In the heavy silence of the corridor, Viktor's father leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting into the past. "Listen, Viktor," he began in a deep, gravelly voice. "I need to tell you my story. The seeds of what you did today were sown twenty-five years ago." Viktor leaned against the wall, watching his father with cold curiosity. "When your mother first came to this estate, she was a defiant princess. She thought her nobility could rule me. But I knew that to break a horse, you must first use the whip. I did to her exactly what you did to Alia today. There is no mercy in our blood, Viktor. We break the ones we love first, then rebuild them as we please." He paused, a demonic smirk appearing. "When your mother first fainted at my feet, I realized that power isn't just about bullets it's about capturing a soul. Conquer Alia's spirit, and only then will she be worthy of an FSB emperor."Viktor crushed his cigarette under his boot and stepped closer. "And then?" he asked, his voice steady. "Did Mother ever forgive you, or did she lose herself in this darkness?" His father's expression turned grim. "Forgiveness? That word doesn't exist for us. When she woke up, her defiance was gone, replaced by a void. She realized that to survive here, she had to become a monster herself. She became my greatest strength, but at the cost of her soul." He looked Viktor in the eye. "Alia must follow that same path. She will either break and become like us, or go mad within these walls. Tell me, do you want her to be your source of power, or just a plaything?"Viktor's eyes flashed with a unique sense of pride. He stepped closer to his father and spoke with a firm, cold conviction. "You're wrong, Father," he declared. "Alia isn't like my mother. She is the daughter of a Russian Mafia God-mother and an influential royal lineage. Within her veins flows a powerful blend of mafia ruthlessness and royal nobility." As his father watched him, Viktor continued, "She isn't just a doll to be broken; she is a powerhouse. I don't want to rebuild her; I want to awaken the monster inside her. When she realizes her true potential, Russia will tremble. She won't be a void; she will be the pillar of my empire."Viktor's father burst into a dark, echoing laugh, slamming his teacup onto the table. He stood up and gripped Viktor's shoulder firmly. "This is exactly why you're my favorite, Viktor," he laughed. "Out of your five siblings, you are truly different. They are hungry for power, but you are a creator of power. They only know how to seize, but you know how to tame a volcano." He leaned in closer, whispering, "Your brother Ivan only knows bloodshed, and Natasha only understands diplomacy. But you... you carry both royal nobility and mafia ruthlessness. You see Alia not just as a lover, but through the eyes of a ruler." As he walked away, he added, "In this struggle between five siblings, only the one who turns weakness into strength will survive. Make Alia your ultimate weapon. Russia's throne is waiting for you." Viktor's lips curled into a smirk of disdain. "Father, your age is showing," he said coldly. "My elder brother's name is Nikola, not Ivan. And you're getting my sister's name wrong too. Perhaps power and liquor have blurred your mind." Just then, a young maid approached with a tray. Viktor's father pulled her close and planted a kiss on her cheek, completely unashamed. Viktor watched with indifference; he knew that even as a retired Mafia Lord, his father's old, 'foul habits' had never left him. "Do as you wish, Father," Viktor added, "but remember—I am the current Mafia Lord. If Nikola or the others think they can use your weakness to replace me, they are dead wrong."As Viktor stepped slowly into the room, the silence transformed into a different kind of tension. He saw that Alia was no longer lying motionless. She was sitting up in bed, her messy, silken hair cascading over her shoulders. Upon seeing Viktor, a strange, mysterious smile flickered at the corners of her lips a smile that held indomitable pride instead of fear.
The moment Viktor sat beside her, Alia swiftly climbed onto his lap. She wrapped both her hands around his neck. The blood of the Mafia God-mother was speaking through her eyes. Staring directly into his pupils, she whispered with a dark laugh:
"Viktor... you are an absolute beast! But do you know what? This beast is exactly what I wanted."
Viktor was stunned for a moment by this sudden transformation. He had expected Alia to cry or be terrified, but instead, she had thrown a challenge back at him. Grabbing his shirt collar firmly, she pulled him even closer.
Alia continued:
"You thought you won by making me faint? No, Viktor, you only awakened the darkness within me. From now on, we are equals in this game. If you are the King, then I am the Queen who knows how to flip the chessboard."
Viktor placed a firm hand on Alia's waist. His eyes were filled with a mix of fascination and intoxication. He realized that Alia truly was a unique blend of royal lineage and a mafia empire. He spoke in a low tone:
"I knew you weren't ordinary, Alia. If my cruelty can make you smile, then the throne of Russia will be beneath our feet. Tell me, are you ready to be the partner in my diabolical world?"
Alia didn't say a word as she rested her head on Viktor's shoulder, but the sharp glint in her eyes suggested she had already begun making a massive move of her own. Viktor's fascination instantly turned into a primal, demonic urge. He didn't respond to Alia's words; instead, his gaze drifted downward—straight toward his zipper. Seeing that look, Alia immediately understood his intent. Her defiant smile vanished, replaced by a mix of panic and thrill. Pushing against his chest, she cried out, "Nooooooo... Viktor, no! I just regained consciousness. Do you never stop?" But Viktor gripped her waist even tighter, preventing her from moving. "You said it yourself, Alia—you wanted this beast," he whispered darkly into her ear. "Now that he's awake, do you think you can stop him? To be a Queen, you must walk through this fire."Alia's voice turned chillingly cold as she looked Viktor in the eye and whispered, "Curse... Viktor, you are the greatest curse of my life." Her words froze the heated atmosphere. "You think you're ruling me? No, you're inviting your own destruction," she continued, her nails digging into his skin. "When this royal blood and mafia ruthlessness turn into venom inside me, that venom will destroy you too. Every tear I shed will set your empire on fire." Viktor's smirk faded, replaced by a dark intensity. "So be it, Alia," he growled, gripping her chin. "If you curse me, I'll take that curse and destroy you anyway. Even if I go to hell, I'm taking you with me." Viktor's obsession flared into a violent urge. He grabbed Alia's silken hair in a tight fist, forcing her head back to expose her neck. He began kissing and biting her throat with a primal intensity, marking his territory. "Curse?" he growled. "Then let this beast be your fate. The more you hate me, the more I will claim you." As Alia trembled in pain and hatred, Viktor pinned her down, whispering darkly, "You spoke of hell? Then let's taste it tonight. Let's see how long your royal nobility lasts against my mafia ruthlessness." He pushed her onto the bed, his eyes burning with a relentless fire.Alia reached for the heavy stone vase on the nightstand, intending to strike Viktor's head in a desperate bid for revenge. But she failed. Viktor, anticipating her move, caught her wrist in a grip of iron. The vase fell onto the bed with a thud. "Did you really think this stone could stop a devil from hell?" Viktor whispered with a triumphant smirk. He pinned her wrists above her head, his eyes burning with an even more intense fire. "The more you resist, the more it excites me," he growled. Alia cried out in frustration, calling him a coward, but Viktor only laughed. "The game of winning and losing is over, Alia. Now, it's about survival. Every time you try to run, I'll bind you tighter." Viktor's obsession turned into a primal hunger. Ignoring Alia's struggle, he slowly ran his tongue over his own lips, tasting the thrill of his victory. His eyes burned like a predator's as he whispered, "Ummm... Alia, your resistance, your hatred... it tastes like nectar. The more you struggle, the more my thirst grows. You are truly a powerful woman, and the joy of taming you is beyond words." He licked his lips once more, bringing his face inches from hers. As Alia tried to turn away in disgust, he gripped her jaw. "Don't be afraid, Princess. This is just the beginning. The Mafia Lord will teach you how to smile even in the dark. Now, just feel the intensity of my fire."