Anashia Kim didn't listen to a single word. Instead, Alia's vulnerability seemed to make him even more aggressive. In one swift motion, he spun her around and locked her in a tight embrace from behind. Alia struggled for breath within the cage of his powerful arms. Anashia leaned down to the nape of her neck and began to kiss her throat with deep, raw passion. His touch felt like fire against her fair skin.
Suddenly, Anashia grabbed Alia's silky hair in his fist and pulled it back sharply. Alia's face contorted slightly in pain, leaving her neck completely exposed to him. Those ruby-red eyes of his were burning with a mix of lust and vengeance. He whispered into her ear, "This very beauty of yours will be the end of Min Jun, Alia."
Meanwhile, in another dark room of the palace...
Min Jun was lying in bed with Elena, forgetting all his fears. He thought that even though Anashia had taken the locket, he had at least secured his place within the Petrov Empire through Elena. Elena was trying to sleep peacefully, her head resting on his chest. The room was deathly silent.
At that exact moment—
There was a sudden, violent knock on the door. It wasn't a normal knock; it sounded as if someone was trying to break the door down.
Min Jun sat up in bed with a start. Beads of cold sweat began to form on his forehead. Terrified, Elena gripped Min Jun's hand. He suddenly remembered Viktor's calm face and Anashia's terrifying smile. Who was standing on the other side of that door? One of Viktor's executioners, or the Kim Dragon Lord himself, coming to settle the score?
The air inside the room grew heavy, and the sound from the other side of the door made Min Jun's heart race with impending doom. Min Jun tried his best to hide the sheer terror rising within him. He saw Elena's eyes glistening with fear; she was completely shriveled by the violent sound at the door. Min Jun forced a smile onto his lips, even though his own heart was thumping against his ribs.
Elena: (In a trembling voice) "Min Jun, who is making that sound at the door so late? Does Father know? Or is it someone else?"
Min Jun pulled Elena even tighter against his chest. He pressed a deep kiss on Elena's forehead, as if that single kiss could shield her from all the impending danger.
Min Jun: "Don't be afraid, Elena. I don't know who is bothering us at this hour. Maybe one of the guards has urgent news. Just remember, I am here. As long as I am by your side, no one can hurt you."
But behind Min Jun's reassurance lay a mountain of uncertainty. He knew that whoever was on the other side of that door hadn't brought good news. Viktor's silence and the image of Anashia snatching the locket kept flashing before his eyes.
Meanwhile, the knocking didn't stop; it grew louder, more rhythmic, and more demanding. Elena gripped Min Jun's shirt tightly. Min Jun realized that tonight, the messenger of death was knocking at his door to settle the score for all his sins. He rubbed his face against Elena's forehead one last time and whispered, "I am here, Elena... I am here." In that secret room of the palace, a deep silence prevailed. Alia sat on the bed wrapped only in a white sheet, her disheveled hair and weary eyes suggesting that a long and frenzied time had passed between them. Light tears glistened in the corners of Alia's eyes—whether from pain or memories of lost days, it was hard to tell.
Anashia Kim sat right beside her. Beads of sweat were forming on both of their bodies, adding to the heat of this silent night. Without a word, Anashia pressed a deep kiss on Alia's hand. His ruby-red eyes were somewhat calm now, but that familiar smile of dominance remained on his lips.
Meanwhile, hell had broken loose in Min Jun's room.
Min Jun could clearly hear the breathing of the people on the other side of the door. He sat there, turning blue with fear, clutching Elena. Just then, the door was kicked open.
Viktor Petrov stepped inside. Behind him stood not guards, but Park Do-hyun (Min Jun's father) himself. Viktor held a sharp dagger, and Do-hyun's eyes were filled with pure hatred.
Min Jun: (Stammering in fear) "Fa... Father? Sir Viktor? What are you both doing here so late?"
Viktor took a step forward, the veins in his neck bulging with rage.
Viktor: "Min Jun, did you think you could insult my wife and hide under Elena's sheets to survive? Today, I won't judge you; today, you will be judged by your biological father's brother, the man you knew as your father."
Do-hyun stepped forward and grabbed Min Jun's collar. Min Jun was shocked to see no mercy in his father's eyes. Meanwhile, Viktor pulled out the locket that Anashia had handed him just moments ago. Holding the locket, Viktor looked at Min Jun and gave a devilish smirk. When Elena saw her father Viktor Petrov and father-in-law Do-hyun ready to pounce on Min Jun, she could no longer remain in bed. Sobbing, she scrambled down and clung to her father's feet.
Elena: (Screaming) "Father! Don't kill him! I know Min Jun made a mistake, but he is my husband. If you kill him today, kill me too. I am carrying his child, Father! Will you make your own grandchild an orphan today?"
At Elena's words, the atmosphere in the room froze for a moment. The dagger in Viktor's hand stopped mid-air. He looked down at his daughter, whose eyes held nothing but a plea for her husband's life.
Viktor: "Elena, you don't know what this boy did to your mother! He has dragged the Petrov name through the mud."
Elena: "I know everything, Father! But he is begging for forgiveness. Please, let him go today. You have seen so much blood; for my sake, show just a little mercy."
