From Abandoned Wife to Ruthless Queen

My real daughter will be returning next month. Mrs. Thorns voice came through the phonecalm, clipped, and utterly emotionless. Until that day arrives, you will continue acting as her. Dont make a single mistake. Once everything is resolved, Ill transfer one hundred million to you. That should buy you a lifetime of comfort.

I understand.

The call ended, and silence swallowed the room. My gaze lifted on its own, settling on the enormous wedding portrait mounted above the fireplace.

Viktor Volkov stood beside me in a tailored black suit, posture straight, gaze distant. He looked every bit the man the world fearedcontrolled, unreadable, lethal beneath the polish. And me? I was draped in a white wedding gown I had never chosen, wearing a smile rehearsed so many times it no longer belonged to me. I looked compliant. Decorative. Replaceable.

So this is it, I murmured to myself. Six years and its finally reaching the end.

Six years earlier, the marriage between the Thorn and Volkov families had shaken society pages and political circles alike. Isadora Thorntheir prized daughterwas meant to become Viktor Volkovs wife. She was born into privilege, raised with precision, molded to stand beside power. A flawless aristocrat. The union promised influence, wealth, and a legacy carved in stone.

Then, just days before the ceremony, Isadora disappeared.

She left behind nothing but a letter.

Mom. Dad. I know this marriage is expected of me, but I cant go through with it. Ill come back after six years. Please let me have this chance to live freely.

And just like that, she was gone.

The Thorns found me the same daywhile I was scavenging through discarded bottles and scrap metal to sell for spare cash. Their car screeched to a stop so close I nearly fell backward.

Because I looked like her.

The same face. The same frame. Similar hair. Even my voice could pass for hers if I softened the edges. That was all they needed. They took me away without ceremony. I wasnt their childjust a nobody scraping by with a sick grandmother who couldnt survive another hospital bill.

They offered me a bargain.

Wear the gown. Stand at the altar. Sign the papers. Say nothing. Live as Isadora Thorn for six years.

In return, I would receive a fortune beyond imagination. Enough to keep my grandmother alive. Enough to ensure I would never again kneel before poverty.

I still remember what Mrs. Thorn said the night before the wedding.

He has never loved Isadora, she told me flatly. His heart belongs to another girlan orphan his family once supported. A student named Evelyn. Life in that household wont bring you happiness. But if you keep your head down and endure six years, it will end. Be obedient. Stay alive. Do this for everyone.

So I did.

I behaved exactly as expected.

Because I knew very well who Viktor Volkov was.

To the public, he was a humanitarian, a corporate visionary, a man shaping the future. But beneath that image, there was another name whispered in fearthe Butcher of Saint-Lorenz. The man responsible for erasing six powerful families in a single winter. A ruler who signed deals with blood and owned every courtroom that dared to judge him.

And Evelyn?

She was the shadow that followed him everywhere.

An orphan his family had once sponsored. The woman he loved. The one he wanted to keepbut couldnt. She chose freedom instead. She left for London and never looked back, leaving wounds no one else could see.

So the Volkovs gave him Isadora.

And when Isadora ran away, they handed him me.

Life after the wedding was nothing like the fairy tale people imagined.

The mansion was breathtakingand lifeless. Beautiful halls filled with silence.

His study was worse. Every surface held reminders of her. Evelyn smiling. Evelyn by the sea. Evelyn wrapped in winter coats.

He claimed his trips to London were for business. I knew exactly who he was chasing.

I slept alone, in a guest room at the far end of the corridor. The window rattled all night, and the heater barely worked. I had never set foot in the master bedroomnot even on the night we married.

He rarely looked at me. Only when necessary. Still, I stayed.

I shut myself down inch by inch. He preferred quiet, so I learned not to speak. He came home after midnight, so I waited awake. He had stomach issues, so I taught myself to cook bland mealsginger porridge, no onions, no seasoning.

I folded myself into whatever shape allowed me to exist beside him.

I wore Isadoras name like a shield. I memorized her history until my own past blurred into nothing.

Thenslowlythings shifted.

Whispers circulated. Rumors spread. People said Mr. Volkov had grown fond of his wife.

Of me.

He stopped flying to London.

Evelyns photo disappeared from his desk.

He remembered my birthday.

When I fell ill, he came home early.

Once, during dinner, he smiled at me.

Just oncebut it was enough to make me believe.

