When Yuki awoke the next morning, she could feel that the penthouse was louder than usual. Outside her room, she could hear footsteps, and many of them. Yuki also heard the sound of heavy objects being moved. And among those sounds, she could also hear Ivan's low voice occasionally speaking to Igor.
It took a moment for her to fully wake up. And when she does, she stirred slowly beneath the weight of silk sheets, trying to make her aching body from the night better than before. Every inch of her skin still carried the remnants of Ivan's touch. His dominance lingered in the bruises he left across her pale flesh.
CLACK!
The sharp sound of the door unlocking snapped her fully awake. Ivan entered the room, already dressed in his immaculate black suit, the crisp lines of his shirt collar framing the smooth, indifferent expression on his face. When he noticed her awake, his expression softened into something deceptively tender. He approached her bedside and pressed a kiss against her forehead.
"Sleep if you're still tired," he murmured, his voice calm, deep, and dangerously intimate. "I can carry you later, if I must."
"Carry me…?" Yuki blinked, her voice still heavy with sleep. It took her a moment to process the meaning behind his words.
The trip.
Ivan was returning to Russia that very day. And, as Yuki promised, she would follow him from now on.
He smiled faintly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "You look exhausted. Rest a little longer. You'll need your strength."
The warmth of his hand lingered against her cheek before gliding down to her jaw. She could feel his gaze tracing every inch of her, dissecting her fatigue, her quiet obedience. But despite his command, Yuki sat up. She didn't want to sleep, not when she felt like each slumber blurred her sense of self further.
"I'll help you prepare," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is there… anything I can do?"
"That won't be necessary." Ivan waved his hand lazily. "My men handle such things. That's why the place is so noisy this morning."
Yuki opened her mouth to respond, but he was already there—pulling her into his arms before she could think of what to say.
"Stay," he murmured against her ear.
The world seemed to still.
His breath was warm against her neck, his voice low and dangerous, the kind that could both soothe and burn. Yuki felt her pulse quicken, though she didn't move. Ivan tilted her chin upward, his lips hovering just a breath away.
"Do you know," he whispered, "how beautiful you look when you behave like this?"
Yuki closed her eyes. Resistance was a word that no longer belonged to her. She had long since surrendered the right to fight back.
Her silence was an answer he'd come to expect.
"Good girl," he murmured with a smile.
And when he kissed her, the world outside ceased to exist.
***
When Yuki next opened her eyes, she was no longer in the penthouse.
The steady hum of an engine and the faint vibration of the car floor greeted her senses. Her head rested on Ivan's lap, his hand idly combing through her hair as he spoke in a low voice to Igor, who was at the wheel.
Ivan sat in the back seat with Yuki, his posture composed, while his hand gently stroked her hair. He seemed to be talking to Alisa, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, until Yuki finally woke up.
"You're awake," Ivan said the moment she stirred.
Yuki pushed herself up slowly, still groggy but alert enough to read the sharpness in his tone. She nodded. The fatigue had dulled, replaced by the strange numbness that always followed her nights with him.
"Where are we now?" she asked quietly.
"Still in Japan," Ivan replied, his gaze unwavering. "But not for long. We'll be arriving at the airport soon."
Yuki nodded, then turned her head toward the car window. Morning sunlight poured over the city streets, bathing them in a deceptive calm.
This might be the last time I'll ever see it.
Her country. Her home.
But just as she tried to let the thought settle, a flicker of light from the massive digital billboard outside caught her eye. The screen displayed breaking news in bold letters:
[Fire Consumes the Red District – Entire Block Reduced to Ashes]
For a second, Yuki couldn't breathe.
She recognized the ruins on the screen, the collapsed beams, the twisted metal, the charred remains of walls that once imprisoned her.
That was her brothel.
She turned her head sharply toward Ivan. Unexpectedly, his gaze was already waiting for hers. He seemed to know what was on Yuki's mind, and he wasn't surprised about it.
"Is there something you wish to say, Yuki?"
The air inside the car tightened. Even Igor's hands stiffened around the steering wheel, and Alisa's breath hitched faintly. Someone turned off the radio. Silence consumed the space like smoke filling a sealed room.
Yuki's fingers trembled in her lap. She felt the familiar pressure of his control—the invisible leash pulling tighter around her throat.
"…No," she whispered at last.
Ivan smiled. A quiet, approving curve of the lips.
"Good," he murmured.
The tension eased. Igor restarted the music, a faint melody floating back into the air like nothing had happened.
Yuki exhaled softly. She had survived the test. Again.
"Come here," Ivan said after a moment, his tone smooth and commanding. "Let me kiss you."