Meanwhile, Do-hyun let go of Min Jun's collar and looked at Viktor. He could see that Elena's desperation had moved even a stone-hearted man like Viktor. But Viktor's rage wasn't just about honor; it was about the insult to Alia.
Viktor looked at Elena and sighed, then turned to Min Jun with a terrifying voice—
Viktor: "You are alive today because of Elena, Min Jun. But remember, your life from this day forward belongs to me and Anashia. From today, you are not a prince of this palace, but a prisoner. And if you ever try to even cross Alia's shadow again, not even your own father will be able to save you."
Before storming out of the room, Viktor threw the locket at Min Jun's face. Elena clung to Min Jun, weeping, while Min Jun realized that although he was alive, the sun of his freedom had set forever. As Viktor tiptoed into Alia's room, he found it completely silent. The moonlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating Alia's face. Alia was in a deep sleep.
The bedsheet was wrapped around her, and although her face looked peaceful, there was a visible trace of exhaustion. Viktor stood by the bed. Seeing Alia's disheveled hair and the faint red marks on her neck, his jaw tightened, but he restrained himself. He knew Anashia had left his ultimate mark of possession on Alia tonight.
Viktor leaned down and placed a gentle hand on Alia's forehead. Her body was still slightly warm. He thought to himself this woman is the pillar of his empire, yet she is the epicenter of so many dark secrets. Seeing the dried tear tracks at the corner of her eyes, a strange sadness welled up in Viktor's heart.
He tucked the sheet around her properly and whispered near her ear
Viktor: "May your night pass in peace, Alia. I have calmed all the storms outside. Min Jun is alive, but Anashia and I will take revenge for your humiliation in such a way that he will regret every breath he takes."
Before leaving the room, Viktor took one last look at her beautiful, serene face. Then, switching off the light, he vanished into the shadows. He knew that when Alia woke up tomorrow morning, the world would not be the same. Just as Viktor stepped toward the door, he felt a sudden warm touch. Without opening her eyes, Alia tightly gripped Viktor's hand. Even in her deep sleep, her subconscious mind was perhaps shrinking in fear of loneliness.
Alia whispered in a trembling, broken voice
Alia: "Don't go... please don't go. I am so alone..."
Alia's hand was shaking, and her nails dug slightly into Viktor's skin. Though her eyes remained closed, her lashes grew damp. After the intense moments spent with Anashia, a vast void was echoing inside her. At this moment, she wasn't the powerful Queen of Moscow; she was just a vulnerable woman seeking security from her husband.
Viktor froze. He looked at Alia's hand, then sat back down on the edge of the bed. He took her hand into both of his and began to stroke her hair gently.
Viktor: "I'm not going anywhere, Alia. I am right here. Don't open your eyes; just sleep peacefully."
Alia pulled Viktor's hand close to her chest, and after a while, her breathing returned to normal. In the dark room, Viktor stared at her fixedly. He wondered when Alia wakes up tomorrow morning and sits before him, will they be able to look into each other's eyes? Or will the secrets of this night raise an invisible wall between them? Viktor stared in astonishment as Alia, even in her deep sleep, whispered about the distribution of her assets. Alia had made a monumental decision in her life she had signed over all her properties to her five children.
The mafia empire, stretching from Moscow to Seoul, was now divided into five parts. Alia's 3 daughters and 2 sons were each now owners of immense wealth, but Alia had kept them all separate. She didn't want a power struggle to break out among her children, so she carved out distinct territories and business paths for each of them.
Holding Alia's hand, Viktor wondered: was Alia preparing for her final days? Or was she trying to distance her children from this grimy mafia world to give them a secure future?
Viktor: (To himself) "Alia, you've separated the children so they can live in peace. But will this violent underworld leave them alone? 3 daughters and 2 sons will they be able to bear this immense burden of yours?"
Alia was still in a deep slumber, but her decision to will the property was a signal of a new storm approaching the entire underworld. Whenever mafia assets are divided, rivers of blood usually follow. Viktor realized that Alia hadn't just saved Min Jun; she had also built an impenetrable wall for her heirs.
Viktor sat in that dark room, shielding Alia, because from now on, the responsibility for the safety of not just Alia, but all five of her children, rested on his shoulders. Alia moved her head slightly in her sleep, as if she could sense Viktor's inner turmoil. Her eyes were still closed, but a strange, cold smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She began to speak in a barely audible whisper:
Alia: "You're too late, Viktor... I've already sent all the documents to everyone. They've already signed them. It's not today; I finished this game a month ago."
Viktor's hand froze in Alia's hair. He couldn't believe his ears. A month ago! That means while he was busy with the politics of Seoul and Moscow, Alia had silently overhauled her entire empire. The 3 daughters and 2 sons—they had all accepted their new powers a month ago, and the world didn't even have a clue.
Viktor: (Stunned) "A month ago? Does that mean you foresaw this storm long ago? Min Jun's actions, Anashia's return... did you know everything, Alia?"
Alia said nothing more and drifted back into a deep sleep. But her confession planted a new fear in Viktor's heart. If everything had been decided a month ago, then was Alia's encounter with Anashia tonight just a result of circumstances, or part of her own grander design?
Viktor realized that the woman he thought was just his wife or the Queen of his empire was actually far more powerful and mysterious than he ever imagined. Those documents signed a month ago are now the new constitution of the underworld, and no one can tear them apart now.