For a brief, foolish moment, I thought I mattered. That I had stepped out of Isadoras shadow. That maybe I had become someone worth choosing.

Then Evelyn returned.

And I vanished again.

He stayed out for days.

Her pictures filled the study once more.

I walked past the hallway and heard him whisper her name as if it were a prayer.

People began to sneer behind my back. A counterfeit wife. A placeholder. A joke foolish enough to fall for a man who never truly saw her.

I didnt protest. I didnt shed tears.

Just one month left. Thirty days. One final stretch of pretending to be a woman I had never met. One more month of playing spouse to a man who would scorch the earth for another womans smile.

I was just beginning to smile at the thought when my phone vibrated.

Viktor.

I drew in a steady breath and answered. Yes?

The Hexagon Club, he said coldly. Bring everything Evelyn asked for.

His tone was sharp, impatient, unforgiving.

Immediately.

The line went deadbut I already knew what he meant.

Evelyns cycle. Naturally. He never once remembered mine. Hers, though? I wouldnt be surprised if it was circled neatly on his schedule, highlighted and color-coded.

I headed straight for his private library without a second thought. Third drawer from the rightexactly where he always kept her things. Imported pain relievers. Unscented organic pads. Bottles of herbal mixtures. Once, he had torn into a maid for moving them even an inch out of place.

I didnt pause.

I gathered everything she could possibly need, threw on a coat, and went straight down to the garage. His motorcycle was still thereblack, heavy, vicious-looking. Even before I started it, the engine seemed to growl. It was the quickest way to reach the Hexagon Club. If I left immediately, I could make it in twenty-five minutes.

The rain began halfway through the ride.

Not a drizzle. A downpour. Violent, blinding sheets that slammed into the road like shards of glass. The asphalt turned slick and reflective, lights stretching into distorted streaks. I could barely see ten meters ahead.

Then it happened.

Headlights veered suddenly into my lane.

A drunk driverreckless, fast, out of controlmissed me by inches. My heart lurched violently as the bike fishtailed across the road. I wrestled with the handlebars, my body nearly thrown free, somehow forcing the machine back under control at the last second.

I didnt pull over.

I didnt even ease up on the throttle.

By the time I arrived at the clubs private entrance, my legs were trembling uncontrollably. I was drenched through, aching, freezing to the boneand two minutes late.

I lifted my hand to knock.

Then I stopped.

Soft laughter drifted through the door.

Her laughter.

Boss, seriously? someone said with amusement. You really made your wife deliver all this in weather like that? From the house to here is, whatalmost an hour?

Evelyns not feeling well, Viktor replied flatly. Shell come.

Another laugh followed. Everyone knows your wifes obsessed with you. Six years and shes never once complained. Not even when you were out all night with someone else.

Someone else chimed in, half-teasing, half-curious. But honestly, Boss shes gorgeous. You really never felt anything for her?

Silence fell.

No one spoke.

I stood there, soaked to the skin, shaking, my heartbeat pounding so loudly it filled my ears.

Then his voice cut through everything.

No matter if its her or Evelyn, he said calmly, without hesitation. Ill always pick Evelyn.

I stayed outside until the laughter faded, until the moment felt distant enough to breathe. Then I knocked.

When I entered the private room, every gaze turned toward mesome startled, some amused, some openly assessing. I must have looked miserable, hair plastered to my face, clothes clinging unflatteringly, but I walked in anyway. Straight-backed. Composed.

Damn, youre punctual!

Isadora, youre drenched, Viktor said, standing from the couch with a scowl. What the hell happened to you?

I held out the small bundle in my hands. Somehow, it was still dry. I didnt want to keep you waiting, so I took your bike.

I didnt mention the near crash. He wouldnt have believed me. Or cared.

Something flickered across his face. He shrugged off his jacket and placed it over my shoulders. Wear that.

Then, gesturing toward the package, he added, Take it to the womens restroom. Evelyns there.

I nodded.

Of course I did.

Silent. Compliant. Just like always.

When I knocked on the bathroom door, her voice answeredsoft, weak, trembling in that fragile way she perfected.

Whos there?

I brought what you need.

There was a pause. Then the door opened just enough for a hand to reach out. I passed the bag through the narrow gap. She never once looked at me.

I went home after that. Changed out of my soaked clothes. Let hot water burn against my skin in the shower until my body stopped shaking. I had just drifted toward sleep when

BANG.

The bedroom door slammed open.

