A Long Silence...
Victor slowly moves away.
Tears pool in his eyes,
But he says nothing.
Alia lies on one side of the bed, Victor on the other—
Two bodies close together,
But two hearts feel miles apart.
Night falls deep.
An odd stillness spreads through the room.
Victor lies silently on one side of the bed.
Alia faces away, eyes closed.
But neither of them can sleep.
Victor's eyes are heavy with regret.
Alia's heart echoes with turmoil—
I love him... but how do I trust him again?
After a long pause—
Alia slowly turns around.
Tears glisten in her eyes, lips trembling with something unspoken.
She quietly gazes at Victor's face.
Victor softly begins,
"Alia…"
But before he can finish the sentence—
Alia presses her lips to his.
A kiss.
Intense. Sudden.
Burning with both love and pain.
Victor is stunned at first.
Then he closes his eyes, letting himself dissolve into the kiss.
Alia's hair tangles in Victor's fingers.
That kiss contains three days of silence, hurt, longing, love—
Everything.
Finally, Alia slowly pulls away.
She exhales softly.
Tears shimmer in her eyes.
Alia (gently):
"I love you...
I couldn't erase that feeling, and I never will.
But trust…
That's something only you can bring back."
Victor silently nods.
On his lips remains only the memory of a kiss—
One that might just rebuild the foundation of broken trust.
☎️ Chapter: A Call from the Past
The night is nearly over.
A strange calm blankets the room after the kiss.
Victor lies beside Alia, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Her eyes are closed, but deep down, she knows—
This moment is temporary.
Then suddenly—
📱📞 The phone starts ringing.
On the screen appears a name:
"VIKI — UNKNOWN CALLER ID."
Alia's eyes snap open.
Her heart starts pounding.
She slowly picks up the phone.
Victor sits up beside her, alert.
Alia (whispers):
"Viki…"
Then she answers the call.
VIKI (voice cold, smooth):
"Hello, Alia.
Did you really think I disappeared?"
Anger starts to rise in Alia's voice.
"Why are you calling?"
A soft chuckle comes from the other side.
VIKI:
"Did you think everything would be fine now that you have Victor?
Your war isn't over, dear Alia.
It hasn't even begun."
Victor asks from beside her,
"Who was that?"
Alia turns away, and quietly says:
"Viki."
Victor immediately becomes alert.
A shadow of fear flashes in his eyes.
Viki's voice comes through again:
"I'm back, Alia.
And this time…
Your love, your family—everything will be settled with me."
📞 The call ends.
Alia slowly lowers the phone.
Her eyes now burn with fire.
Alia (through clenched teeth):
"You want war, Viki?
Then this time... I'm ready."
Victor steps forward and says:
"If we're going to stop him,
We fight together this time."
"And if I have to become a shadow—
I'll still stay by your side, Alia."
The Ambush — Враг не спит (The Enemy Never Sleeps)
Location: A secret industrial building in Moscow.
Alia is busy with an official project,
It's a quiet, late night.
She focuses on the computer screen.
A cup of coffee sits beside her.
Though a few security guards are around, the place feels oddly empty.
Then suddenly—
Someone swiftly approaches from behind.
A strong hand grabs Alia's wrist.
Before she can turn around—
Someone yanks her forcefully from behind.
That face… those eyes… that cold smirk—
VIKI.
His eyes glow with feral madness.
His lips curled in flaming confidence.
Viki (in Russian, in a low voice):
> "Ты думала, ты в безопасности, малышка?"
"You thought you were safe, little one?"
Alia freezes before she even understands.
She wants to pull away, but Viki's grip is strong.
Viki (whispers):
> "Я скучал по тебе, Алиа... слишком сильно."
"I missed you, Alia… far too much."
Shock and fire mix in Alia's eyes.
She tries to break free, struggling hard.
Alia (yelling):
"Let go of me, Viki!
This isn't romance—this is a crime!"
Viki smiles slightly and says:
> "Это не любовь... это предупреждение."
"This isn't love… this is a warning."
Then he leans close to her ear and murmurs:
> "Следи за спиной… потому что я всегда рядом."
"Watch your back… because I'm always close."
Alia shoves him away with all her strength.
Viki gives one last chilling smirk,
Then vanishes into the crowd—
Like a shadow, indistinct but dangerous.
Alia stands frozen, breath caught in her throat.
Her hands are trembling, but fire blazes in her eyes.
Alia (to herself):
**"You've come back, Viki?
Then this time—
I will become the shadow."
A month had passed.
Alia quietly tiptoed into another room.
As she entered, she suddenly froze—
a moment captured in a single frame.
A royal portrait.
Six people standing together.
Victor at the center, that familiar blue flame in his eyes.
His mother and father standing beside him.
And two more—
his elder brother Nikola,
and his younger brother Viki.
Alia stood still, silently watching.
And right next to them—herself.
Alia, dressed in a regal gown.
A smile on her lips, but in her eyes… a glimpse of the past.
Below the picture, the words were engraved:
"Royal Engagement Ceremony – Moscow."
Tears welled up in Alia's eyes.
