As Anashia's suspicious gaze remained fixed on her, Alia gathered her remaining strength and stood up. Viktor was still lying there, faking sleep, which filled Alia with absolute disgust. She straightened her disheveled red nightdress and glared at Anashia with sharp, irritated eyes.
Alia: (In a sharp and harsh voice) "What? What is your problem? Why are you interrogating me first thing in the morning?"
When Anashia tried to point at her deeply flushed face, Alia brushed his hand away with a jerk.
Alia: "You want to know why my face is so red? Have you checked the temperature in this room? When it gets too hot, my face turns red like this. Calm your suspicious mind for once."
Alia didn't stay there for another second. Clenching her long red nails into fists, she walked out of the kitchen with fast strides toward her room. Anashia sat there bewildered, while Viktor breathed a silent sigh of relief that Alia had handled the situation.
Upon entering her room, Alia slammed the door shut and locked it. She went straight into the washroom and stood before the mirror. Seeing her devastated reflection and her flushed face, her tears finally broke through. She turned on the basin tap and splashed cold water on her face, as if trying to wash away the tainted touches of last night and this morning.
The wounds on her body stung as the water hit them, but the fire in her heart was even more intense. She leaned against the washroom wall and sobbed quietly. But a moment later, she looked into the mirror and wiped her tears.
Alia realized there was no room for mercy or love in this palace. Viktor and Anashia both only wanted to establish their rights over her body. She turned on the shower and stood under the streaming water, her red nightdress clinging to her body. She swore to herself that she would take revenge for this humiliation in such a way that both the Dragon Lord and the Russian Mafia Lord would be crushed into the dust at her feet.
In the distance between the kitchen and the washroom, Alia transformed into a new person. Her red nails were no longer trembling with pain, but with the thirst for revenge. Viktor stretched and woke up as if he had just finished a long, deep sleep. Anashia was still staring in the direction where Alia had left, a strange aura of guilt and shame on his face.
Seeing Anashia's softened demeanor, Viktor burst into a mocking laugh. He began to jeer at Anashia:
Viktor: "What's up, Anashia? Your face is turning red with shame! Where did that Dragon Lord from last night go? Right now, you look like a frightened teenage girl."
Anashia turned toward Viktor, seething with rage. He couldn't stand Viktor's ridicule.
Viktor: (Laughing) "Seeing your condition makes me wonder—are you actually a mafia lord, or are you a girl on the inside? Or a eunuch? Does a real man cry and beg for forgiveness like that?"
The moment he heard this, Anashia stood up with a roar. His ego was severely bruised.
Anashia: "Watch your tongue, Viktor! You were just as involved in what happened last night. Don't try to act like a saint now. And to prove what I am, finishing you off would be more than enough!"
Viktor: "Oh, shut up! Don't talk big. Your hands start shaking the moment you look at Alia. You're a coward, Anashia!"
Anashia: "I'm a coward? Where was your bravery when you were smoking outside the door, listening to her screams? You're a beast, Viktor!"
The quiet morning in the kitchen instantly turned into a battlefield again. They both grabbed each other by the collar. Viktor had a cunning smirk, while Anashia's eyes burned with fury. Last night's guilt had now transformed into mutual hatred.
Just as they were about to strike each other, the sound of something heavy falling came from upstairs. They both paused for a second, but the argument didn't stop.
Anashia: "Today, I'll show you how a Dragon Lord speaks to someone like you!"
Viktor: "Try me! I'll bury you right here on this kitchen floor."
Their shouting made the atmosphere of the entire palace tense once again. They didn't even realize that Alia was sitting in her room upstairs, savoring the beginning of their downfall. Viktor, fuming with rage, didn't say another word and stormed out of the kitchen. Moments later, the thunderous roar of his expensive sports car echoed outside as he left the palace. Anashia was left standing alone in the kitchen, Viktor's insulting words still ringing in his ears.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Alia had transformed into a completely different persona. She had emerged from the washroom and changed out of her devastated red clothes. Now, she wore a white silk nightdress with matching lingerie underneath. Her wet hair was spread over her shoulders. Alia sat comfortably leaning back on the bed, a fashion magazine in her hands. She was flipping through the pages calmly, as if nothing that happened downstairs had affected her at all.
