As Alia and Elena held each other, sharing their inner terror, a heavy shadow fell across the doorway. Suddenly, Viktor appeared.
Viktor was wearing a crisp white shirt, with the top few buttons left open. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, making the veins on his strong, muscular arms clearly visible. Whenever Viktor was in deep thought or suppressed rage, those veins would bulge prominently. His presence immediately shifted the atmosphere of the entire room.
Viktor leaned against the doorframe, his sharp eyes scanning his wife and daughter. There was a mix of suspicion and authority in his gaze.
Viktor: (In a deep, gravelly voice) "Hmm... It seems like there's a very private discussion going on between mother and daughter? Elena, are you having any trouble at your new in-laws' place?"
Hearing Viktor's calm yet bone-chilling voice, Elena quickly wiped away her tears. She knew her father despised weakness, and she didn't have the courage to complain about Min Jun's true face at that moment.
Alia sat still, but her heartbeat quickened. Looking at Viktor's open shirt and the veins on his arms, she thought: if this man knew what his dear friend Anashia's younger brother had done to his family, this palace would be drenched in blood today.
Viktor walked forward slowly and stood before Alia. His masculine scent and the authoritative aura of a Mafia Lord reminded Alia that she was sitting atop a volcano.As Viktor stood close to Alia, the stifling atmosphere in the room intensified. Viktor wore his signature glasses, behind which his gaze remained sharp and mysterious. To hide her inner turmoil, Alia slowly moved toward him.
With trembling fingers, she touched the open buttons of Viktor's white shirt. Her touch brushed against his bare skin. The feel of Viktor's firm muscles and his warmth momentarily threw Alia into a deep conflict—on one hand was her husband, with whom she should feel safe, and on the other was the darkness of the Mafia world hidden beneath that very shirt, which had torn her life apart.
Viktor: (In a low voice, looking into Alia's eyes) "Why are you trembling, Alia? The shaking of your hands tells a lot."
Adjusting his glasses slightly with one hand, Viktor tilted Alia's chin up. Alia, under the pretext of buttoning his shirt, tried to hide her tears.
Alia: "It's nothing, Viktor... just seeing my daughters after so long has made me a bit emotional."
Viktor placed a possessive hand on Alia. As his veined arm brushed against the bare part of Alia's back, she shuddered. Viktor mistook it for affection, but Alia was remembering Min Jun's demonic touch. In the reflection of Viktor's glasses, Alia saw herself a helpless queen, now a prisoner within her own palace.Viktor leaned in extremely close to Alia. The frame of his glasses brushed lightly against her forehead, and his warm breath fanned over her ear. Holding her waist firmly with his strong hand, he whispered in a low, deep voice
Viktor: "You are lying, Alia. I know every blink of your eyes. From Moscow to Seoul, your silence and Min Jun's arrogant gaze nothing has escaped my notice. Remember, in my kingdom, nothing happens without my permission. If anyone dares to lay a hand on what is mine, I will bury them alive, no matter who they are."
Alia's heart skipped a beat at these words. She couldn't tell if Viktor had sensed Min Jun's lust or if this was just his natural instinct as a Mafia Lord. The murderous coldness in Viktor's voice left her momentarily paralyzed.
After finishing his words, Viktor brushed his lips lightly against her earlobe and stepped back. A mysterious smirk played on his lips, leaving Alia even more confused and terrified. Viktor left the room with that mysterious smirk still on his lips. As the sound of his boots faded down the corridor, a heavy silence descended. Alia was still reeling from his words—did Viktor know everything, or was he merely suspicious?
Just then, Elena stood up from the bed and approached Alia. Her eyes were filled with a strange restlessness. She glanced cautiously toward the door to ensure her father or anyone else wasn't nearby.
Elena: (In a very low voice) "Mama... Papa is gone. Now tell me one thing truthfully. There's something I just can't piece together."
Alia felt a surge of fear seeing Elena's pale face and trembling hands. She took Elena's hands into her own.
Alia: "What is it, Elena? What is this thing you couldn't say in front of your father? Tell me, what happened?"