How did it all come to this…
This family… this man… this version of me…
She turned her eyes away from the picture.
Another frame caught her attention—
her own family.
Her elder brother Ivan,
her younger sister Sofia,
and… herself—
Alia.
She looked at her own face.
An incomplete smile played on her lips.
But within that smile lived sorrow, regret, and the shadow of strength.
Slowly, she turned around.
And as she walked away, she whispered under her breath:
"And I will drag you back into the light… for the final game."
Then she pulled the door shut behind her.
And behind it, all the memories faded into silence.
The Final Fight, a Confession of Love, and a New Beginning"
In a dark room,
Alia and Viki stood face to face.
In their eyes—fire, resentment,
and a trace of a love too deep to be denied.
Exhausted, Alia's body leaned slightly toward Viki.
Viki gently held her hand.
In his eyes—sorrow, longing, and unspoken truth.
Then his voice broke the silence—soft and full of regret:
"Love you, Alia...
I made a mistake.
I chose the wrong path.
But I want to stay by your side.
I want to take care of your children.
I want to share all your pain."
Alia, with a sharp yet calm tone, replied—
"I already have maids.
But my heart isn't anyone's servant.
You cannot force your way into my life.
The control of my life will remain in my hands."
Viki smiled faintly, sighed, and said—
"I know… I know who stands by you now.
But still—I want to be here, Alia.
Without you, I am nothing.
I will change—
I want to become someone worthy of you."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then Alia looked up at him, her voice firm yet gentle:
"Love is not proven by words,
It is proven by action.
Prove it, Viki."
Viki nodded with solemn determination.
His eyes glinted with a promise.
⏳ Three Months Later
On a quiet evening—
Viki, Victor, and Alia
sat together, laughing, reminiscing.
Viki playfully pointed at Victor and said—
"You know what, Victor?
It's your bad habits that caused all this mess!"
Victor chuckled, hiding his smile—
"And you've always been the smarter one between us!"
Alia laughed softly.
Her eyes sparkled with peace.
Her heart overflowed with fulfillment.
Her three little ones rushed to her side, cuddling close.
Her elder daughter, Islama Zarin, wrapped her arms around her—
"Mama, how are you feeling today?"
Little Alia Ironova chimed in cheerfully—
"Did you like the party, Mama?"
Her sons, Alekseyevich Demidov and Stepanovich Petrov,
were playfully quarreling nearby.
Alia smiled at them with warmth and pride.
"These little flowers…
they are the greatest blessings of my life."
Viki, sitting beside her, added with pride—
"This peace, this laughter,
this strength of being together—
this is our true victory."
They all sat together—
embraced by love, serenity,
and the hope of a new dawn.
And in her heart, Alia whispered—
"I fought—for myself,
I fought—for us.
And I know—
no matter how hard the future may be,
together, we can overcome it all."
A dark room.
Alia is bound in chains. Silence all around, as if time has stopped.
Margareta slowly approaches. An injection in her hand.
Alia(in a trembling voice):
"Please... I'm not that Alia anymore... let me go."
Margareta:
"Oh? But I remember—you were fire. Now you are just a shadow."
She injects Alia's neck.
Aliyah's body shudders. Tears start to fall from her eyes.
Aliyah cries.
Margareta says in a cold voice—
"Shut up. Crying won't save you. If you want to be in my team, you have to forget weakness."
She ties a chain around Alia's neck. The metallic sound makes her throat feel heavy.
Then Margareta suddenly grips Alia's hair, pulling her close.
Hate and stubbornness in her eyes.
Margareta (in a cold voice):
"Did you think I forgot you?
No, Alia You can't escape. You are made by me."
Aliaglares, gritting her teeth. The tears stop, and blood-red anger flares in her eyes.
Aliyah (whispering):
"You made a mistake, Margareta.
You've woken me up again."Alia's body feels heavy, the cold metal of the chains encircling her neck.
Margareta slowly approaches her, unbuttoning her shirt.
But there is no desire here—
Only the arrogance of hatred, deception in the name of love, and the madness of possession.
Margareta (slowly, in a soft voice full of hatred):
"You think you are a mother now, a human being?
No, Alia.
You are just a boy slave, whom I created,
whom I will break again."
Alia looks up.
A mixture of pain, hatred, and resolve in her gaze.
Aliyah (silently, intensely):
"You can think whatever you want of me,
but I am no one's slave—and certainly not yours."
Margareta stops. The hateful smile suppressed on her face bursts forth in an instant.
Margareta:
"Let's see how long you can stand... within the shadows."
Alia is weak, tears in her eyes.
Her body is numb, her mind tries to awaken. Then Aliasays, "Ahhhhh, it hurts." Margareta laughs. "Shhhhhhh, I'm here." Then Aliacries and says, "Alia: I can't take it anymore." Then Margareta kisses Aliyah's neck and slowly moves closer, holding Alia's hand. Aliyah is crying, unable to breathe so heavily. Then Margareta holds Alias waist and she does it again.
Margareta puts a belt on alia s neck and pulls. "Ahhhhhhhh." Alia "I can't take it anymore." Margareta kisses Alia s neck. "Just bear a little pain."