Chapter 33 Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Irina's POV
Alexei gathered his men in the main hall.
I watched from the doorway as they assembled. Ten men. All of them looked weak and hungry. But they stood at attention waiting for orders.
"I need you to go to the city," Alexei said. His voice was cold and commanding. "Find Dimitri Volkov. And kill him."
My heart stopped.
"No," I whispered. But no one heard me.
"It needs to look like an accident," Alexei continued. "A car crash. A robbery gone wrong. I do not care. Just make sure he does not survive."
The men nodded. They did not question. They did not hesitate.
"Take weapons," Alexei said. "Take whatever you need. But do not fail me."
The men nodded and left immediately.
I stood there frozen, unable to move, unable to breathe.
Alexei was going to kill Dimitri.
He was going to murder his own brother.
"No," I said louder. I walked into the hall. "No, you cannot do this."
Alexei turned to look at me. His eyes were cold. "It is already done."
"He is your brother!" I shouted. "Your blood! How can you..."
"He left me no choice," Alexei interrupted. "He is destroying everything. Starving my people. Hunting me like an animal. I have to stop him."
"By killing him?" I demanded. "By murdering your own brother?"
"Yes," Alexei said simply. "If that is what it takes."
I felt tears streaming down my face. "You are a monster."
"I am a survivor," Alexei said. "And I do what needs to be done."
He walked past me and up the stairs.
I stood there alone in the empty hall, crying.
Dimitri was going to die. And it was all my fault.
Hours passed like years. I could not eat, I could not sleep. I just paced my room waiting for news.
Finally, late that night, I heard vehicles approaching.
The men were back.
I ran downstairs immediately. Alexei was already in the hall waiting for them.
The men entered. Their faces were grim.
"Well?" Alexei demanded. "Is it done?"
The lead guard stepped forward. He looked nervous. "Boss, we have a problem."
"What problem?" Alexei asked. His voice was dangerously quiet.
"Dimitri Volkov is missing," the guard said.
Silence filled the hall.
"What do you mean missing?" Alexei asked slowly.
"We got the information he was attacked. We went to the location where it happened," the guard explained. "And found the wreckage. His car was completely destroyed. His driver died on the spot. But Dimitri is gone."
"Gone?" Alexei repeated.
"Yes, sir," the guard said. "There was so much blood. The entire car was covered in it. He seemed to be badly injured. Maybe even dead. But his body was not there."
Alexei's fists clenched. "Someone took him."
"Maybe," the guard said. "Or maybe he crawled away and died somewhere else. There was a blood trail leading away from the car. But it disappeared after a few meters."
"You should have followed it!" Alexei roared.
"We did, sir," the guard said quickly. "But it was too dark. We could not see where it went."
Alexei turned away. He walked to the window and stared out into the darkness.
"Is he alive or dead?" He asked quietly.
"We do not know, sir," the guard admitted. "The amount of blood suggests he was seriously injured. He could be dead. But without a body, we cannot be sure."
Alexei was silent for a long moment.
"That makes him more dangerous," he finally said.
"Sir?" The guard asked.
"If he is alive and injured," Alexei explained. "He will be angry and vengeful. He will come for me with everything he has."
"But boss, even if he is alive, he is badly hurt," the guard said. "He might not survive his injuries."
"You do not know Dimitri," Alexei said. "He is like a cockroach. He survives everything."
He turned to face his men. "Find him. Search every hospital. Every clinic. Every back-alley doctor. Find him and finish the job."
"Yes, boss," the men said and left quickly.
I stood in the shadows watching. My heart was racing.
Dimitri was missing. And might be dead.
I did not know which was worse.
If he was dead, that means I had lost him forever.
The love of my life was gone.
If he was alive but hurt, he was suffering, alone.
Either way, it was my fault.
Alexei walked towards me and stopped in front of me.
"Did you hear?" He asked.
I just nodded. I could not speak.
"He might be dead," Alexei said. "Or he might be alive. Either way, things are about to change."
"What do you mean?" I whispered.
"With Dimitri gone, the blockade will fall apart," Alexei explained. "His men will be confused and leaderless. The other families will resume business. Supplies will flow again."
He was right. Within days, shipments started arriving.
Food, water, clothes and weapons.
Everything we had been lacking.
The guards' faces filled out. The maids moved with energy again. The house came back to life.
But I felt dead inside.
Dimitri was gone.
And I was trapped here with his murderer.
Alexei seemed pleased. He ate well. He smiled. He walked with confidence again.
"You see?" He said to me one evening. "Everything is better now. We have food. We have supplies. We can live in peace."
"Peace?" I whispered. "You call this peace?"
"Yes," Alexei said. "Dimitri is gone. You are mine. Our child will be born into safety. That is peace."
I said nothing. I just stared at my food.
"Eat," Alexei commanded. "You need to keep your strength up."
I picked up my fork mechanically. I ate without tasting anything.
Days passed. Alexei's men continued searching for Dimitri. But they found nothing.
No body, no trace. Nothing.
It was like he had vanished into thin air.
"Maybe he really is dead," one guard said. "Maybe he bled out somewhere and animals took the body."
"Maybe," Alexei agreed. But he did not look convinced.
I listened to these conversations and felt my hope dying.
If Dimitri was alive, someone would have found him by now. Someone would have seen him. Someone would have reported it.
But there was nothing.
He was dead. I knew it in my heart.
Dimitri was dead and I was alone.
One night, I stood on the balcony of my room, looking out at the mountains.
The stars were bright. The air was cold.
I placed my hand on my stomach.
The baby was growing. I could feel it now. There were small movements and gentle kicks.
"Your father is gone," I whispered.
"Both of your fathers are gone. The one who loved me is dead. And the one who trapped me is a monster."
Tears streamed down my face.
"I am so sorry," I whispered. "I am so sorry you are being born into this nightmare. I am so sorry I could not save us."
Behind me, I heard the door open.
Alexei stepped onto the balcony. He stood beside me.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked.
"Death," I said honestly.
Alexei was quiet for a moment. "Dimitri is not dead."
I turned to look at him. "How do you know?"
"I can feel it," Alexei said. "He is alive somewhere. He might be hurt. But alive."
"That is impossible," I said. "Your men have searched everywhere."
"Not everywhere," Alexei said. "There are places where people do not report things to authorities. Places where someone could hide."
Hope flickered in my chest.
"Do you really think he is alive?" I whispered.
Alexei looked at me. His eyes were hard. "Yes. And that terrifies me.”