Chapter 123 Chapter 123

Chapter 123 Chapter 123
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three

Irina

I woke up to someone shaking me.

"Mrs. Irina! Mrs. Irina, wake up!"

I opened my eyes. Lucia was standing over me, her face pale with fear.

"What is wrong?" I asked, sitting up quickly.

"It is Mr. Dimitri," Lucia said. Her voice was shaking. "He tried to escape last night."

My heart stopped. "What? Is he…"

"He is alive," Lucia interrupted. "But Mr. Alexei caught him. He has been moved to the punishment cells."

I threw off the blanket and stood up. "The punishment cells? Where are those?"

"In the basement," Lucia said. "Below the regular cells. It is... it is a terrible place, Mrs. Irina."

"Take me to him," I demanded.

"I cannot," Lucia said. "Mr. Alexei has forbidden anyone from seeing him. He said Mr. Dimitri will be executed in three days."

The world tilted. They were going to kill Dimitri.

"No," I whispered. "No, no, no. What are the punishment cells like?" I asked quietly.

Lucia shuddered. "They are tiny, dark and cold. No bed. No toilet. Just stone and darkness. Men have gone mad down there."

"And Dimitri is there now," I said.

"Yes," Lucia confirmed. "For three days. Then..." She could not finish.

Then they would kill him.

I stood up and paced the small room.

"Can you get me to him?" I asked. 

"Just for a few minutes. Please, Lucia. I need to see him."

Lucia shook her head frantically. "It is impossible. The punishment cells are guarded day and night. No one is allowed in except Mr. Alexei and his most trusted men."

"Then I will go to Alexei," I said. "I will beg him to spare Dimitri's life."

"He will not listen," Lucia said. "He wants Mr. Dimitri dead. He has already decided."

"Then I will offer him something," I said. "Something he cannot refuse."

"What could you possibly offer?" Lucia asked.

I looked at her. "Myself. Completely. I will stop fighting. I will be whatever he wants me to be. If he spares Dimitri's life."

"Mrs. Irina, no…"

"I have to try," I interrupted. "I cannot just let him die."

I walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Lucia asked.

"To find Alexei," I replied.

I found Alexei in his office. He was sitting behind his desk, reading a newspaper.

He looked up when I entered and smiled.

"Irina," he said. "I was wondering when you would come to me."

"Please," I said, falling to my knees in front of his desk. "Please do not kill Dimitri."

"Why should I spare him?" Alexei asked calmly. "He tried to escape. He tried to take you and Nikolai away from me."

"I will do anything," I begged. 

"Anything you want. Just please, let him live."

Alexei stood up, walked around the desk and looked down at me.

"Anything?" He repeated.

"Yes," I said. "Anything."

"You already come to my bed every night," Alexei said. "What more could you possibly offer?"

"I will stop fighting you," I said. "I will be... willing. Enthusiastic even. I will pretend to love you. Whatever you want."

"Pretend to love me," Alexei laughed. "How pathetic."

"Please," I whispered. "He is your brother. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"He stopped being my brother when he chose you over me," Alexei said coldly.

He crouched down, grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"But I will make you a deal," he said.

Hope flared in my chest. "What deal?"

"I will spare Dimitri's life," Alexei said. 

"Thank you," I sobbed. "Thank you…"

"But," Alexei interrupted. "He will stay in the punishment cell. Forever."

My heart sank. "Forever?"

"Yes," Alexei confirmed. "He will live. But he will never see sunlight again. Never see you or Nikolai. He will rot in that cell until he dies of old age."

"That is cruel," I whispered.

"That is mercy," Alexei corrected. 

"The alternative is execution. Your choice."

I closed my eyes. 

Dimitri in that tiny, dark cell. For the rest of his life. Going slowly mad.

Would he want that? Would he want to live like that?

Or would he prefer death?

"I need to see him," I said. "I need to ask him what he wants."

"No," Alexei said immediately.

"Please," I begged. "Just five minutes. Let me talk to him."

Alexei considered. "And if I let you see him, what do I get in return?"

"Whatever you want," I said desperately.

Alexei smiled slowly. "I want you to beg me. Right now. In front of my men. Beg me to spare your husband's life."

My stomach turned. "What?"

"You heard me," Alexei said. He walked to the door and opened it. "Guards! Come in here!"

Six men entered, standing at attention.

"Mrs. Volkov has something to say," Alexei announced. "Don't you, Irina?"

I looked at the guards. They were staring at me. 

This was humiliating. But if it meant seeing Dimitri, I would do it.

I got on my knees and bowed my head.

"Please," I said loudly. "Please spare my husband's life. I am begging you. I will do anything."

"Louder," Alexei commanded.

"Please!" I shouted. "Please do not kill him! I am begging you! I will be yours completely! Just let him live!"

The guards shifted uncomfortably. But said nothing.

Alexei was smiling widely now, enjoying my humiliation.

"Very good," he said. "You may stand."

I stood on shaking legs. Tears streamed down my face.

"You have five minutes with Dimitri," Alexei said. "Say your goodbyes. Then you will never see him again."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Guards," Alexei ordered. "Take her to the punishment cells. Five minutes. Then bring her back."

Two guards grabbed my arms. We went down into the depths of the villa.

The air grew colder and damper. The smell of rot intensified.

Finally, we stopped at a heavy iron door.

One guard unlocked it and pulled it open. Inside was darkness. Complete darkness.

"Dimitri?" I called.

A groan came from the darkness. "Irina?"

His voice was hoarse and weak. 

"Yes," I said. "It is me." I stepped inside. The guard handed me a small torch.

The light revealed a tiny cell. Barely big enough for a person to sit.

And there, curled in the corner, was Dimitri.

He looked terrible. His face was bruised. His clothes were torn. He was shivering from the cold.

"Oh God," I whispered. I knelt beside him. "What have they done to you?"

"Irina," Dimitri said. He reached for me with a shaking hand. "You should not be here. If Alexei finds out…"

"He sent me," I said. "He gave me five minutes."

I took his hand. It was ice cold.

"Dimitri, listen to me," I said urgently. "Alexei has given me a choice. He will spare your life. But you will have to stay in this cell. Forever."

Dimitri stared at me. "Forever?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "Or he executes you in three days. Those are the only options."

"That is not a choice," Dimitri said. "That is torture."

"I know," I said. Tears streamed down my face. "But at least you would be alive."

"For what?" Dimitri asked bitterly. "To rot in this hole? To go mad in the darkness?"

"To live," I said. "And have hope that someday, somehow, we might escape."

Dimitri shook his head. "There is no escape from this, Irina. Alexei has won."

"Do not say that," I pleaded. "Do not give up."

"I already have," Dimitri said. He looked at me with hollow eyes. "I tried to escape. I failed. And now I am going to die."