Sophia knew this was the moment she had risked her life for. She looked into Dimitri's eyes and gave a fleeting, mysterious smile—one that held an invitation, but at its core, venom.
With measured steps, she ascended the stairs to the VIP balcony. Each movement made her red sheer dress sway regally. Dimitri had already poured expensive vodka into two crystal glasses, waiting.
As Sophia reached him, Dimitri extended one glass toward her. When their glasses touched, a soft clink resonated. Dimitri's blue eyes scanned her completely, and in a low, husky voice, he murmured:
"I've never seen a fiery volcano like you in the Moscow cold. These golden eyes… are they real?"
Sophia pretended to sip from her glass, stepping closer to him. The scent of his expensive cologne mixed with tobacco reached her nose. In a soft, seductive tone, she replied,
"Many things in Moscow are fake, Dimitri… but this fire in my eyes is real. It burns only for those who deserve it."
Dimitri smiled, but his gaze was as sharp and vigilant as a hunting predator. He moved his hand toward her lower waist, pulling her slightly closer. Sophia's heartbeat stopped for a moment—the cold touch of his hand on her exposed back sent a shiver through her. Memories of Ricky slammed into her mind, but she regained control.
Dimitri tilted his glass against hers again and said,
"So… could I be that special person? Or are you here on another mission, Maya?"
Sophia knew he was testing her. Cleverly, she responded,
"When a beautiful woman stands before a powerful man like Dimitri, there is only one intention—to conquer him. Are you willing to be conquered?"
Dimitri suddenly leaned toward her neck. Was he smelling her, or checking her pulse? Sophia thought of the small dagger hidden beneath her dress. In this very moment, she could drive it into Dimitri's throat if she wanted.
At Sophia's question, Dimitri paused. He lightly touched Maya's chin, a strange elegance playing in his blue eyes. The club music had slightly slowed down.
In a low voice, he said,
"Every brick in Moscow knows my name. But hearing it from your lips wouldn't be unpleasant."
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered,
"Dimitri Ivanov. Some call me 'The Zar,' others call me 'Death.' But tonight… you may call me just Dimitri."
Maya's lips curved into a bewitching smile. She stepped closer, adjusting his suit collar slightly, and said,
"Dimitri… your name is as deep as your eyes. But a man like you… does he trust easily? Or are there blood-stained stories hidden behind that name?"
Dimitri tightened his hand on her waist. He stared into her golden eyes and said,
"Trust? That word isn't in my dictionary. But beauty… beauty makes me slightly weak. Especially when it's dangerously enticing."
Maya understood he was suspicious but she wouldn't back down. She clinked her glass lightly against his again and said,
"Dangerous things are the most attractive, aren't they?"
At that moment, a signal arrived through Dimitri's Bluetooth earpiece. His expression hardened immediately. He released Maya's hand and signaled to a bodyguard.
"I have urgent business, Maya. But I won't let you leave. Wait in my private lounge. I want to see just how dangerous you can be."
Once Dimitri left, Maya exhaled a momentary sigh of relief—but it didn't last long. As she moved to sit on a luxurious sofa in the lounge, the sharp click of high heels came from behind.
She turned cautiously and saw a tall Russian woman approaching. Clad in tight black leather, her hair perfectly tied back, there was no elegance in her gaze—only icy hatred.
The woman stopped in front of Maya, sneering at her red sheer dress.
"The dress is pretty… but Moscow nights are far crueler than this thin fabric, Maya."
Maya was unfazed, maintaining her golden gaze.
"Thank you. But how do you know my name?"
The woman circled her, as if assessing prey. Then, in a low, venomous voice, she said,
"I am Natasha, Dimitri's right hand. I know everything that moves around him, especially when a foreign girl suddenly tries to win his favor."
Leaning close to Maya's ear, she hissed,
"I don't know who you are, but I smell gunpowder and blood from your body. You're no ordinary mafia girl. What do you want from Dimitri?"