Viktor stormed in, fury radiating from him, sharp and suffocating. He didnt say a word. He simply seized my wrist and dragged me out of bed.

GET UP.

W-What is it? I gasped, stumbling as he pulled me down the hall. Viktorwhere are you taking me

I never finished.

He shoved me without warning.

I fell backward down the stairs. My head struck the edge of a step, pain exploding as my body tumbled helplessly. Warm blood filled my mouth.

When I finally landed at the bottom, the world spun violently. A shrill ringing filled my ears. My skull throbbed like it might split open.

I tried to push myself up, vision blurred. Why why are you doing this to me?

He stood at the top of the staircase, looking down at me. Did you shove Evelyn?

My thoughts stalled. W-what are you talking about?

Dont pretend, he snapped, descending slowly, each step deliberate. Youve been acting like the perfect wife all these years just to fool me. You think I wouldnt see through that?

I didnt

Didnt what? he cut in sharply. Did you think I finally fell in love with you? He grabbed my chin, forcing my head up. You were never anything but a replacement. A tool in a deal between two families. I dont care what fantasies you clung to. His voice dropped, cold and final. I will never love you. Not now. Not ever.

Blood slid down my temple as I stared at him. And for a fleeting second I almost laughed.

He had it all wrong.

I never wanted his love. I never asked for it.

Before I could say a word, he hauled me to my feet by my arm.

Get in the car.

Viktor, pleasewait

Evelyn fell from the goddamn fifth floor because of you, he snarled. And youre standing there crying over a little knock to your head? Youre going to the hospital. Youre going to say sorry. And youre going to get on your knees if you have to and beg her to forgive you.

My legs were barely holding me upright from the pain, but he didnt even glance at them. He shoved me forward and slammed me into the passenger seat like I weighed nothing.

The entire drive, I pressed my forehead against the cold window, screaming silently as waves of pain tore through my body. Every bump felt like it was splitting me apart. It honestly felt as though I might fall to pieces before we even arrived.

When we reached the hospital, Viktor didnt slow down for me. He strode ahead, bursting into the room like he owned the building.

Evelyn lay propped against crisp white pillows, skin pale, eyes glassy. Thick bandages wrapped around her wrists, displayed so deliberately they might as well have been decorations. The moment she noticed me, her eyes widened in perfectly timed fear.

Bitch.

Benny she whispered weakly, her voice trembling. II dont want her near me. Please Im scared of her.

Viktor crossed the room in three steps. He sat beside her, took her hand gently, like she was something precious and breakable. Hey. Its alright. Im here. No ones going to hurt you.

Then he turned toward me.

His gaze froze solid.

Well? he demanded. What are you standing there for? APOLOGIZE.

I looked at Evelyn. At the frightened little act. At the white bandages. At Viktor holding her like a wounded angel.

Then I asked quietly, Did I really push you?

Evelyns lashes trembled. Tears spilled instantly. Mrs. Thorn she sobbed softly. If you dont want to apologize, its fine. I never wanted to create trouble for you. Her voice shook delicately as she wiped her eyes. I know Viktor has been spending more time with me lately, she continued gently. Anyone would feel hurt. But you and him your marriage is only business. There was never love. If my background hadnt been what it was, he wouldnt have needed to marry anyone else.

The longer she spoke, the weaker she sounded. The more pitiful her tears became, the darker Viktors expression grew.

Then his voice cracked sharply through the room. Isadora. I told you to apologize, not stir shit. His stare cut straight through me. Are you going to do it, or are you testing my patience?

I stared at Evelynat her flawless performance, those wide eyes shining like cracked porcelain.

I knew she was lying.

I knew she hadnt been pushed.

But I also knew this: if I didnt cooperate, if I caused even the smallest problem between the Thorns and the Volkovs, my escape would vanish. The hundred million Mrs. Thorn promised would disappear. I would be trappedthis marriage, this cageforever.

So I swallowed everything.

Im sorry, I said calmly. It was my fault.

I turned to leave.

Not so fast. Viktors voice was colder than steel. You pushed her. You owned it. So youre staying. His eyes were merciless. Youll take care of her until shes discharged.

I didnt protest. My fingers curled slightly at my sidebut I nodded.

Alright.

---

After that, I stayed in the hospital.

Every single day, I attended to Evelyn. I helped her change clothes, brought her meals, fluffed pillows, adjusted blanketslike some mindless service machine. I brushed her hair. Smoothed the sheets. Anticipated her needs before she even spoke.

