As Viktor led Alia away, tears streamed down her face. Though she was held firmly in Viktor's embrace, her mind remained in that corner of the ballroom. Before they left, Alia turned back to look at Anashia one last time and declared in a harsh, resolute voice, "From this day on, our relationship is over, Anashia. There is no longer any place for you in my life."
Anashia stood stunned by this final declaration. Watching Alia leave with Viktor left her feeling hollow and utterly broken. In a trembling, shattered voice, she whispered, "Alia, please, don't say that! You don't understand why I did what I did. This wedding... it isn't an ordinary marriage; there is a great danger lurking behind it, one I was trying to protect you from."
But there was no one left to hear her pleas. As Alia disappeared down the hotel corridor with Viktor, Anashia realized this was her final verdict. She understood that the person she held most dear was now lost to her, trapped in a web of misunderstandings and a situation that had spiraled beyond her control.As Viktor led Alia into his luxury car, she remained inconsolable, her face turned toward the window as she sobbed. Viktor started the engine, a dark, demonic smirk creeping across his face.
In the shadows of the car, he thought to himself, "Alia, you believe you know your own soul, but how much of it is truly yours? Today, I have severed your ties to the past forever. Anashia's pleas and your tears they are all just pieces of the script I have written. You have no idea who you are truly sitting beside the Alia you think you are is nothing but a puppet, existing solely to serve the blueprints of my dark empire."
He cast a sidelong glance at her. The demonic satisfaction within him grew stronger. He knew that the "danger" Anashia had tried to warn her about was none other than himself. He had consumed Alia's entire identity, leaving her completely under his thumb.
He continued his internal monologue, "You believe you are free tonight, but you are more shackled to me than ever. Your emotions, your rage, your hatred I needed all of them to cement my total control over you. From this moment on, every beat of your heart will belong to me."
He accelerated the car, his face appearing even more sinister under the neon lights of Seoul. To him, her sobbing was nothing more than the sweet symphony of his absolute victory. The interior of the car was silent, save for the neon lights of the city flickering across Alia's sorrowful face. Viktor slowed the car, turning his gaze toward her. The demonic glint in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deep, mesmerizing tenderness the look of a lover comforting his queen.
He gently took her hand in his and whispered in Russian, his voice velvety and soft:
"Успокойся, моя королева. Теперь ты принадлежишь только мне, и этот мир никогда больше не причинит тебе боли. Твои слезы это единственное, что может разрушить мою решимость, но они лишь доказывают, что ты теперь полностью моя."
"Calm down, my queen. Now you belong only to me, and this world will never cause you pain again. Your tears are the only thing that can break my resolve, but they only prove that you are now completely mine."
Viktor's voice held a strange, hypnotic power. As he spoke, Alia looked up, her eyes still brimming with tears, captivated by the deep resonance of his Russian words. Viktor knew that this language had a profound hold over her as if, through it, she was finding release from all her pain, seeking shelter in the very darkness he had created. She rested her head against his hand and closed her eyes, appearing like a defiant queen finally yielding to her king. Alia's sobbing only intensified. The hypnotic lure of Viktor's Russian words and the warmth of his proximity only made her feel more frantic. With a sudden, sharp motion, she pulled her hand away from his. Tears streamed down her face, and her entire body trembled with a mixture of rage, trauma, and humiliation.
She sobbed, "You... you are a monster, Viktor! I finally see the darkness hidden behind your sweet words. You have destroyed me! You've taken everything you've alienated my friends, and now you've trapped me in a cage from which there is no escape."
She turned her face toward the window, shouting, "Why won't you let me have peace? Why can't you just let me be? You don't love me, Viktor you just want to possess me. You call this love? It's nothing but obsession, you animal!"
Viktor pulled the car over to the side of the road. The engine cut out, and the silence that filled the vehicle was heavy and suffocating. Viktor turned slowly toward Alia. His expression remained unnervingly calm a cold, calculated smile that sent a shiver of pure terror down her spine. He offered no protest; instead, he replied in a voice so smooth and terrifyingly steady that it felt like a death sentence:
"Да, я зверь. Но для тебя, моя дорогая, я единственный, кто готов разорвать этот мир на куски. Ты называешь это владением, я называю это защитой. Пойми, Алиа, пока ты со мной, ты в безопасности. Но если ты попытаешься уйти... вот тогда ты узнаешь, что такое настоящий зверь."
