Even as the dawn broke after that night of horrors, the darkness in Soha's life did not fade. In that desolate room of the mansion, only a heavy silence remained.
The pale light of morning fell upon Soha through the massive window. She no longer looked like the arrogant Mafia Queen. She wore no clothes; she had only a white silk sheet wrapped haphazardly around her body. Beneath the folds of that sheet, the marks of Adrik's cruelty were vivid.
Soha's long black hair was matted and messy, sprawling across her face and back. Dried blood clung to the corner of her lips, and her eyes were swollen red from weeping. She sat huddled in a corner of the floor, leaning against the wall, staring blankly toward the window.
Suddenly, the heavy sound of the door lock turning echoed. Adrik walked in. He was wearing a fresh black shirt and holding a glass of strong coffee. He stood before Soha with a casual air, as if he hadn't unleashed a storm of destruction the night before.
Adrik (Calmly): "Still holding onto your stubbornness, Soha? The body beneath that sheet has been registered in my name since last night. Now, fix this hair and eat something."
Soha did not answer. She clutched the sheet tighter. When she looked at him through the strands of her messy hair, there was something greater than revenge in her eyes—it was a deep, soul-consuming hatred.
Adrik (Leaning down to untangle her hair): "The more you defy me, the more the punishment will increase. I actually like this disheveled look of yours; you look exactly like a wounded tigress."
Soha finally looked into his eyes. Her neck tattoo and the burn marks on her back felt like they were blazing beneath the sheet.
Soha (Faintly): "You can strip me of my clothes, Adrik... but you will never be able to shroud my will. This sheet might become my shroud, but it will never be your bedsheet."
Adrik laughed. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her face toward his.
Adrik: "Don't be in such a hurry to wear a shroud, little bird. Our real game hasn't even begun. Tonight, you're coming to a dinner with me where the entire Mafia world will see how beautiful Adrik's captive is."
Adrik's will was as immovable as a mountain. He didn't want Soha just confined to his bed; he wanted the world to see the consequences of defying him.
While Soha sat huddled on the floor, Adrik clapped his hands, summoning his personal designers and makeup artists. They carried expensive designer wear and jewelry.
Adrik (Hard voice): "Prepare her. Within two hours, she must look like the most expensive diamond in St. Petersburg. And remember, her body marks must be hidden, but the terror in her eyes must remain visible."
Soha tried to resist, but Adrik's bodyguards forced her into the chair before the vanity. Her tangled hair was combed through with force; tears fell from her eyes in pain, but she didn't utter a sound.
The Preparation:
The Attire: Adrik chose a Blood Red velvet gown. It featured a high neck to hide the tattoo, but the cut-out back partially revealed the new marks of her servitude.
The Jewelry: A heavy diamond and ruby necklace was fastened around her neck, which was secretly connected to a thin gold chain. The other end of that chain would remain in Adrik's hand.
When the styling was finished, Adrik stood behind her in the mirror. He placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled. Soha looked ethereally beautiful, but beneath that beauty lay the hollow wail of a living corpse.
Adrik: "Let's go, Soha. All the major Russian Mafia bosses will be at tonight's dinner. They all think you've become Alexander's. I want them to see that Adrik never lets his prey go."
Soha remained silent. She only watched as Adrik hooked the gold chain to the back of her waist. She was no longer a person; she was Adrik's expensive pet.
The Entrance:
The grand hotel hall fell silent as the doors opened. Adrik entered with a revolver in one hand and the gold chain in the other. At the end of that chain, Soha walked with her head bowed, a vision in red.
Whispers broke out. Alexander's men stood stunned. Soha looked through the crowd and saw Alexander standing wounded in a corner, his eyes filled with pity for her.
Adrik stood in the center of the hall, twisting the gold chain around his fingers. A triumphant, demonic smile played on his lips. He wanted to humiliate her so thoroughly that no one would ever look at her with respect again.
He raised his wine glass, and the room went silent.
Adrik (Deep voice): "Friends, many of you thought this bird had flown away. Many thought she had made herself a 'Queen' under Alexander's protection. But remember, changing the cage doesn't change the hunter."
Suddenly, he gave the chain a violent jerk. Soha lost her balance and fell at Adrik's feet. Her blood-red gown sprawled in the dust of the floor. Several Mafia bosses chuckled mockingly.
The Peak of Humiliation:
Under the Boot: Adrik pressed the tip of his expensive leather boot under Soha's chin. He forced her face up so everyone could see her tears and swollen lips.
The Auction Stance: "See this diamond and ruby necklace? It's not for her beauty; it's her price tag. Tonight, after dinner, I will decide whose cage this pet bird will spend the night in."
Soha knelt on the floor, her hands bound behind her by the chain. She looked at Alexander and saw him trembling with rage, but he was helpless, surrounded by Adrik's gunmen.