Anashia couldn't stay in the kitchen alone. His mind was still stuck on Alia's flushed face and her pitiful call from earlier. He walked slowly upstairs and stood before Alia's room. The door was slightly ajar.
Anashia peered in and saw Alia. In her white attire, she looked like an ethereal goddess, the magazine in her hand adding to her sophisticated aura. Anashia tapped lightly on the door and stepped inside. There was no longer any violence in his eyes, only a sense of restlessness.
Anashia: (In a very low voice) "Alia... are you still angry? Viktor has left. Can I come in?"
Alia didn't look up from the magazine. She calmly flipped a page and said:
Alia: "You've already come in, Anashia. Why play the drama of asking for permission now?"
Anashia went and stood by the wardrobe. He felt increasingly uneasy seeing Alia's calm demeanor. He noticed how she kept the magazine on her lap and read intently, as if his presence held no importance to her at all.
Anashia: "I know what I did last night was wrong. Viktor provoked me. You can punish me if you want, but please don't stay silent like this."
Alia finally closed the magazine and looked directly into Anashia's eyes. Her mysterious gaze made Anashia tremble. Amidst the softness of the white nightdress, Alia's sharp look signaled a new kind of danger. Alia set the magazine aside and sat up a bit straighter on the bed. Her white silk nightdress shimmered along the curves of her body. She looked at Anashia with a completely indifferent expression and asked.
Alia: "Where did Viktor go?"
Anashia felt a bit awkward. He didn't want to admit to Alia the nasty fight he'd just had with Viktor. He stammered as he replied.
Anashia: "He... he went out on some business. It might be late before he returns."
Alia remained silent for a moment. A subtle smile played on her lips, making it impossible for Anashia to tell what she was thinking.
Alia: "On business? Or did he run away after fighting with you? I could hear your shouting from downstairs, Anashia."
Anashia lowered his head. He couldn't lie in front of Alia. He walked slowly, coming right up to the edge of the bed. The elegance of Alia's white attire and the scent of her wet hair were making Anashia feel weak again.
Anashia: "Yes, we fought. Viktor doesn't know how to respect you, Alia. He thinks of you as just a toy. But I... I am truly ashamed."
Alia picked up the magazine and began flipping the pages again.
Alia: "Respect? That word doesn't suit men who can drag a woman's honor through the dirt in a single night. It's good that Viktor is out on business, but why are you here? Don't you have any 'business' of your own?"
Anashia found no answer to Alia's sharp words. He could only stare at her calm yet mysterious face. As serene as Alia looked in her white nightdress, the fire of revenge was burning just as intensely within her heart. Anashia slowly approached the very edge of the bed. Alia's calm demeanor pulled him in like a magnet. He knelt beside the bed and, with trembling fingers, lightly touched the ribbon of Alia's pure white silk nightdress.
The thin strap near the shoulder of the nightdress fluttered slightly under Anashia's touch. Anashia was caught in a strange conflict between intense guilt and overwhelming attraction. Looking into Alia's eyes, he began to whisper:
Anashia: "Alia... you look so different in this white dress. It's as if the darkness of last night couldn't even touch you. Can I... can I come a little closer to you?"
Alia didn't look up from the magazine, but her body stiffened for a split second. As Anashia's fingers played with the ribbon of her nightdress, she felt as if a venomous snake was crawling over her. But she composed herself. Like a skilled agent, she kept her hatred hidden.
Alia: (In a very steady voice) "What are you doing with the ribbon, Anashia? Have you forgotten how cruel these same hands were to me last night?"
Anashia wanted to pull his hand away instantly, but he couldn't. He seemed intoxicated by Alia's serene beauty. He gripped the ribbon, trying to convey the intensity of his longing.
Anashia: "I remember everything, Alia. That pain is eating me alive right now. I want you to accept me as yours again. Viktor isn't here... it's just the two of us now."
Alia finally set the magazine down on the bed. Tossing her wet hair to one side, she leaned in toward Anashia. The racing of her heart wasn't visible beneath the thin silk of her white nightdress, but the sharpness in her eyes mesmerized him.
Alia knew that with Viktor gone, controlling Anashia would be easy. She reached out and placed her hand over Anashia's—the one still holding the ribbon of her dress.
There was pin-drop silence in the room now. Outside, the morning light was brightening, while inside, a new deadly game had begun where Alia was the hunter, and Anashia was the prey caught in the web of her pure beautyWhen Anashia saw that Alia wasn't resisting, his primal intoxication surged again. He walked slowly to the door and locked it from the inside. A suffocating silence filled the room.