And Viktor stayed too.

Of course he did.

He ignored cartel matters. Let calls from his men go unanswered. The entire Volkov operation could have collapsed overnight and he wouldnt have noticed, because Evelyn had a bruised rib and a sprained wrist.

He fed her spoonfuls of porridge. Dabbed her lips with a napkin. Sat beside her bed until she drifted off to sleep.

He had never done any of that for me.

One morning, Viktors phone rang. I only caught fragmentsEuropean investors problem with Dubai half an hour. He kissed Evelyns forehead apologetically and stepped out.

The moment the door clicked shut, the atmosphere shifted.

Evelyn glanced at the clock, waited a full ten seconds, then slowly turned to me with a lazy, mocking smile.

Peel the orange, slave, she said lightly. And dont bruise it this time.

I peeled the orange.

Then she lifted the glass of orange juice and threw it straight at my face.

It splashed loudly against me, soaking my shirt.

Oh dear, she said sweetly. My hand slipped.

I clenched my teeth.

Clean it up, Cinderella, she added casually. Before Viktor comes back and sees what a disaster you look like.

Right on cue, the door opened.

Viktor walked in, expression unreadable. His eyes moved from Evelyn to me.

The spilled juice. My soaked clothes. The shattered glass.

Evelyn? he asked, frowning slightly. What happened here?

Her eyes filled instantly. Im sorry, Benny, she said softly. My hand slipped. I didnt mean to Her voice broke.

Viktor sighed. You dont need to apologize for her, Evelyn. He looked at me coldly. Shes here to serve you. Cleaning up after you is her responsibility.

The silence that followed was deafening.

My heart should have shattered then.

But it didnt.

Because there was nothing left to breakit had already turned to ash.

Before long, even the hospital staff began to notice.

One afternoon, while I was in the small pantry rinsing fruit for Evelyn, two nurses stood nearby, their voices lowered but not enough.

Oh my god thats his wife? For real?

Yeah. Theyve been married for years, apparently. But its obvious hes in love with the other woman.

The younger nurse peeked toward the ward. Shes so composed. I dont get how she does it.

The older one let out a quiet sigh, the kind people make when theyre watching something painful they cant stop. You dont understand. Thats love.

Huh?

Shes caring for the woman her husband loves. Not because she has to. Not because of pride. But because somewhere inside, she still hopes hell turn around and see her. Even once. Her voice softened. That kind of love doesnt scream. It just bleeds quietly. And its the most tragic kind there is.

Outside the pantry, I heard footsteps slow near the nurses station.

Viktor.

I didnt look back. I didnt need to. I could feel his eyes on me like a weight pressed between my shoulders.

---

The day Evelyn was discharged, Viktor came home only briefly. He tossed his keys onto the counter and looked at me like I was something spoiled.

Im taking Evelyn out of town for a while, he said bluntly. Dont contact me unless someones dead.

I nodded. Alright.

He never waited for a response.

I watched from the doorway as he helped her into the car, his palm resting lightly at her lower back, his coat settling over her shoulders. The door shut, the engine started, and soon the car vanished down the roadtaking their laughter with it.

The house fell silent.

The next morning, I began packing.

I folded my clothes carefully, one piece at a time. No rush. No tears. My hands didnt shake. My chest felt oddly still, like something inside me had finally gone quiet.

Then my phone lit up.

Evelyn.

My body stiffened.

And then the photos came.

Not just a few. Dozens.

They flooded my screen one after anothercarefully chosen, deliberately cruel.

Evelyn sitting on Viktors lap at a vineyard in Tuscany, laughing as he kissed the side of her neck.

Evelyn tangled in white silk sheets, her back arched, one of his shirts draped loosely over her bare legs.

Evelyn standing before a mirror, Viktors arm wrapped around her waist as they took a photo togetherhis phone in one hand, hers in the other.

Evelyn holding his hand as he fastened a bracelet around her wrist.

My bracelet.

The one Mrs. Volkov had given me.

The final image was a close-up: her lips pressed against his bare chest.

Underneath it, soft pink text appeared like a knife dressed in ribbons:

See, Isadora? On paper, he may be your husband but never in bed. Youre such a pathetic parasite.

My thumb hovered over the screen.

I didnt delete anything.

I simply let the images remain and smileda thin, bitter curve of the lips.

---

Then came the birthday banquet for the Volkov patriarch.

