Just a heads–up: This chat occured before Evan went searching for Dmitri.
A few hours ago...
" Evan...my son. How are you doing " A woman's voice came through the line, smooth yet sharp, carrying a dangerous authority.
" Mom" Evan muttered, raking a hand through his hair
"Just go straight to the point. I'm busy"
A low, amused sigh escaped her.
" Ungrateful bastard," She muttered, then broke into a grin " But who cares? I'm way too happy today."
"So tell me, what's made my crazy mom so happy today?" Evan asked with a smirk.
That's when Evan caught a background noise through the line– his mother's voice carrying, clearly giving instruction to someone.
" Our drugs are flying off the shelves and we've rounded up all their suppliers" She said , her voice buzzing with excitement. " we're dominating the market, Evan"
Evan could hear the thrill in her tone even through the phone, the satisfaction of victory clear in every word.
" Yeah... Dimitri told me about it" Evan said, a hint of concern in his voice.
In a teasing tone, his mom said " Looks like someone 's doing an excellent job, Evan..."
"Yes..no," Evan sighed " Nik's still wary of me"
" Yeah, I expected that one to be difficult. He's not as easy to fool–or as dumb–as his brother," She said mockingly.
Evan felt a pang of hurt. He didn't like hearing his mom make fun of Dmitri.
With a sigh, she said "Just do what you have to do and make Nik trust you." She paused before continuing her voice serious " I have to make Mikhail pay for all he did and take back your rightful position."
" Mom, I don't even want all this," Evan said, frustration creeping into his voice.
" Shut up," She said firmly. " You don't know how much pain he caused me" She paused, then continued, " Clear your head of those stupid thoughts and do what you must"
With that, the call ended.
************
Click.
The heavy door of the mansion creaked open as Dmitri stepped inside. After his encounter with Ash, he and Evan had exchanged brief goodbyes and parted ways.
The interior of the mansion was swallowed in darkness, as if every single light had been deliberately turned off. The silence pressed down on him, heavy and suffocating.
Why is it so dark? Dmitri frowned, his steps echoing faintly against the floor. He pulled out his phone and switched on the torch. The thin beam of light cut through the shadows—
"Ahhh!" Dmitri's voice cracked in panic as the beam caught something, and the phone slipped from his hand, clattering loudly against the ground.
In that instant, the mansion lights flickered back to life. Dmitri's heart hammered as his eyes darted around, until they landed on the sofa across the room.
There, leaning back casually as if he had been waiting the whole time, sat Nik. His expression was calm, too calm. His lips curled into a faint smirk as his eyes locked onto Dmitri.
"Hey, Dmitri…" Nik's voice was smooth, almost casual, but the look in his eyes sent a cold shiver down Dmitri's spine.
Dmitri, still trying to catch his breath, muttered, "What's wrong with you… you almost gave me a heart attack."
Nik slowly got up from the sofa and walked toward him. Placing a hand on Dmitri's shoulder, he gave a fake smile and said with mocking sweetness, "Ohh, sorry. I forgot my brother was so soft-hearted."
Something's not right with him, Dmitri thought feeling uneasy. That's when his eyes caught the open laptop on the sofa where Nik had been sitting.
I'm done, he thought in panic.
Nik followed his gaze, his expression tightening.
"You did a great job hiding this from me, Dmitri." His tone was low but cutting as he slowly circled around him.
"That day I asked you if anything had happened—but no, you completely denied it."
Dmitri raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, alright? It's just…"
"Just what?" Nik cut in sharply, locking eyes with him.
Dmitri bit his lower lip and turned his face away, unable to meet his brother's gaze.
Nik sighed, brushing his hair back with irritation. "Did anybody else see the video?"
Still avoiding his eyes, Dmitri muttered, "Only Alexei."
Nik's eyes narrowed instantly.
"And he didn't tell me about it?"
With a small, nervous smile, Dmitri said, "I told him not to say anything."
Nik let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. "Wow." Then, without another word, he started up the stairs.
"Are you that angry, Nik?" Dmitri called after him.
Nik stopped, turned halfway, and gave him a look—questioning, unreadable—before continuing up without a word.
He smacked his forehead saying
" Seriously? Forgot to lock my room? Genius move, Dmitri "
–Meanwhile–
"Hey, Ash, why did you take so long in the restroom?" Emil asked as they walked back to their rooms, still in the same corridor.
"Something came up," Ash replied casually.
"That long?" Emil raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah…" Ash trailed off, shrugging. Emil didn't press further as they approached his room.
"See you tomorrow," Emil said once they reached his door.
"Tomorrow," Ash replied with a small smile.
Ash's room was just five doors down from his own. After a few steps, he reached the door and paused, hand on the handle. Suddenly, he froze—faint noises, like moans, came from inside. He let out a sigh, shaking his head, and started to walk away.
Tok, tok.
Emil, who had been inside, heard the knock and opened the door.
"Ash," he said, seeing him there.
"Maddox is at it again," Emil commented with a knowing smirk.
"Yeah," Ash replied, rolling his eyes.
"You can crash here with me," Emil offered.
"He doesn't have an issue with it?" Ash said, nodding toward Emil's roommate who was fast asleep.
"Not like it's the first time you've crashed here," Emil said with a grin. "Come on, enter."
With that, Ash stepped inside.
************
📝Author's Note💌
Hey everyone! 👋
Just wanted to let you know that we've updated the cover of the novel🙃.