer or she'd kill me.
I cleared my throat and hit the button.
And then-BOOM.
"HOW THE FUCK DID YOU SCREW UP FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A WEEK?! ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Wow.
Didn't even say hello.
I muttered, "Um, well... you know, I had to do it. It was for the mission, I-"
She cut me off.
"Listen, it's not like Professor William's gonna fail you if you don't pull this reckless shit every time."
I sighed. "Yeah, I know. But it was about my family, Irina. I had to get that chip."
She paused.
"Chip? What chip? What's on it?"
I looked down, holding it in my palm. "I don't know yet... but it has to be something serious. I mean, why else would Alek show up himself to get it?"
Before she could respond, I heard a woman's voice in the background.
So I said it, couldn't help myself-
"Wait... are you out with that bitch again?"
Click.
She hung up.
Then I got a text.
> Don't say shit like that outta nowhere, you idiot. What if she heard? It's important. That's why I'm with her.
Yeah yeah, Diana. The "queen bee" of our class.
Sassy little shit.
> Whatever. Let's talk tomorrow.
I tossed the phone aside.
Oh right-
The chip.
I grabbed my laptop, sat on the bed, plugged it in...
Two clips.
Two fucking clips from two different car cameras.
It was the night of the attack.
There were always tons of cars around our house-
Security reasons.
Cameras stayed on 24/7.
The first clip showed the backyard.
It was dark-grainy.
Yelena was out there.
Talking to someone on the phone.
Then a car pulled up.
She walked into it.
A few minutes later, she got out...
And the car left.
She went back inside.
And then...
15-20 minutes later-
The attack happened.
The second clip was from the front.
Another car arrived right before the attack-
But I couldn't see who stepped out.
And that's it.
Seriously?
That's the big secret?
I was fucking confused.
It had to mean something.
Maybe Professor David would know more.
I had to ask him tomorrow.
Lost in my thoughts,
My stomach growled like a goddamn animal.
It was almost 10 p.m.
I looked at the Borscht on the table and muttered:
"Thanks to Alek... I mean, that jerk, I don't have to cook tonight."
Smirking, I heated it up and started eating.
And while eating...
I realized something.
The color.
The thickness.
It looked just like blood.
Is that why he likes it?
Well... it is Alek we're talking about.
So yeah-
Anything's possible.
Oh right-
I forgot to text Professor David.
Fucking perfect.
I snatched my phone off the table and typed:
> Professor, I've got something to tell you about the mission. Let's talk at 1 PM.
There.
Handled.
Finally, I could eat in fucking peace.
After scarfing down dinner like a starving gremlin, I crashed-
Right onto my bed.
Lights off. Brain off.
Next morning - 8:45 AM
...
...
FUCK- I'M LATE.

I hope this looks good...
Because the last time I wore a hoodie and didn't even brush my hair,
everyone on campus looked at me like I just landed from fucking Mars.
Like, how the fuck is anyone supposed to look runway-ready at 8 AM?
Only Diana and her plastic squad can do that shit.
-
Fuck.
I'm late.
No time for breakdowns-I snatched my bag and rushed out like hell was chasing me.
---
Outside the campus - 9:35 AM
First thing: check my phone.
I had messages from Professor David, Ivan, and Irina.
God help me.
Let's see what Professor Stone-Cold Emotionless said:
> Okay.
Wow.
"Okay."
I nearly got my ass killed for this chip, and that's the best he can manage?
A fucking thumbs-up would've been more heartfelt. Asshole.
Now, Ivan... let's see what this newbie's whining about:
> What's in the chip?
> You have to tell me or I'll tell Sofia and Bogdan.
Is this little shit blackmailing me now?
Oh, he's brave today.
I sighed and replied:
> Let's talk after lunch.
Because if I text what I really wanted to say, they'd suspend me.
Now...
Why the hell has Irina spammed me like she's dying?
> Yo, you gotta hear this!!
> That dumb Diana is way too dumb, actually.
> Why the fuck are you not replying?
> Don't tell me you're already asleep?!
Damn girl, breathe.
Just as I was about to type, I felt someone's hand on my shoulder-
"Where the fuck have you been?"
I jumped like a damn cat.
Seriously, Irina? Can't she approach like a normal fucking person?
I calmed my racing heart and looked at her.
"In dreamland, obviously. That's the only place I can go after passing out li-"
Wait...
Behind Irina.
No fucking way.
It's the same cars Alek showed up in yesterday at the restaurant.
His men were standing at the main entrance-
what the actual fuck are they doing here?
"Wait, are you ignoring me? Huh? What are you looking at?"
Irina was about to turn around-
I grabbed her arm to stop her, fast.
"I-It's nothing," I said, keeping my voice cool. "Let's go to the canteen. I've got something to tell you."
She raised an eyebrow but started walking with me anyway.
"You're acting weird today," she muttered.
I'm sorry for uploading late I'll try to upload next chapter soon..i hope you like the chapter I'm sorry that it's short I'll try to make more long chapter...