Viktor didnt return. He didnt even bother to send a word.

So I went alone.

I wore a simple black dresshigh neckline, long sleeves. Enough coverage to hide bruises beneath layers of makeup and whispered prayers. I pulled my hair into a tight low bun and walked in as if I belonged there.

The ballroom shimmered with gold and crystal. Marble floors reflected chandeliers like constellations. Guests floated through the room wrapped in couture, antiques glittering at their throats, carrying the effortless arrogance of families who had never known want.

The whispers began the moment I stepped inside.

But the first person to truly see me was Grandmother Signe Volkov.

She sat at the head of the table, spine straight despite her age, eyes sharp behind diamond-rimmed glasses. The smile on her lips vanished the instant her gaze locked onto me.

Where is Viktor?

Her tone was even. Controlled. The kind that stripped men of their confidence and left them silent.

I lowered my head. He had urgent matters overseas

She laughed once, sharp and humorless. Urgent, is that what he called it? She reached for her wine

And then the butler rushed in, pale, trembling, interrupting the moment.

He said nothing. Just placed a tablet in her hands.

Viktor Volkov and Evelyn Beaumont photographed kissing in Tuscany.

The headline screamed words like romantic escape, secret affair, Volkov heir in love, future bride?

The image beneath was worse.

Viktor wasnt merely kissing her. He looked reverenthis palm cradling her face, eyes closed, foreheads pressed together like a still from some grand love story.

Signes wine glass shattered against the marble floor.

Isadora, she said tightly. Come with me. Now.

She stood, turned, and walked toward the west corridor without another glance. I followed, aware of every silent eye at the table watching us go.

She didnt speak until we entered the ancestral chamber.

Dark wood. Faded oil portraits. Old lamps that always smelled faintly of iron and age.

She shut the door.

Locked it.

Then she turned and struck me across the face with enough force to snap my head sideways.

Have you no dignity? she spat. Look at youhumiliated, ridiculed. You attend my husbands birthday alone like a cast-off mistress while your so-called husband is off licking champagne from another womans skin.

I said nothing.

Do you understand what this looks like? she continued furiously. The Thorn name was meant to fortify us. Instead, were a joke. If your family had an ounce of pride, theyd throw you into a well and be done with it.

I swallowed blood and replied quietly, I didnt release the article.

She sneered. Dont insult me. Her eyes narrowed. Call Viktor right now and order him backor face the consequences.

I already knew.

He wouldnt come. Not for me. Not if I begged. Not even if I broke.

Ill accept it, I said.

Her brows lifted sharply. What did you just say?

Ill take whatever punishment you decide.

She smiledand it was the kind of smile that made your skin crawl. Slowly, deliberately, she walked to the far wall and pressed a hidden wooden panel. It slid open silently, revealing a cabinet I had glimpsed only once before. Inside, a thick, polished cane lay resting, alongside a drawer filled with incense, ropes, and a cattle prod.

The old instruments of control.

The Volkovs didnt simply construct an empirethey built a dynasty of obedience. She lifted the cane, running her fingers along its smooth shaft as if it were a cherished possession.

The first strike landed without warning, slicing across my back hard enough to knock the air from my lungs.

The second ripped skin.

The third cracked bone.

By the fifth, I was flat on the cold stone floor, my cheek pressed against the tiles, trembling in agony so sharp that sound blurred around me, and I lost consciousness halfway through her relentless fury.

---

When I awoke, I was in a hospital bed, my mouth tasting like iron and regret. And then I saw him.

Viktor.

You let my grandmother treat you like that, he said, voice tight. Why didnt you call me?

I didnt want to interrupt your date with Evelyn, I muttered, and his eyes blinked once, sharp, unreadable.

I turned toward the window, letting silence pour over me like thick smoke. Suffocating, heavy, suffocating.

And then he stayed. For days. Sitting in the room, saying nothing, pretending to be the man I thought I had married. I told him he didnt need to. That I was fine. But he never left.

Not until his phone rang.

Business emergency, he muttered, standing. I saw the caller ID before he spoke: Evelyn. Youll go home alone, he added.

I nodded. Sure.

I dressed slowly, each movement raw and deliberate, as if every motion peeled open a fresh wound. The gauze tugged with every breath. My coat smelled faintly of antiseptic and burnt fabric. Yet I forced one foot in front of the other, moving down the hospital stairs.

I didnt see him coming until a man rounded the corner, Starbucks venti cup in handand collided with me.

