Alia's blood ran cold as she looked down at herself. She realized she had no clothes on, and she was desperately using her long hair to cover her body. Her face flushed with a mixture of shame and fury. Looking at Viktor, she asked in a trembling voice, "Viktor... did you...?"
Viktor looked straight into her eyes and replied in a cold, matter-of-fact tone, "Yes."
Alia was stunned for a moment. Her head began to spin, but suddenly, her reaction shifted entirely. Instead of tears of shame, a strange, chilling smile spread across her face as if she were mocking the helplessness of the situation.
Viktor seemed slightly taken aback by this unnatural reaction. He reached out and gently gripped Alia's cheek. His tone was a mix of strange possessiveness and cunning. He smiled faintly and said, "You'll never change, will you? It's this stubbornness and strange courage of yours that makes you all the more intriguing to me."
Alia's smile didn't fade, but there was a deep mystery hidden in her eyes, as if she were accepting Viktor's cruelty while weaving a new web of her own.Viktor leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Alia's forehead. His touch was cold, yet his gaze was intense and possessive. He said in a calm voice, "I am like this, Alia. I do not care for your wishes; I only follow my needs and the rules of my game."
Alia felt the touch of Viktor's fingers on her cheek. After hearing this indifferent admission, her smile deepened. She seemed to realize that this arrogance of Viktor was his greatest weakness. Alia asked in a slow voice, "And if the rules of this game eventually fall into my hands, what will you do then, Viktor?"
Viktor burst into laughter, as if Alia's words were merely the naive stubbornness of a child. He stood in the dim light of the lab, looking at Alia, as if he could see the shadow of the new conspiracy forming in her mind. Alia stared into Viktor's eyes. The trace of that mysterious smile still lingered on her face. Moving her face away from his hand, she sat at the edge of the bed. Pointing toward his cold cruelty and the abnormality of his character, she said in a soft voice, "Are you always like this? Are all Russian men like this? Or is this just a special trait of your mafia world where human emotions hold no value?"
Alia looked at Viktor with an intense gaze, as if she were trying to delve deep into his past or his roots to find the answer that could explain his ruthless behavior.
Viktor looked toward the window, his gaze fixed on the hazy sky. After a long silence, he said in a calm voice, "Are Russians like this? Perhaps. Our blood is mixed with the coldness of ice and the scent of gunpowder. And the mafia? The mafia is not just a profession, Alia it is a philosophy of life. Here, no one forgives anyone, because forgiveness means defeat. What you call cruelty, I call survival."
It seemed to Alia that perhaps Viktor was just trying to hide his own loneliness behind the facade of his mafia empire. But was she truly understanding this complex puzzle of Viktor's mind, or was she also getting lost in the maze designed by him? Alia's smile shifted; the helplessness was gone, replaced by a cold, sharpened self-confidence. She stood up, looked directly into Viktor's eyes, and said in a calm yet firm voice, "Do you think I am that easy to control, Viktor? You may be a Russian mafia boss, but don't forget, I am also known as the 'Godmother' of this mafia world. I have my own secret empires."
Alia walked to the window. Outside, it was drizzling. She whispered in a low voice, "But do you know the strange thing? I know who I am, I know my power... yet in this mysterious maze of yours, I feel like I'm losing my way. I don't know why, but in the midst of this darkness you've created, I can't seem to find my true self."
Viktor didn't move. He watched how Alia was struggling with a strange conflict behind her facade. Alia knows she is a Godmother, but she is getting entangled in the mental and emotional web Viktor has woven, perhaps even without realizing it. Is this confession her defeat, Alia pulled back the curtains, and her breath hitched. The reality she had been living in shattered instantly. Outside the mist of the rain, she clearly saw the iconic domes of Moscow's Red Square standing tall. The suffocating atmosphere of the lab, the dark room beneath the water—were those all just an illusion?
She walked slowly toward Viktor, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Moscow? We are in Moscow? But... we were underwater! Viktor, is this some kind of psychological manipulation, or did you really bring me from that deep darkness of the lab to this luxurious palace in Moscow?"
Viktor took a sip from his glass and turned toward Alia with deliberate calm. There was a cruel triumph in his smile. He said in a steady voice, "What you called an underwater lab was merely the entrance to my empire, Alia. All the true secrets of the mafia stay hidden from plain sight. Moscow is in the palm of my hand, and you are now trapped right in the center of it. This journey from the lab to here hasn't it created a blank space in your memory?"
