The clock struck 3:30 AM.
Inside the office, Edward sat—exhausted.His eyes were tired, his skin pale, as if his soul had decayed along with Maya's files.
He turned to a new page… "The Mother's Case."
Case: The murder of Larissa Korolov – Moscow, 18 years ago.Victim: The most beautiful woman in Russia. A woman who bewitched men with a single glance.Main suspect: Her daughter – Maya, 7 years old.
But something was off…The murder weapon was never found, and the fingerprints left behind didn't match anyone known.The case was closed swiftly, almost as if it never happened.
Edward stared at the mother's picture…Soft blonde hair, dazzling killer eyes, terrifying femininity.
He gave a faint smile and whispered:"I suppose that's where she got it from… That charm that swallows everything whole."
Then he looked away for a moment, as if something inside him broke—Right before his phone rang, and it was her voice.
"Hello, my beautiful one. Investigating again, aren't you?"
"You've reached something strange… right?"
"But believe me… no one ever dared to get too close to the truth."
"I just wanted to say… your beloved is cheating on you—with Mark."
She sighed softly.
"Abyss Hotel. Room 923."
📞 Call ended.
Edward froze.His lips parted, but no sound came out.Then he grabbed his phone, called Elena… no answer.
💣 In one single moment, he was no longer a detective.He was a betrayed man—owned by the one he hated.
He jumped into the car, turned the engine on like a madman,The road to The Abyss Hotel felt narrow, like it was choking him.
🚪 Seventh floor.
He stood in front of the door.
His hand trembled.
"923"
He opened the door slowly...
And there...On the bed...Elena — half-naked...Beside her, Mark.
Mark turned his head—gasped.
"Edward?!"
But Elena said nothing.She only covered herself with the sheet… and screamed:
"I'm sorry!!"
Edward didn't yell… didn't move…He just stepped out and gently closed the door,As if burying a coffin with no casket.
At that moment, the world didn't fall apart...But something inside him shattered—something that was never whole to begin with.
He walked down to the car with measured steps.
Sat behind the wheel. Lit a cigarette.Stared ahead for a long time.
Then he whispered—calmly, yet with a voice that could make steel cry:
"Is she really the problem…?
Is Maya the danger…?
Or was I the one who opened this door…?
Or did I simply fall into the trap she warned me about?"