Chapter 43 Chapter 43

Chapter 43 Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Irina's POV 

Alexei's voice was cold and final as he gave the order, his face showed no emotion, no mercy at all.

"Execute them," he said calmly, like he was ordering dinner. "In front of everyone, let them all see what happens to traitors."

The guard's face went pale, all color drained from his skin. He fell to his knees immediately, his whole body was shaking.

"Please, boss, please, I am sorry. It will never happen again, I swear on my life."

The maid was sobbing uncontrollably. Her whole body was shaking with fear, tears and snot were running down her face. "Please, Master Alexei, please have mercy, we were just... we were just..."

"Just what?" Alexei asked coldly, his voice was like ice. "Just disrespecting me? Just breaking my rules? Just betraying my trust? Just making a fool of me in my own house?"

I wanted to speak, I wanted to beg for their lives, to tell Alexei they were just two people in love who made a mistake.

But I knew it would fall on deaf ears, Alexei never showed mercy, especially not when his authority was challenged.

The guards dragged the couple to the center of the garden roughly, they were forced to kneel side by side on the grass.

All of Alexei's men gathered around in a circle, forming a human wall, their faces were emotionless.

I stood beside Alexei. I was forced to watch, my stomach was churning with disgust and fear.

"This is what happens," Alexei announced loudly so everyone could hear. "When you disrespect me, when you think you can do whatever you want in my house, under my protection."

He pulled out a gun from his jacket slowly, the metal gleamed under the garden lights.

"No!" The maid screamed, her voice was raw with terror. "Please! We love each other! We did not mean any harm! We were not hurting anyone!"

"Love?" Alexei laughed, it was cruel. "Love is a weakness, love makes you vulnerable, love makes you stupid."

He raised the gun and pointed it at the guard's head, his hand was steady, not shaking at all.

"Please," the guard whispered, his voice was barely audible. "Please, I have a family, I have a mother who depends on me."

Alexei pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The sound was deafening, echoing through the garden, birds flew away from the trees in panic.

The guard's body fell forward onto the grass with a heavy thud, blood spread across the green grass like dark paint.

The maid's scream was inhuman, raw and broken, filled with more pain than I thought possible.

"No! No! Please!" She tried to crawl to him but the guards held her back firmly. 

Alexei turned the gun towards her slowly.

"Please," she sobbed, her whole body was convulsing with grief. "Please, I love him, please do not kill me, please, I am only nineteen."

Alexei fired again without any hesitation.

Her body fell beside the guard's, their hands were almost touching, reaching for each other even in death, their blood mixed together on the grass, forming one dark pool.

I stood there frozen, staring at their bodies, at the way they lay side by side even in death, still together.

And suddenly, I saw myself and Dimitri in them, I remembered us.

Would this be our fate too? Would Alexei kill us both eventually? Would we die together like this?

Tears streamed down my face silently, I did not even try to stop them anymore.

"Get inside," Alexei said coldly, he didn't look at me, he was already walking away.

I turned and walked back into the house like a ghost, my legs moved but I felt nothing, I was numb.

I went straight to my room, closed the door and leaned against it. My legs finally gave out and I slid to the floor.

I could not live like this anymore, I could not stay here watching Alexei destroy everything and everyone he touched.

I had to get out, I had to escape somehow. I had to find Dimitri and tell him everything.

But how? Alexei watches me constantly, he controls everything in my life.

How could I possibly escape from someone like him?

But I had to try again, I had to do something, anything.

Because staying here meant death, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually Alexei would destroy me too.

Alexei would destroy me just like he destroyed everyone else who got in his way or disappointed him.

I made up my mind right there, sitting on the cold floor of my prison, I would do whatever it took to get free.

I would find a way to Dimitri, I would help him remember who he was.

Two days passed after that horrible night, the bodies were buried in the garden under the old oak tree, no one spoke about it, it was like it never happened.

Then one morning, Alexei announced that we were leaving, that it was time.

"Pack everything," he told the maids firmly. "We are going back to the estate."

"The estate?" One of the guards asked nervously. "But boss, what about the godfather, what about..."

"Dimitri is dead," Alexei said firmly, confidently. "Mikhail will not reject me, especially when he knows I'm expecting my heir."

His hand touched my stomach possessively, claiming what was inside.

I wanted to pull away but I stayed still, I had learned not to resist unnecessarily.

The maids came to my room that afternoon to help me pack, they folded clothes carefully, packed shoes, and organized everything neatly.

I sat on the bed watching them work, my mind was racing with possibilities.

Mikhail probably thought I was dead. Does he also know Dmitri was alive?

Suddenly, we heard a loud bang. It sounded like a very tall building had collapsed nearby, the whole house shook violently, pictures fell off the walls.

The maids stopped working and looked at each other in fear, their eyes were wide.

"What was that?" One of them whispered, her voice shaking.

Another explosion followed, even louder than the first.

The house was thrown into complete chaos immediately. Guards were running everywhere, shouting orders, weapons were drawn, people were screaming.

"Stay in your room!" One guard yelled as he ran past my door.

But I ignored him, this was my chance, I could not waste it.

I ran to the window and looked out at the garden below.

Thick smoke was engulfing the garden, it was so dense I could barely see anything, it covered everything like a blanket.

This was it, this was my chance, my only chance.

I ran out of my room immediately, down the stairs, and into the main hall, my heart was pounding.

Guards were everywhere but they were distracted, focused on the threat outside. They were trying to see through the smoke.

I headed towards the front doors, my heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest.

"Irina!"

Alexei's voice roared from somewhere behind me.

I did not look back, I just ran faster, pushing through the pain in my body.

The guards were too busy checking the garden for threats.

Some could not even see me through the smoke and panic.

I reached the entrance hall, the front doors were just ahead. They were so close already. If I could reach it.

"Irina!" Alexei's voice was closer now, he was chasing me, I could hear his footsteps.

I ran harder, my pregnant belly made it difficult but I pushed through the pain.

I reached the doors and pushed them open with all my strength, the cool evening air hit my face.

I ran down the steps towards the gates, stumbling slightly but catching myself.

The smoke was everywhere now, covering everything like a blanket, making it hard to see or breathe.

As I reached the gates, gasping for air, I saw a figure appear from the cloud of smoke ahead.

At first, it was just a shadow, tall and imposing, moving through the smoke like a ghost.

Then more figures appeared behind him, flanked by the most dangerous looking men I had ever seen in my life.

They were massive, like giants, dressed entirely in black, their faces were hidden behind masks, they looked inhuman.

As the smoke cleared slightly, blown away by the wind, the figure standing at the centre became clearer. 

And my breath caught in my throat, my legs stopped moving.

He had silver hair, sharp features, cold and calculating blue eyes.

Mikhail?!