Coffee spilled instantly, scalding my arm and chest, burning through the thin fabric. I gasped sharply, stinging searing across my skin.

The man glared down at his ruined designer blazer. Are you blind or just stupid?! he barked, swiping at the liquid like I was dirt. Do you even know how much this jacket costs? Or are you so used to charity hospitals that you dont care?

IIm sorry, I stammered, bending over to wipe at the soaked coat, struggling to catch my breath. It was my fault

You damn well better believe it was, he snapped, stepping closer. Pay for it. Now.

Before I could speak again, a low, lethal voice cut through the air behind him.

Touch her again, and Ill break your jaw.

The man froze. Viktor was there.

And in an instant, five men in black appeared behind him like shadows, moving faster than humanly possible.

Take him, Viktor ordered.

Without hesitation, they grabbed the man, dragging him away as he kicked and cursed, shouting threats no one cared to hear.

Silence fell.

Viktor turned to me, his gaze scanning my clothescheap, wrinkled, faintly bloodstained and now streaked with coffee.

You didnt get any money from the Thorns or Volkovs? Why the hell are you dressed like this?

The Thorns never gave me a cent. Only hospital bills for my grandmother. The Volkovs had a black card, yes, but I was never the real Mrs. Volkov. That card stayed in my wallet, mocking me silently.

The hell are you sulking about? he barked, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into his black SUV. Come on. You look like death. Were getting you new clothes.

I said nothing.

---

At the mall, he selected designer outfits with precision, like picking weaponssharp, cold, expensive.

I stood motionless as assistants zipped me in and out of garments, like I was a mannequin on display. Finally, we stepped into the sunlight-lit atrium, shopping bags in hand, the scent of luxury clinging to my skin. I thought it was over.

Then

Benny?

I froze.

Evelyn.

Heels too high for an ordinary afternoon, sunglasses perched atop her head, phone in one hand, a staff member trailing behind with a cart stacked with glossy black-and-gold boxesChanel, Cartier, Valentino. All items dripping wealth. From his other black card, the one he didnt think I knew about.

Her lips parted slightly when she saw me, the smile dying midair. Oh I didnt realize you were out. Her eyes darted from my face to the shopping bags, then back to Viktor. You said you were in Singapore.

Evelyn

You told me not to text because of meetings all day, she whispered, trembling. I shouldve known I shouldve known.

She looked at me again, like a ghost haunting a life she tried to steal. Then she turned and ran.

Evelyn! he shouted, already sprinting after her.

I remained rooted, watching him disappear.

ThenBang!

The sound was deafening. I whipped my head around just in time to see a sheet of glass plummet from the upper mall floor, striking Evelyn before she could even scream.

Blood sprayed. Fast, bright. She collapsed instantly, her body crumpling to the ground.

Viktors roar shattered the air, echoing off every wall and surface. He dashed to her, scooping her into his arms like she was the axis on which his entire world turned. I stood frozen for a moment, my fingers twitching with helpless rage, before I forced myself to follow.

At the hospital, the sterile whiteness, the constant hum of machines, and the biting cold seemed to strip everything down to its raw essence. He paced outside the operating room, still in his bloodstained suit, the untouchable, untamable Viktor Volkov reduced to a man clutching fear with all the strength in his fists.

Then the doors swung open abruptly. A doctor emerged, breathless. Severe blood loss. Shes RH-negative. The blood bank doesnt have her type.

Im RH-negative, I said, standing before him. Use mine.

He turned toward me, eyes wide as if Id struck him.

She needs it. Do it, he said finally.

After all, I was leaving soon anyway

A nurse guided me to the cot. The needle pierced my arm, blood siphoning slowly into the bag. I watched it drip, drop by drop, while Viktor remained outside, pacing in jagged lines.

Shell survive, I whispered.

Why are you still here? he asked, tension sharp in his voice.

I looked away, voice low. She misunderstood. I want to explain when she wakes.

He stepped closer, studying me. You really care about me that much, huh?

Before I could answer, the doors opened again. The surgeon removed his gloves. Shes stable. Shell wake soon.

Viktor exhaled, the tension sliding off him like water. I sank back against the wall, swallowed by silence once more.

---

When Evelyn awoke, I was at her side.

She opened her eyes, and tears sprang immediately. So you brought her too? she said to Viktor, voice trembling. You want me to pretend were all happy now, right?