Maya knew Natasha was suspicious. She didn't flinch but smiled subtly and said,
"Gunpowder and blood? Maybe I'm the fire that will burn your master, Natasha. Are you jealous, or scared that my thin dress could steal years of your loyalty?"
Natasha's eyes flared with rage. She grabbed Maya near the neck with her leather gloves. At that moment, Maya recalled Ricky's last moments—swiftly twisting Natasha's wrist, she grabbed her and blocked her move.
In a cold voice, Maya said,
"Do not touch me, Natasha. I am Dimitri's guest, not his prisoner."
The tension between Natasha and Maya reached its peak. Natasha withdrew her hand, stepping back, a cruel smile on her lips.
"Let's see how strong your training really is!" she hissed, launching a high kick at Maya's face.
Maya bent just in time to dodge. Though her red sheer dress was slightly cumbersome, her DGFI training allowed her to fight under any circumstance. Natasha attacked again, aiming a punch at Maya's stomach. Maya blocked it with both hands and countered with a sharp strike to Natasha's jaw.
A brutal fight erupted among the luxurious furniture of the lounge. Natasha pushed Maya against a wall by grabbing her dress strap. Maya recoiled from the pain but didn't give up. She grabbed Natasha's hair and slammed her onto a sofa.
Natasha rose quickly, picking up a broken champagne bottle as a weapon. Maya, with fire in her golden eyes, kicked Natasha's stomach decisively. Natasha tumbled onto the shattered glass table, which shattered completely.
Maya pressed on top of Natasha, pinning her neck. Thoughts of Ricky's lifeless body flashed in her mind. Leaning close, she whispered,
"The Moscow snow may wash away blood, Natasha… tonight, it's your turn to bleed."
At that instant, the lounge door opened. Dimitri stood there, holding a revolver, his eyes icy with anger.
In a calm but commanding voice, he said,
"Stop! I don't like bloodshed among my guests in my palace."
Maya released Natasha, straightened her dress, and rose. Natasha wiped blood from her mouth, glaring at Dimitri,
"Boss, this girl is dangerous! She's no ordinary woman; her fight moves are like a trained agent."
Dimitri stepped closer to Maya. His blue eyes tried to pierce deep into her golden ones. He leaned in close enough for her to feel his breath.
He raised the revolver lightly against her chin and said,
"Natasha is not wrong. There's much hidden beneath that red dress of yours, isn't there, Maya?"
The cold metal of the revolver touched Maya's chin. Any ordinary woman would tremble or cry, but Maya, a trained Hidden Assassin, knew fear meant death.
Her golden eyes widened, staring into Dimitri's. Calm but mocking, she lightly brushed the revolver away.
"Does your right hand Natasha always give you such misinformation, Dimitri? Or is she so jealous of my beauty that she's trying to make me look like an agent?"
Dimitri furrowed his brow. Maya stepped even closer to his chest. Her red sheer dress brushed against his suit. As she adjusted his shirt collar, she said,
"The woman who risked her life to spend the night with you… and you show her a gun? Natasha attacked me because she's scared. She's scared that tonight, Dimitri Ivanov might forget his loyal bodyguard and drown in the spell of a mysterious beauty."
Maya glanced at Natasha with a subtle smile. Natasha was still fuming, but Dimitri seemed slightly calmed by Maya's words. Maya added,
"You don't need a gun to know whether I'm dangerous, Dimitri. Aren't my eyes enough?"
Dimitri paused for a few seconds, then laughed heartily. He holstered the revolver. Looking at Natasha, he said sternly,
"Enough, Natasha! You're jealous. If Maya were a mere agent, she could've ended you with that broken bottle. But she only defended herself."
Dimitri placed a hand on Maya's waist, pulling her closer. Whispering into her ear, he said,
"Your mind is sharper than your beauty. My drink glass is still full, Maya. Let me show you a place where Natasha or anyone else cannot disturb us."
Dimitri led Maya toward his private room. Maya glanced at Natasha from the corner of her eye and gave a victorious smile. But in her mind, she was preparing herself—the real mission was just beginning. The chip or documents Ricky died for could be hidden right in Dimitri's bedroom.