Olga smiled softly as she looked at her father.
Olga: "Dad... am I staying here now?"
Her father looked at her for a moment before giving a small smile.
Father: "Yes, Olga. You can stay here tonight."
Olga's smile grew wider. She glanced around the enormous mansion with curiosity, still trying to process everything that had happened.
Olga: "Really?"
Her father nodded.
Father: "Really."
Olga looked toward Alexander, who was standing a short distance away, silently observing them.
For the first time that night, the fear in Olga's eyes disappeared, replaced by a small, genuine smile.
Olga: "Then... I want to stay."
Alexander said nothing. He simply watched his granddaughter with a quiet, unreadable expression. Olga stood beside her father, still smiling as she looked around the enormous mansion.
Olga: "Dad... are there other people living here too?"
Her father glanced toward the grand staircase.
Before he could answer, several footsteps echoed through the hall.
One by one, family members began entering the room.
Olga's uncles, aunts, cousins, and other relatives gathered in the grand hall. Everyone seemed to know exactly who she was, yet Olga recognized almost none of them.
The room gradually became quiet.
Every pair of eyes turned toward her.
Olga's smile slowly faded as she looked around nervously.
Olga: "Dad... why is everyone looking at me?"
Her father placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Father: "Because they haven't seen you in a long time."
Olga looked confused.
Olga: "But... I've never met most of them."
From across the room, Alexander remained seated on the large sofa. He lit another cigarette and silently observed the entire scene.
His cold eyes remained fixed on Olga.
One of Olga's aunts whispered to another family member,
Aunt: "She's grown so much."
Another relative quietly replied,
Relative: "She looks just like her father."
Olga heard the whispers but said nothing.
She instinctively moved a little closer to her father.
Alexander finally spoke.
His deep voice instantly silenced the entire room.
Alexander: "Enough."
Everyone became silent.
Alexander slowly looked around the hall before turning his attention back to Olga.
Alexander: "She's family."
Olga stared at him.
For the first time, she realized that this wasn't simply a house.
It was a family ruled by a man whose single word could silence everyone in the room.
And tonight was only the beginning of Olga's first night inside the Alexander family.Olga stood beside her father, quietly looking around the grand hall.
One by one, the family members reacted to her arrival.
Her aunt Elena was the first to smile warmly.
Elena: "My goodness... Olga, you've grown so much. The last time I saw you, you were just a little girl."
Olga gave her a shy smile.
Olga: "Thank you."
Her uncle Victor remained seated, studying Olga with a serious expression. Unlike Elena, he didn't smile.
Victor: "So this is Alexander's granddaughter."
His tone was calm, but his eyes revealed curiosity.
Across the room, Olga's cousin Nikolai leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked at Olga for a few seconds before giving a small, amused smile.
Nikolai: "I didn't expect her to be this quiet."
His younger sister Mila immediately elbowed him.
Mila: "Don't be rude. She's probably nervous."
Mila then approached Olga with a friendly smile.
Mila: "Hi. I'm Mila. If you need anything, you can ask me."
Olga nodded shyly.
Olga: "Nice to meet you."
An older aunt sitting near the fireplace watched Olga carefully. Her expression was more difficult to read.
Aunt: "She has her father's eyes."
Another relative quietly agreed.
Relative: "And Alexander's expression when she's serious."
A few family members exchanged surprised glances.
Olga looked from one face to another, becoming increasingly confused.
Olga: "Why is everyone talking about me?"
Her father smiled faintly and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Father: "Because you're family, Olga. Everyone is simply curious to see you again."
From the far end of the hall, Alexander remained seated on the sofa.
He had said nothing.
His cigarette burned slowly between his fingers as he watched every reaction in the room.
Finally, he lifted his eyes toward the family.
The room immediately fell silent.
Alexander: "She's been away from this family long enough."
Everyone stopped speaking.
Alexander looked directly at Olga.
Alexander: "From tonight onward, she belongs here."
Olga stared at him, still trying to understand what that meant.
Some family members smiled.
Some remained cautious.
Some were clearly curious.
And a few simply watched her in silence.
But one thing was certain
Olga's arrival had changed the atmosphere of the entire family. It was deep into the night.
Olga sat quietly in the living room, dressed in comfortable night clothes. The mansion was unusually silent, with no one else around.
Across the room, Alexander stood near the window, wearing a black shirt and tie, a glass of wine in his hand. His expression remained stern and unreadable as he watched Olga for a moment.
Finally, he spoke in his deep, gravelly voice.
"Olga, do you feel comfortable staying in this house?"
Olga looked at him and gave a small smile.
"Yes… but everything still feels a little strange to me."
"Why?" Alexander asked.
Olga hesitated before answering.
"Because I've never lived with such a large family before. And everyone was looking at me as if I were someone very important."
Alexander took a slow sip of his wine.
"You are part of this family," he said calmly. "You need to learn to remember that, Olga."
Olga lowered her gaze for a moment, quietly taking in his words.
The silence returned to the room.
Alexander continued watching her with the same stern, unreadable expression.
"From tonight onward," he said, "you are no longer a stranger in this house." Olga noticed the way Alexander was looking at her.
There was something unusual about his gaze—not threatening, but difficult to understand. His expression remained completely unreadable.
Olga quietly picked up the small mirror in her hand and glanced at her own reflection.
She looked at Alexander again from the corner of her eyes.
"He's really strange…" she thought.
There was something about him that made it difficult to guess his age. Despite being an older man, his presence was remarkably composed and imposing.
Olga frowned slightly.
"I can't even tell how old he really is."
Alexander noticed her curious expression but said nothing.
He simply took another slow sip of his wine, his mysterious gaze remaining fixed in her direction.Olga remained quiet for a moment, looking at Alexander with curiosity. Then she suddenly asked,
"How old are you?"
Alexander raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Seventy-five."
Olga's eyes widened.
"Seventy-five?"
Alexander calmly nodded.
Olga looked at him again, trying to make his age match his appearance.
"I don't think you look seventy-five…"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Alexander's lips.
"Then how old do you think I am?"
Olga smiled softly.
"I'm only eighteen."
Alexander remained silent for a moment before speaking in his deep, calm voice.
"Eighteen… Then you still have a lot to learn, Olga."
Olga looked at him curiously.
"Learn what?"
Alexander simply placed his glass on the table.
"The rules of this family."