Alia finally understood the depth of the game. Viktor hadn't just imprisoned her physically in that underwater lab; he had toyed with her entire perception of reality. She was now in this palace in Moscow, where Viktor's power was even more absolute. Would her 'Godmother' persona be able to break free from this new Moscow-plot, Alia turned back from the window. The freezing atmosphere of this luxurious Moscow palace and Viktor's dominance challenged her inner 'Godmother' persona in a new way. She knew that rather than fighting Viktor at this moment, confusing him would be more effective. Looking straight into Viktor's eyes, she gave a mysterious smile, moved extremely close to him, and whispered, "Kiss me."
Viktor remained still for a moment. His sharp gaze seemed to be trying to read every corner of Alia's mind. There was no way to tell if he was surprised by this sudden change in Alia. He stood like a statue, staring into her eyes, as if assessing whether there was a deep trap behind her invitation.
Alia kept that crooked smile on her lips and insisted again, "Kiss me, Viktor."
The tension of the moment seemed to make the air in the room heavy. Viktor's cold face moved very close to Alia's, and she could clearly feel the warmth of his breath. But she couldn't tell if this was the beginning of something like love, or just another one of Viktor's ultimate cruel games intended to shatter her 'Godmother' persona completelywere fixed deep within Alia's. Suddenly, he gripped her chin firmly. Bringing his lips inches away from hers, he whispered in a low voice, "Are you really asking me to kiss you, or is this just another strategy of your 'Godmother' persona?"
Alia didn't flinch, even while staring into Viktor's piercing gaze. She smirked and replied, "It could be both, Viktor. Are you afraid to take the risk?"
Viktor let out a devilish laugh. He knew that when Alia approached him like this, there was surely a danger lurking behind it. But Viktor didn't fear that danger he thrived on it. Pulling Alia even closer, he whispered into her ear, "I have never lost, Alia. And this kiss of yours... if it is a move, remember, I will be the one standing at the end of this game."
Viktor kissed her but there was no love in that kiss, only the taste of absolute dominance. Alia closed her eyes, but her mind was still racing. She realized that Viktor anticipated her every move. Thus, for Alia, this kiss was not about emotion; it could be an opportunity to steal a hidden weapon, retrieve information, or send a signal without Viktor noticing. In the very moment of that tense and mysterious kiss, Viktor's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pushed Alia away instantly, and his expression shifted—his devilish smile vanished, replaced by a terrifying, cold seriousness.
A signal came through from the other side of the phone. Viktor ordered in a slow, grave voice, "Tell the FSB to initiate the operation. I have a mission that must be completed tonight. There must be no errors."
Alia stepped back and hid behind the door so Viktor wouldn't see her fully. She realized that this mission of Viktor's wasn't just a simple task in the Russian mafia world; it was directly linked to the FSB, the Russian intelligence agency. As Viktor turned around after putting the phone away, a new ferocity flared in his eyes. He looked at Alia and said, "Our intimate time ends here, Alia. Now I must focus on a much larger game."
Alia thought to herself that this might be her chance. As Viktor gets busy with his mission, his focus will drift away from her. Will Alia be able to uncover some secret informationFrom Viktor's brief yet terrifying phone call, Alia clearly realized she was not dealing with an ordinary mafia boss Viktor was directly linked to the powerful Russian intelligence agency, the FSB. She knew Viktor wasn't a common criminal; he operated at a level where intelligence agencies acted as his puppets.
Alia quickly picked up her clothes from the floor and put them on. Every move of hers was marked with caution. She saw that while Viktor was busy with his mission, his eyes remained fixed on her. Viktor walked toward her with steady steps. He took Alia's hand and planted a soft, lingering kiss on the back of it. Then, he pulled an ancient-looking black locket from his pocket and pressed it into her palm.
There was no cruelty in Viktor's eyes this time, only a strange sense of caution. Looking deep into Alia's eyes, he said in a very low voice, "This is not just a locket, Alia. It is the key to your protection. Tonight's mission is extremely dangerous, so be careful. My enemies do not know how important you are to me, but if they find you this locket will protect you."
Alia gripped the locket tightly in her palm. She realized that Viktor had moved her from a prisoner in the lab to a position by his side in this Moscow game.