Adrik (Leaning down to her ear): "What now, Soha? You had so much pride in being a 22-year-old Mafia Queen. How does it feel to see your dignity turn to dust before hundreds of wolves?"
Soha didn't answer. But at that moment, she felt a strange sensation under Adrik's foot. Something was hidden beneath the carpet that only she could sense. She bowed her head and smiled—a toxic smile.
She knew Adrik would bring her here. Before coming, she had used a trusted contact of Alexander to plant a remote sensor under this very carpet.
Soha (Whispering): "Adrik, you brought me here to humiliate me... but you forgot I'm not that foolish 19-year-old girl anymore. This chain isn't in your hand; it's a noose around your neck, bringing your death."
Suddenly, all the lights in the hotel went out. Panic spread through the hall. In the darkness, only the diamonds on Soha's neck began to flash a strange signal.
Chapter 65: Games in the Dark & The VIP Room
In the darkness, Soha used a specific technique to loosen the chain from her wrists. As Adrik shouted for security, she lunged like a tigress. She wrapped the gold chain around Adrik's neck and pulled back with all her strength.
Adrik (Gasping): "Soha... you...!"
Soha knew she couldn't stay long. She shoved him toward a corridor. Nearby was the hotel's most secure VIP Room. She dragged him inside, kicked the door shut, and locked it from the inside.
Inside the VIP Room:
The room was soundproof. In the dim red emergency light, Soha looked like a terrifying goddess. Her red gown was disheveled, but her eyes held a murderous intent. Adrik fell to the floor coughing, deep marks from the chain embedded in his neck.
Soha (Panting): "Enough of the public humiliation, Adrik. Now it's just you and me in this closed room. No one is coming to save you."
She grabbed an expensive bottle of liquor, smashed it, and held a jagged piece of glass to Adrik's chin. Even in pain, Adrik smiled, mesmerized by her.
Soha: "Your arrogance ends here tonight. You said tonight would be long? Yes, it will be the greatest nightmare of your life."
Soha thought she had won, but Adrik was a cunning hunter. With a sudden sweep of his leg, he knocked Soha to the floor. Before she could recover, he pounced on her.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind, one hand on her stomach and the other around her throat, cutting off her air. He picked up a wine glass and pressed it against her neck instead of the broken glass.
Adrik (Hissing in her ear): "Grown bold, haven't you? Did you think a chain and a piece of glass could stop Adrik? You forgot, I booked this VIP room. I know every corner of it."
Soha (Choking): "Just kill me, Adrik. Death is better than this life."
Adrik (Biting her ear): "I won't let you die. I want you to drown in my darkness. Tonight, no one leaves this room. Not you, not me. Let Alexander scream outside, but inside, I will teach you my ownership all over again."
The atmosphere shifted. Adrik brought his face close to her neck, but his voice was no longer in Bengali—it returned to that bone-chilling Russian accent.
Chapter 67: The Russian Nightmare
Adrik began to speak in pure Russian:
Adrik (In Russian): "Ты думала, что я забыл? Ты моя кукла, Соха. Я создал тебя в той лаборатории, и только я имею право тебя уничтожить."
(Translation: "Did you think I forgot? You are my doll, Soha. I created you in that lab, and only I have the right to destroy you.")
Soha's body turned to ice. The Russian language was a trauma to her.
Adrik (In Russian): "Никто не спасет тебя. Ни Александр, ни твоя гордость. Сегодня ты поймешь, что такое настоящий страх."
(Translation: "No one will save you. Not Alexander, not your pride. Today you will understand what real fear is.")
He forced her in front of a large mirror. He began giving commands in Russian as if she were a programmed machine. He wanted to take her back to the trauma of three years ago.
Adrik (Whispering in Russian): "Тише... не плачь. Моя маленькая птичка вернулась в свою клетку."
(Translation: "Quiet... don't cry. My little bird has returned to her cage.")
He unzipped her red gown. In the red light, her bare back's scars seemed to scream. He began to recite the history of every scar on her body in Russian, like a horror story.
Soha lay exhausted on the royal bed of the VIP room. Her red gown lay discarded on the floor. She was now wrapped only in the white silk sheet. Her face was flushed crimson—whether from pain or humiliation, it was hard to tell.
Adrik had removed his shirt. His muscular back caught the shadows of the candlelight. He held her waist tightly from behind.
Adrik (Intense laugh): "How does it feel now, Soha? This is your true place. Bound in my arms."
He established his absolute dominance, ignoring any resistance. Soha's muffled cries and Adrik's demonic triumph created a haunting atmosphere in the locked room. Within the folds of the sheet, a dark game began. He whispered in Russian once more, a sound that spread through Soha's veins like a lethal drug.
The night grew deeper, and within the walls of the VIP room, the world changed forever for Soha. Adrik had claimed not just her body, but her soul as his slave.