The winter wind rushed in the moment the car door opened. Alexei stepped out slowly, his boots sinking into the snow that felt colder than usual beneath his feet. Yet the chill was nothing compared to the faint shiver creeping up his spine as he stared at the massive building before him.
The house hadn't changed.
Even after all these years, it remained the same.
The tall windows with their darkened glass, the iron ornaments, everything was identical to how it had been back when the house was the center of the nightmare he endured as Ivan's subordinate.
CLICK!
Alexei turned as Ivan stepped out from the other side of the car. Though they had ridden in the same vehicle, Ivan hadn't spared him a glance or a single word from start to finish. He walked toward the main entrance with steady, unhesitating steps. It was an attitude that, to Alexei, was more than enough to count as an order to follow.
