CHAPTER SEVEN : Baranov Mansion The car was silent except for Isa's breathing. Her hands would not stop shaking. She stared at the city lights through the window but saw nothing. Her ears still rang with the gunshots from the club. The smell of spilled drink and gunpowder clung to her hair.
Ivan sat across from her. His face was cut from stone. He said nothing for a long time. Only when the car slowed did he lean forward.
" It doesn't matter if there was an unforeseen circumstance, You failed," he said in a flat voice. "and he does not forgive failure."
Isa's stomach turned. She hugged herself tighter.
"I didn't..." she began, but stopped. There was no excuse. The man had lived. The glass had smashed to the floor. Everything had gone wrong.
Ivan's cold eyes stayed on her. "When we arrive, you speak only if he speaks to you. Do you understand?"
She nodded quickly. "Yes… I understand."
The car rolled through a tall iron gate. Dogs barked somewhere in the dark. Armed men stood at the entrance. Their faces were hard. They didn't look at her, but she felt their eyes anyway.
The mansion rose out of the night like a fortress. Dark windows. Heavy doors. Isa's heart beat so loud she thought they could all hear it.
Ivan opened the door and she stepped out. The air was colder here. She pulled her coat tight. He led her across a stone yard and up the steps. Two more men in black opened the door.
Inside smelled of smoke and leather. The hall was wide, lined with dark wood. Weapons hung on the walls. Low voices spoke Russian somewhere deeper in the house. Isa kept her eyes down and followed Ivan's steps.
They stopped at a tall door. Ivan knocked once and opened it.
Viktor sat behind a heavy desk. He didn't look up at first. He poured a drink, took a slow sip, and then raised his eyes.
"Leave us," he said.
Ivan bowed his head once and closed the door behind Isa. She was alone.
She stood still. She couldn't feel her hands.
Viktor put the glass down and stood. He walked around the desk and came closer. His shoes were the only sound in the room. He stopped a few feet from her.
"You failed," he said quietly.
Isa flinched. "I tried..."
He held up a hand and she stopped talking.
"I gave you one task. One drink. One chance. And you failed."
She stared at the floor. Her voice was small. "Please… don't kill me. I'll do better. I'll..."
He said nothing. He just watched her. The silence stretched.
She risked a glance up at his face. It was unreadable. His eyes were dark and steady. She thought of the alley. She thought of the gun. Her knees almost gave way.
Finally he spoke. "Do you know who I am?"
She blinked. "You're… Viktor."
A faint smile touched his mouth, but it wasn't kind. "I am Viktor Baranov. Leader of the Baranov Family. Every street you walked today, every club you passed, every port, every gun, they belong to me. I do not forgive. And I certainly do not forget."
The words hit her like ice water. She had known he was dangerous, but not this. This was the man people whispered about and never named.
He stepped closer until she could smell his cologne. "I have no use for failures," he said.
Her breath caught. "Please…"
He tilted his head slightly, watching her like a predator watching a cornered animal. Then, slowly, he spoke again.
"But there is one thing I lack."
Isa frowned, confused. "What?"
He said it like a simple fact. "A wife."
The word filled the room like a gunshot. Isa's heart stopped. She thought she had misheard.
"A… wife?" Her voice cracked.
"Yes." He poured himself another drink, calm as ever. "I built an empire. I've crushed my rivals. I took every piece I wanted. But I have no one standing at my side. People watch. People judge. They ask questions. I need an answer they can see."
Isa took a step back. "No… no, I can't possibly… you can't—"
He looked up at her. "I can."
She shook her head, trembling. "I'm not… I'm just a secretary. I don't belong here. I can't be...."
He walked toward her. Each step was slow but heavy. She backed up until her legs hit the chair and she sat down without meaning to.
"You have already stepped into my world," he said quietly. "There is no going back. You tried to play by ear. Now you will play by my rules."
Tears burned her eyes but she forced herself to look at him. "Why me?" she whispered.
He shrugged. " a Nobody knows you. Nobody will suspect. And now, because you failed, you owe me your life. This is the only way you keep it."
She stared at him, her mind racing. Marriage? To him? To the man everyone feared?
He leaned down, close enough that his breath touched her cheek. "Think carefully, Isa. Say yes, and you live under my name. Say no, and you disappear tonight. There is no third path."
Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. She thought of the alley. She thought of Anastasia. She thought of the cold sea.
He straightened and waited. The room was silent except for her shaky breaths.
At last she whispered, "I… I don't know what to say."
"Say nothing," he replied. "You have until morning."
He turned his back on her and walked to the door. Ivan was already waiting outside.
"Take her to the guest room," Viktor said without looking back. "She stays locked, No one sees her until I decide."
Isa's legs felt like paper when she stood. Ivan's hand closed on her arm, not hard but firm. He led her down another long hall lined with closed doors.
They stopped at a small room. Ivan pushed the door open and let her in.
She turned to him, desperate. "What is happening to me?"
Ivan's face stayed blank. "He told you. You have until morning, and I advise you to say yes to whatever he said to you"
The door shut and the lock clicked.
Isa stood alone in the dark room. She pressed her back to the wall. She wanted to scream but no sound came out. She slid down to the floor and hugged her knees.
In the silence she could still hear Viktor's voice. Say yes and you live. Say no and you disappear.
She closed her eyes. Her heart beat like a drum. Morning felt like a lifetime away.