Elena: "Mama, when Min Jun left the room on our wedding night, I followed him after a while. I saw him heading toward that washroom where you had gone. Mama... what really happened behind those closed doors that day? I saw your diamond necklace the one you're not wearing today in Min Jun's hand. Mama, did he do something to..."
Before Elena could finish, Alia's hands turned ice-cold. She realized that what she was trying to hide had been seen by her own daughter. Alia didn't know how to answer telling the truth might trigger a bloodbath in this palace right now. At Elena's question, Alia's entire body began to tremble. She knew there was no point in lying anymore the searching look in her daughter's eyes had understood everything. Alia gripped Elena's hands tightly, and her tears flowed uncontrollably.
Alia: (In a broken voice) "Elena... what you've seen or what you're thinking, the truth is far more terrifying than that. Min Jun is not a human; he is a monster. That day in the washroom, when he caught me alone... he used brutal force against me. He didn't just wound my body; he tore my very soul apart."
Elena froze like stone. She wasn't prepared to hear that her own husband had committed such a heinous act against her mother.
Alia: "He threatened me, Elena. He said you are now in his grasp, and I am a part of his assets. He took my necklace just to humiliate me. I couldn't tell Viktor anything, because if Viktor finds out today, no one will be able to stop the war between Seoul and Moscow. There will be nothing but piles of corpses everywhere."
Alia burst into loud sobs, leaning her head against her daughter's chest.
Alia: "In trying to save my daughter's home, I've lost my dignity and my nobility. Elena, escape from this hell. He will never let you live in peace."
The entire room was plunged into a horrific silence. Mother and daughter held each other, weeping, while behind the door, perhaps a secret pair of ears was lying in wait, listening to this devastating truth. On the other side of the door, Viktor stood perfectly still. Every word, Alia's tearful confession, and the truth about Min Jun's brutality reached his ears. But strangely, no sudden rage appeared on Viktor's face. He simply adjusted his glasses, and a terrifying, devilish smirk played on his lips. Viktor Petrov was no ordinary man; he knew how to use every strike as a chess piece for his own power. He walked away silently, as if he had heard nothing.
Meanwhile, at another end of the palace, Anashia and Min Jun stood facing each other in the middle of a grand hall. In Min Jun's hand, Alia's expensive diamond locket was shimmering. He was obsessed with it, lost in a strange trance.
Anashia stared sharply at his brother's hand. His eyes held a deep mystery and suspicion.
Anashia: (With a devious smile) "Hey Min Jun! What's that locket in your hand? The diamond work definitely reminds me of the Petrov family's nobility. Is it Elena's? Or did you snatch it from the Queen of Moscow's neck?"
Startled, Min Jun clenched the locket in his fist. He knew Anashia couldn't stand him and wouldn't hesitate to destroy him if given the chance.
Min Jun: "Don't overthink it, brother. It's just a trophy of victory. Only the winner knows the taste of certain things."
Anashia: "The taste of victory, or the beginning of destruction? The one you're playing with is Viktor Petrov's wife. If Viktor finds out you've touched his property, this Dragon Palace will be drenched in your blood and mine. Hide that locket, or it will become the noose around your neck."
Even though Anashia was smiling, there was a cold threat behind his words. The mounting tension between the two Dragon brothers and Viktor's mysterious silence signaled that a massive devastation was about to erupt. In response to Min Jun's devious question, Anashia gave a strange, nonchalant smile. His eyes held the dark trance of old memories.
Min Jun: "So brother, how many times did you 'meet' with her? Is the Queen of Moscow really that satisfying?"
Anashia looked at the darkness outside the window and let out a long sigh. His voice was bone-chillingly cold.
Anashia: "Many times. Back then, I had Hypersexuality; I couldn't control myself. The intoxication of Alia's body drove me mad. I slept with her repeatedly, losing track of day and night. She was the addiction I could never give up."
Hearing this, Min Jun bit his lip. He realized that his elder brother hadn't just loved Alia, but had possessed her with extreme frenzy.
Anashia: "But remember, Min Jun what I did was the madness of our old relationship. But what you are doing is stabbing Viktor Petrov directly in the chest. My time and the present are not the same."
Min Jun just burst into a loud laugh. He thought: if his elder brother could have Alia so many times, why should he hold back?