No, I said quickly. Youve misunderstood. He really had a meeting that day. The clothes, he just brought me along. Nothing else happened.

Viktor added, flatly, Shes nothing to me. Just a wife on paper. Thats it.

Evelyns tearful eyes flicked between us. Prove it, Benny!

What do you want me to do? he asked, frowning.

She turned to the window. Lightning ripped across the stormy sky, rain thrashing the courtyard, thunder rolling like cannon fire. Make her kneel out there, Evelyn whispered. No coat, no umbrella. Let her stay until she passes out.

Viktor blinked. Evelyn, she

Shes afraid of storms, Evelyn said, voice quivering. You told me her hands shake, her breathing stops. Show me I matter more.

Silence stretched, heavy as iron. I prayed he would refuse, just once. But he didnt. He stepped back and said softly, Take her.

The guards moved.

I didnt resist. Why bother?

They shoved me into the storm. Cold rain lashed my skin, each drop like a sting. Thunder cracked too close, and my legs buckled. I collapsed to my knees, shivering, arms quivering, soaked to the bone. The guards locked the door behind me.

Alone.

Wind whipped my drenched hair across my face. Each boom of thunder tightened my chest. Another crack, and I bit down hard, tasting blood. Then everything went black.

---

I awoke three days later at the Volkov estate. Not the hospitalEvelyn had insisted I not be there, claiming I was faking it. But my body had truly shut down, surviving only through stillness and sleep for three long days.

Benny, Evelyn purred from the doorway, voice laced with amusement. When are we interrogating that traitor from Marseille? I want front-row seats.

Her eyes shifted to me. Oh, Miss Thorn. Youre awake? she said, smiling like a debutante. I didnt mean for him to actually send you into the storm. I was just angry. He took it literally.

I didnt answer.

She perched gracefully on Viktors lap. I heard you donated blood to me. How romantic, she cooed. You bled for me. So, as a reward, youll join us tonight. Volkovs sealing a deal with the Russians. Private dinner. No press. Just family.

I opened my mouth to refuse, but she was faster. She grabbed my hand before I could form the first word.

Dont say no.

Viktor said nothing, but his cold, charged stare drilled into me: Dont make a scene.

I swallowed hard, then nodded.

---

Dinner took place on Volkovs private yacht.

Three security checks. Twelve guards with semi-automatics. Surveillance cameras in every room.

Yet the interior screamed opulencewhite leather chairs, crystal goblets, a chandelier likely worth more than my life. The ocean stretched around us, calm but treacherous, much like the people seated at the table.

Evelyn curled against Viktor as if she belonged, laughing too loudly, whispering, pretending to flinch at the mention of weapons deals. I sat near the edge, silent, invisible. Watching.

When Viktor stepped away to take a secure call, she leaned toward me.

I dont get you sometimes, Evelyn murmured, the diamond around her neck catching the dim light.

I faced her slowly, calm, expression flat.

They say you love him, she said, sipping wine as if it were poison. That youd take a bullet for him. But Ive never seen a woman in love act like you.

Her voice darkened. I framed you, made you crawl, made you beg. And when he obeyed me and left you in that storm, you didnt scream. Didnt flinch. And now I sit in his lap, licking honey from his fingersand you still dont move.

Her smile widened. So, Miss Thorn do you truly love him, or are you just pathetic?

I opened my mouth, debating a reply.

Then

Boom.

A wave of thunder slammed against the yacht.

Ah! she screamed.

We were both thrown overboard.

The sea swallowed us instantly. A sharp sting ripped into my side. Blood mingled with seawatermy blood.

Two overboard! Weve got two in the water!

One of thems bleeding! Sharks will smell it!

Where are they?

They fell on opposite sides; we can only reach one!

Then Viktors scream pierced the chaos: Save Evelyn!

His words hit harder than the waves.

I sank. My blood trailed behind me.

And then nothing.

I woke to the sterile, humming ceiling of a hospital room.

Youre awake, finally, a nurse said, relief softening her voice. Youre in rough shape. We should contact your family. She hesitated, then added with a sigh, Miss Evelyn is next door. Barely a scratch, and yet Mr. Volkov hasnt left her side. Fed her, fluffed her pillows I thought you two were married. But wheres your family? No ones shown up in the past two days.

I gave a hollow smile, offering no words. My grandmother had been gone for two years.

The door exploded open.