Anashia returned to the bed. Staring into Alia's eyes, he began to undo his shirt buttons one by one. Once his shirt slipped off his body and hit the floor, he unzipped his pants, freeing himself completely. The purity of Alia's white silk nightdress seemed to drown Anashia in a sort of frenzy.
Anashia climbed onto the bed and sat behind Alia. He very deliberately removed the white nightdress from her body. Alia remained as still as stone, staring toward the magazine, but her breathing was growing heavy.
Anashia embraced Alia from behind. He gripped her waist firmly with his strong hands and tilted her slightly forward. Alia's legs spread apart. Taking control of her waist, Anashia engaged in a deep embrace with Alia from behind.
Alia felt the heat of Anashia's body. Even amidst the luxury of the bedroom after the agony of the kitchen, she felt a profound emptiness. Anashia buried his face near her neck, breathing heavily and calling her name repeatedly.
Anashia: (In a faint whisper) "Alia... just be mine. Forget about Viktor... I will give you every happiness."
Alia didn't respond. She only gripped the bedsheet tightly with her hands. As Anashia pressed against her waist for his own satisfaction, Alia's gaze was fixed on the sky outside the window. She knew that behind this physical intimacy, she was actually binding Anashia tighter into her death trap.
In the morning light, only the sound of their heavy breathing could be heard in the silent room. Anashia thought he was conquering Alia, but he didn't realize that she was storing every moment as fuel for her revenge. The massive bed shook loudly under Anashia's frantic embrace. The silence of the room was broken only by the sound of the wood creaking and heavy, labored breathing. As Anashia tried to claim Alia with all his might, a long, trembling sound escaped Alia's lips—"Ahhhhh... Ummmm... Anashia..."
That faint moan from Alia fueled Anashia's excitement even further. He pulled her even tighter against his chest, as if wanting to consume her entire being. Alia's body repeatedly jolted against the bed, and her disheveled hair fanned out across Anashia's face.
Sweating and breathless, Anashia leaned into her ear.
Anashia: (In a low, choked voice) "Yes, Alia... only say my name. I know you wanted this too. I'll make you feel me more than Viktor ever could..."
Alia closed her eyes. Her hands gripped the bedsheet, as if she were fighting not to lose herself amidst this intense sensation. As Anashia held her waist, pushing toward the peak of his satisfaction, the bed shook even more violently.
The bright morning light was now falling directly onto Alia's back, where some of the blue bruises from last night were still visible. Anashia was obsessed with establishing his claim over those marks. Alia realized that Anashia was now completely blinded by her spell. He thought this physical surrender was her forgiveness, but Alia was waiting for the moment she would bring this Dragon Lord to his knees with a single strike.
The heat in the room was now at its peak. After Anashia reached the peak of his satisfaction, the frantic atmosphere of the room slowly settled into a heavy quiet. The shaking of the bed ceased, leaving only the sound of two racing heartbeats echoing in the silence. Anashia let out a long, exhaled breath and pulled away from Alia. His eyes held a sense of calm triumph, as if he had just won a grand battle.
He stepped off the bed and gathered his clothes from the floor. Alia remained motionless on the bed, the morning light spilling over her back. Anashia glanced at her once, but without saying a word, he headed straight into the washroom.
Inside, the sound of splashing water filled the space. Anashia washed himself, feeling a sense of release. It was as if the lingering fog of alcohol and the guilt from the night before had been washed away through this intimacy. He emerged from the washroom and began fastening his shirt buttons, checking his reflection in the mirror. He was once again the confident Dragon Lord.
Exiting the washroom, he saw Alia lying on her side, wrapped in the bedsheets. Assuming she had fallen asleep from exhaustion, he didn't wake her. Instead, he quietly unlocked the door and walked back to his own room. There was a renewed sense of pride in his stride.
Back in his room, Anashia felt a sense of absolute control. Viktor was gone, and Alia was now his the dominance of the palace seemed to belong solely to him. Little did he know that Alia's silence on the bed wasn't from exhaustion, but from the cold calculation of her next move. As Anashia began to relax, he remained oblivious to the fact that his moment of "freedom" was merely the eerie calm before a devastating storm.