Yuki hesitated, then obeyed. She crawled into his lap, her body fitting against his as if she'd been made to belong there.
Ivan's hand slid behind her neck, guiding her lips to his. The kiss was slow, deliberate—a silencing brand pressed upon her soul.
It was never just affection.
It was an act of possession.
From the front seat, Alisa flushed and turned away, pretending not to hear the soft sounds from behind her. Igor chuckled under his breath, whistling low as if to fill the uncomfortable space with noise.
But Yuki barely noticed.
Her world had already gone quiet again—
And somewhere deep inside, she wondered how long it would be before she forgot what silence used to mean.
***
To avoid any danger from those who were after his head, Ivan always traveled by private jet whenever he went abroad. The private jet also underwent a series of complicated checks before Ivan and Yuki were cleared to board. Yuki watched Ivan's people bustling about before Igor whispered that they were ready for takeoff.
As soon as Ivan and Yuki boarded, Igor and Alisa, who were following behind them, stopped when they reached the entrance to the cockpit. Yuki unconsciously raised her eyebrows. As if knowing what was on Yuki's mind, Igor spoke to calm her concerns.
"You don't have to worry. Alisa and I have proper pilot certificates and licenses. Traveling by plane is dangerous. That's why we learned early on to make sure Boss is always safe on his travels."
As Ivan's right-hand man, Igor seemed to have a lot of responsibilities that Yuki had never imagined before. Ivan's arm around Yuki's waist made her turn her head. Ivan smiled as he kissed Yuki again in front of everyone.
"Don't worry. I've thought of a way to keep you from feeling nervous on your first trip."
Ivan glanced at Igor. Then, as if they understood, the two of them immediately got ready while Yuki was escorted to one of the seats on the plane. There was no one else on the plane but the four of them. Although Ivan had come with many of his men, they seemed to have been asked to take another flight.
"Hold my hand if you're scared."
It was Yuki's first time on a plane. Therefore, when the plane took off, Yuki was so nervous that her face turned pale. Ivan, who noticed Yuki's nervousness, took the initiative to hold the girl's cold hand. Igor and Alisa were skilled pilots. It didn't take long for the plane to stabilize, and they were then allowed to unfasten their seatbelts.
"Are you still nervous?"
Yuki bit her lip. She was reluctant to look out the window as she answered Ivan's question.
"Yes. I don't think I can look outside during this trip."
Ivan smiled meaningfully when he heard Yuki's answer. The man lifted Yuki from her seat, then sat her on his lap facing him.
"That's too bad. The view will get even more beautiful later."
Ivan stared at Yuki, who was still wearing his oversized shirt. Something stirred inside Ivan as his hands began to unbutton the shirt one by one.
"If I entertain you, you won't be afraid, right?"
The shirt Yuki was wearing fell to the floor, revealing her firm breasts and nipples that were erect due to the cold air inside the plane. Ivan squeezed Yuki's breasts with both hands. The squeeze was so sudden and strong that Yuki pulled her body backwards.
"Ugh, Master..."
"Be quiet, Yuki. I don't want them to hear your voice."
Ivan replied as he pulled Yuki's body back closer to him. With their position, Ivan only needed to lift himself slightly to suck on Yuki's breasts alternately. His actions made Yuki squirm even more. Yuki's feet arched from the waves of pleasure she felt.
"I see you're even getting wet down there."
When Ivan's hand explored Yuki's private area, he found that Yuki was wet with her lustful fluids.
SLAP!
"Ouch!"
Ivan slapped Yuki's butt once to reprimand her. However, accompanied by the pleasure from above, Yuki could only let out a strong moan when Ivan did that. Yuki could feel her lower body getting wetter because of Ivan's actions. Her cheeks flushed, but she was looking forward to what else Ivan would do to her body.
"Are you still nervous?"
Yuki shook her head quickly. After Ivan teased her, Yuki wanted nothing more than for Ivan to insert himself into her body.
"Master, Master."
Yuki rubbed her lower part impatiently against the hot bulge between Ivan's legs. Yuki looked at Ivan with a pleading face. She knew Ivan would torture her even more if she didn't pretend to be pitiful in front of him.
"I want your penis inside me."
Ivan smiled. Yuki's lustful face always managed to make Ivan lose his mind.
"Do it yourself then."
Only when Ivan had given her permission did Yuki finally help Ivan's penis enter her body. Yuki's screams could be heard as Ivan's hot penis entered her body. Yuki's body trembled, but she soon began to move.
What Ivan had said proved to be true. Once Yuki was aroused, she immediately forgot the fact that she had been afraid of flying just a moment ago.