Chapter 45: A Terrifying Smile

Chapter 45: A Terrifying Smile
The iron gate creaked open slowly, releasing a heavy groan that echoed against the ancient stone walls. Not a single guard was visible in the immediate area, but Vanya knew they were being watched from afar.
“Why is no one here?” Vanya whispered to Elijah, who sat behind the steering wheel.
“They are. Just unseen. Always stay alert,” Elijah replied flatly. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, yet his eyes were blank, as if he were silently mapping out his next move.
Elijah brought the car to a halt in the courtyard, parking right alongside a few other vehicles. Before they stepped out, he handed Vanya a small handgun.
“Take it, just in case. We don’t know what’s waiting inside. But trust me, Pablo isn't someone who goes down easily,” Elijah warned.
Vanya accepted the pistol carefully. She bent down, pulled up her pant leg, and slipped the gun into the side of her boot.
“Are you ready?” Elijah asked. Vanya nodded again.
“If anything happens to me, don’t lose your nerve. You need to get Damian and the three women out. Take them somewhere safe until the police arrive,” Elijah instructed once more.
“Have you ever killed anyone?” Elijah asked in a half-joking tone as they finally stepped out of the car.
Vanya shrugged. “Not yet. But I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time.”
“Good.”
Vanya and Elijah marched resolutely toward the entrance. The front door swung open, making a sound just as eerie as the gate before it. Two guards finally appeared, dressed in black suits, wearing sunglasses, and carrying handguns.
Without saying a word, the two guards escorted Vanya and Elijah into a large room, as if their arrival had been anticipated all along. Vanya immediately guessed that this was where Pablo would be.
And sure enough, there he was. Pablo.
He stood in the center of the room, wearing a dark suit perfectly tailored to his frame. His hair was neatly combed, and his menacing face looked unsettlingly calm and clean for a man who lived in the shadows.
However, the most disturbing thing to Vanya was his smile. A thin, cunning smirk, as though he already knew the end of the story before it had even begun.
“Elijah…!” Pablo greeted him with a grin. “I was wondering when you’d show up…”
His voice sounded warm, yet it sent a cold shiver down Vanya’s spine.
Pablo approached Elijah with open arms, as if welcoming an honored guest, but Elijah offered no response.
“We didn’t come here for small talk. You know that perfectly well,” Elijah said coldly.
Pablo’s grin vanished instantly. Dropping his arms, he replied smoothly, “What a shame. I’ve always enjoyed meaningless conversations.”
Pablo’s eyes shifted toward Vanya, and the smirk returned. 
“And here she is... Finally, you’ve come to my castle... Viktor’s daughter.”
Vanya held her breath, determined not to show an ounce of fear in front of him.
“My name is Vanya,” she declared firmly.
Pablo’s smile widened. “Oh, I know that.” He took a slow step closer, moving like a predator in no rush to catch its prey. “You’re far more interesting than you were when we first met.”
Elijah immediately stepped half a pace in front of Vanya, blocking Pablo’s path. “Keep your distance from her.”
Pablo chuckled softly. “Relax. I won’t touch her… without her consent.”
The remark made Vanya’s jaw clench.
“Where is Damian?” Vanya asked directly, refusing to get caught up in Pablo’s mind games.
Pablo raised an eyebrow, feigning thought. “Damian... Damian...” He clicked his tongue softly. “Now, where could he be? He’s always been a man far too stubborn to die quickly.”
Vanya felt a sudden tightness in her chest. “So he really is here.”
“Perhaps,” Pablo replied nonchalantly. “Or perhaps not. Isn’t uncertainty so fascinating?”
“Elijah,” Vanya whispered, keeping her eyes fixed on Pablo. “He’s playing with us.”
“Of course,” Elijah replied quietly. “That’s what he always does.”
Pablo clapped his hands together once, slowly. “I like this. Two people marching into my domain, demanding answers as if they actually hold any power.”
He stepped closer again, slowly pacing around Vanya as if inspecting her body.
“Do you know what makes you so special?” he asked softly, leaning in near her ear.
Vanya didn't flinch. “I couldn't care less.”
“Oh, but I care.” Pablo’s voice lowered to a near-whisper against her skin. “You possess something truly special.”
Vanya finally turned her head, looking him dead in the eye. “And what’s that?”
“The ability to break him.”
Elijah immediately pulled Vanya back a step. “That’s enough.”
Pablo smiled, clearly relishing the reaction.
“You’re angry,” he observed, eyeing Vanya’s expression. “Good. Now I’m even more convinced there’s something between you and Damian. And that is wonderful news.”
“We are none of your business,” Vanya spat back bitterly.
Pablo chuckled. “Oh, but you are my business. Damian and anyone close to him. Especially the woman he loves.”
Vanya clenched her fists. She desperately wanted to slap the man and wipe that disgusting smile off his face. But she knew that was precisely what Pablo wanted.
“You’re holding those three women captive,” she said, her voice trembling slightly yet remaining steady. “Isabelle, Adele, Katarina. They’re still alive, aren’t they?”
“Ah,” Pablo sighed in satisfaction. “You’ve already figured out that much.”
“Let them go,” Vanya demanded.
“Why?” Pablo tilted his head. “They’re much happier now.”
“Happier?” Vanya almost let out a bitter laugh. “You brainwashed them.”
“I liberated them,” Pablo corrected smoothly. “From their trauma. From their pasts. From a kind of pain even your father couldn't heal.”
Hearing that name struck a raw nerve again.
“You don’t know anything about my father,” Vanya said icily.
“On the contrary,” Pablo smiled faintly. “I know far too much.”
He stopped right in front of Vanya, leaning in uncomfortably close.
“Viktor created miracles,” he continued in a low tone. “Damian was actually a failed experiment. But with you here...”
He raised a hand, as if to stroke Vanya’s cheek, pausing just an inch before making contact.
“...I can turn Damian into a completely obedient animal.”
Slap! A sharp blow landed right on Pablo’s cheek. The movement happened before Vanya even had time to think.
Elijah tensed up instantly. The guards around the room moved immediately, reaching for their weapons.
Yet Pablo... didn't fly into a rage. He stood still. Slowly, he reached up to touch his reddened cheek. And then... he smiled. Broader than before.
“Good,” he murmured softly. “I like them feisty.”
Vanya glared at him, her breathing heavy and her eyes burning with rage. “Don’t you dare touch me again.”
Pablo leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper.
“Soon enough,” he said, “you’ll come to me without my asking. You’ll beg me for it.”
Vanya felt her blood boil.
“Never.”
Pablo chuckled softly and took a few steps back. He turned around and walked casually toward the door at the far end of the room.
“Very well,” he called out without looking back. “If you want to see Damian… follow me.”
He paused for a brief moment.
“But be careful,” he added. “What you see... You might never be able to fix.”