("Yes, I am a beast. But for you, my dear, I am the only one willing to tear this world to pieces. You call it possession; I call it protection. Understand this, Alia: as long as you are with me, you are safe. But if you ever try to leave... that is when you will truly discover what a beast is.")
Viktor's hand moved slowly, coming to rest firmly against the back of her neck. His touch made Alia feel utterly helpless. Her accusation of him being a "monster" had not triggered an ounce of mercy; rather, it had only fueled his overwhelming sense of entitlement and ownership over her.Viktor's touch lingered at the nape of her neck. With a swift, possessive motion, he pulled Alia closer and pressed a deep, lingering kiss against her skin. Each breath he took against her neck felt like a searing burn. Underneath this cruel display of affection lay the unmistakable hint of his sinister intentions.
He leaned in close, whispering against her ear, "You look even more beautiful when you cry, my queen. But there is no time left for tears. Our real game has only just begun."
He released her and sat upright, starting the engine. His voice carried a tone of terrifying, demonic excitement. Without looking at her, he said in a low, gravelly voice, "Let's go home. Tonight is going to be a very long one. There is so much left to settleso many accounts to balance, so many new games to play. Tonight, I will show you what it truly means when I say I am a 'beast.' Tonight, we are going to have some fun."
The speed of the car surged instantly. Viktor's words sent a jolt of pure terror through Alia. She knew that Viktor's definition of "fun" was far from ordinary it was the beginning of a dark chapter, the conclusion of which was known only to him. Alia curled into the seat, trying to shield her very existence from the cruel, encroaching darkness that was Viktor. At the stroke of midnight, Viktor lifted Alia effortlessly into his arms. Her body trembled at his touch, a deep blush rising to her cheeks, betraying her overwhelming shyness. Viktor leaned down, pressing a lingering, possessive kiss against the soft skin of her neck.
Alia's breathing quickened as Viktor carried her to the bed and laid her down with practiced grace. His lips traced a path downward, lingering against the skin of her chest, making Alia feel utterly vulnerable and surrendered to his will. A faint, satisfied smile played on Viktor's lips.
He leaned in for a deep, searing kiss, his hands moving with an urgent, commanding need to pull her closer. His hand came to rest firmly on her thigh, grounding her while heightening the tension between them.
This moment was more than just a physical encounter; it was the ultimate realization of Viktor's claim over her
a moment where all of Alia's shame, fear, and defiance dissolved under the weight of his overwhelming intensity. Alia looked into Viktor's eyes with a shy, hesitant gaze and whispered, "Viktor, please... don't do this, I feel so shy."
Viktor smiled gently as he leaned closer, his eyes filled with a strange indulgence. He asked calmly, "Why, Alia? You are mine now."
Slowly, Viktor unbuttoned his shirt. Then, he lifted Alia into his arms as effortlessly as one would a child. Alia remained stiff, leaning her head against his chest, and murmured hesitantly, "No... I won't do this."
Viktor paused, hearing her plea. Beneath his harsh persona, a flicker of tenderness emerged. Pulling her even closer, he said in a soothing voice, "Alright, Alia. As you wish."
He didn't force her. Instead, he cradled her in his arms and lay back on the bed. In the dead of the night, wrapped in the safety of Viktor's powerful embrace, Alia slowly drifted into a deep sleep, while Viktor held her close, watching over her in the silence of the night. In the silence of the deep night, stroking Alia's hair, Viktor began to hum a lullaby in Russian, his voice a deep, calming rumble. He whispered:
"Спи, моя маленькая, спи. Твой покой в моих руках, и никакие тени прошлого больше не коснутся тебя. Пусть ночь укроет тебя, пока я охраняю твой сон."
("Sleep, my little one, sleep. Your peace is in my hands, and no shadows of the past will touch you anymore. Let the night cover you while I guard your sleep.")
Hearing Viktor's tender tone and his Russian, a faint smile suddenly appeared on Alia's lips. Seeing that subtle smile, Viktor paused for a moment. He touched her forehead, asking in surprise, "What is it, Alia? Why are you smiling?"
Alia looked into Viktor's eyes and smiled gently, as if all her fear and anger had melted away behind that smile. A strange shiver ran through Viktor he had been trying to soothe Alia, yet her smile seemed to have captured him all over again.