Viktor stormed in, a human whirlwind. He didnt speak at first. He marched forward, knocking the medicine tray from the bedside table. Glass shattered, pills scattered.

His gaze pierced me, sharp and unforgiving.

You shoved Evelyn into the sea?

I blinked.

What?

Before I could answer, he grabbed my wrist, his grip iron. Pain shot through my arm.

She told me everything! he barked. Do you really think you can get away with this? Testing me? My patience?

I tried to steady my breathing, the nurse frozen, too afraid to intervene.

All of it fake? Just to get my attention? he snapped.

I stayed silent. Didnt beg. Didnt plead.

He yanked his hand back, sneering. Fine. No doctors. No nurses. Handle your mess yourself.

And he left.

---

The next days were torture. No one checked in. No one changed bandages. I was utterly alone.

I dragged myself to the cabinet, fumbling for supplies. My leg throbbed from the shark bite; the gash across my side burned with every movement. My hands shook as I unscrewed medicine bottles. I fell twice. Hard.

But I rose.

Because I always did. He thought Id break, thought Id crumble. He didnt know me. I had grown up tending to a dying grandmother in a collapsing house with no running water. I learned to care for wounds, tend fevers, and survive on scraps. Nobody had ever cared for me.

---

Six days later, I was ready to leave.

Bag packed, discharge papers signed, body still healing but mind razor-sharp. The door slammed open. Viktor barged in, grabbing my arm.

Evelyns been taken.

My heart didnt twitch.

By Nikolai, he added, jaw tight.

Nikolai. His cousin. A psychopath. Mafia royalty, cruel, unstable, dangerous.

What does that have to do with me? I asked, quiet.

They want you in exchange, Viktor said sharply. You go in. Evelyn comes back safe after four days.

I stayed silent. Nikolai was the kind who smiled while others screamed. Broke things for sport. Enjoyed watching chaos.

No, I said flatly.

Viktors expression hardened, unyielding. You dont get a choice. He stepped close, voice low, dangerously calm. Nikolais obsessed with you. Do this cleanlyfour days, no harmand when its over His eyes locked mine. Ill give you anything you want.

I studied him for a long moment, then smiled.

Fine. I want a grand wedding.

He blinked. What?

We never had a proper one, I said evenly. Just a marriage license and security details. I want a real wedding. Guests. Cameras. Vows. Everything.

He went silent, weighing my words. Probably questioning my sanity. But this was all part of the plan. When Isadora returned, I needed a public stage, a spectaclethe perfect moment to cement her as Mrs. Volkov, publicly, permanently.

Finally, he nodded curtly. Fine. Youll get your damn wedding.

At midnight, they dropped me at Nikolais estate. He lounged on a couch like a king, the room thick with spice and cigar smoke.

Mrs. Volkov, he drawled, grinning as if I were already his. Long time no see.

---

The first two days werent unbearable. They didnt physically touch me in the ways I fearedbut they drained my blood. Tube after tube. My arms blackened and blistered, veins aflame with fire.

I could endure the pain. But watching my blood leave me, watching it slowly vanish, gnawed at my soul.

By day three, I was drifting in and out of consciousness when I overheard the guards outside.

Is he serious? one whispered. He says hell drain her dry keep her like a glass doll?

Quiet! He said shes too beautiful. Boss wants her preserved. Like a trophy. Forever.

My stomach turned. So this was the safe promise Viktor had given me? Selling me to a lunatic in a tailored suit?

That night, when the guards attention wavered, I seized the crystal ornament from the nightstand, smashing it against the window. The glass exploded. I cut through the ropes binding my wrists and limped to the edge. Without thinking, I jumped.

I felt the crack before the impactmy right ankle twisted violently. Pain exploded through me. Still, bleeding and trembling, I crawled away from that nightmare, all the way back to the Volkov estate.

The door opened to reveal Viktor, kneeling, carefully wrapping a bandage around Evelyns ankle.

Shes been gone four days, Benny. Arent you worried? Evelyns voice wobbled.

I only worry about you, he said softly, velvet in his tone. Why didnt you tell me your leg was hurt? Want me to feel guilty?

I stood in the doorway, soaked, ankle swollen, and neither of them glanced at me. I drifted past like a ghost.

Isadora? Viktor finally spoke, eyes scanning me. What the hell happened?

I didnt respond. Didnt acknowledge him.

Whens the wedding? I asked instead.

Evelyns gaze flicked between us, confusion painting her face. What wedding?