Dmitri was still sitting on the chair, eyes teary, holding the phone tightly. A strange emptiness was in his chest. Jasmine had not just defeated him with power; she had snatched away his peace of mind. He was trying to calm himself down when there was a soft knock on the door.
"Yanova, don't come in!" Dmitri commanded in an angry, yet weak voice.
But it wasn't Yanova's voice that came from the other side of the door. It was a soft, familiar voice.
"Brother?"
The door quietly opened. Dmitri's younger sister, Elena, entered the room.
Elena was the complete opposite of Dmitri. Her blonde hair was cropped short, and her blue eyes, though similar, held no coldness—only concern and love. She was dressed in simple, elegant clothes, completely out of place in this Mafia environment.
Elena walked over and saw tears in Dmitri's eyes; her beloved brother was in immense pain. Elena had never seen such a sight. Dmitri was always impenetrable, an iron man to her.
"Brother, what happened?" Elena rushed to him. "Why are there tears in your eyes? There were gunshots outside! Did anything..."
Dmitri managed to shake his head. He quickly wiped his tears, trying to bring back his Mafia boss facade.
"Nothing, Elena. What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to come to this area?" His voice was still trembling.
Elena saw Dmitri's torn jacket and the faint line of blood near his neck.
"You're hurt! And you were crying, brother. Who hurt you so much?" Elena gently touched his hand.
Dmitri forcefully pulled his hand away. "It's not a wound. It was a small incident. Go, Elena. I have work."
But Elena didn't move. She kept looking at her brother.
"Is it about Jasmine? That girl whose photo you were seeing in the magazine... for whom you've been in a strange state of unrest for the last two months? Did she leave you?" Elena asked in a soft but firm voice.
Dmitri couldn't hold himself together then. He lowered his head in despair. Jasmine was gone, and her leaving had not only made him lose a lover but also exposed his greatest emotional vulnerability.
"She didn't just leave me, Elena," Dmitri whispered. His inner agony was clear again. "She destroyed me. She is with a spy..."
Elena placed her hand on her brother's. "Whether she's a spy or someone else, brother. You are crying for someone who doesn't love you. But I love you. And I won't tolerate harm to you."
A look of resolve was in Elena's eyes. Dmitri saw that his younger sister, whom he had always protected, was now standing by his side.
"What do we do, brother?" Elena asked.
Dmitri slowly lifted his head. The tears were dry; the fire of revenge was burning again in his blue eyes. Jasmine revealed herself as a spy; fine. But he would no longer be blinded by his love for her.
"We will play the game by their rules now, Elena. If Ji-Han is a spy, then his mission is our weakness. And we will use that very weakness."
Dmitri looked at his younger sister. "You will help me, Elena."
The Counter-Plan: The Mirror Image
Dmitri straightened himself up in the chair. His voice was no longer broken but cold and calculated. He was now transforming the wound Jasmine had inflicted into strength.
"Jasmine has given me very important information, Elena," Dmitri said. "Ji-Han is a spy. South Korean. And he is currently in Moscow, in their secret base. His mission is to destroy the international Mafia network—that is, us and our associates."
Elena nodded, trying to understand everything. "Then the situation is even more dangerous, brother. One cannot fight against spies."
"One can, if you strike at their weakness," Dmitri laughed, the laugh was harsh. "Jasmine told me she is not Ji-Han's love—she is just a spy's weakness. And now, she is with that spy, in their secret base."
Dmitri slowly leaned towards Elena.
"I suspect Jasmine's so-called 'file' was never blackmail. Jasmine only wanted to buy time. And for these two months, she created a 'cover' by modeling in London. This fame is now her shield."
"And what do you want to do?" Elena asked.
"I will foil Ji-Han's mission, Elena. Jasmine kept me quiet for two months. Now, I will stop Ji-Han's operation."
Dmitri took his younger sister's hand.
"You will help me. You will follow the path Jasmine has taken. The modeling world. You are as beautiful as her. You take charge of running my business. And under that cover, you will perform a special task for me."
Elena frowned. "What task?"
A cold fire of revenge ignited in Dmitri's eyes.
"You will use all of Jasmine's old Russian contacts and her modeling routes. I want you to gain fame like Jasmine. If Jasmine is Ji-Han's weakness, I want you to be the very reflection of that same weakness. We will make this game even more personal for Ji-Han."
"But what will be the benefit, brother?" Elena asked.
"There will be a benefit, Elena," Dmitri said calmly. "When Ji-Han realizes that I am using the reflection of his beloved as my symbol of victory, he will break down mentally. And when he loses focus, that's when we will find the location of this secret spy base and shut down this mission forever. Your job is to confuse Ji-Han. Will you stand by me?"
Elena squeezed her brother's hand. "I am always by your side, brother. I will take revenge for the harm Jasmine has done to you."
The Trap: Veni. Vidi. Vici.
Jasmine was now in the secret NIS base in Moscow. Surrounded by wartime alert, the whispers of CIA and NIS agents, and the intense blue light of monitor screens. But in the midst of all this, Jasmine was carrying out her own mission.
In her hand was a secure, encrypted phone. She quickly accessed her social media accounts. Her destination—Instagram, where millions of followers track her every move. This social media platform was now her most powerful weapon, her 'trap'.
Jasmine uploaded some photos taken from her London photoshoot two months ago. These photos were completely different and stunningly beautiful compared to her previous ordinary glamour shots:
Attire and Glamour: In one photo, she was seen in a ruby-red, extremely expensive Italian gown. The cut of the dress highlighted her body like a sculpture. In another photo, she wore a specially designed black fur coat—a reflection of the coat Ji-Han gave her, but more stylish. Every outfit seemed to symbolize extreme luxury and power.
Distinctiveness: The most important picture was a close-up of her face. In this photo, there was a strange mystery in her eyes. Under the light, those special white or silver hairs within her golden locks were distinctly highlighted. This uniqueness set her apart from other models.
The caption for the photos was just one word, in Latin: "Veni. Vidi. Vici." (I came. I saw. I conquered.)
As soon as these pictures were published, there was a storm on social media. Millions of likes, comments, and shares increased Jasmine's fame manifold.
Meanwhile, Dmitri was still sitting in his villa's chair. In his hand was a tablet showing Jasmine's newly uploaded pictures.
Seeing Jasmine's extremely glamorous return did not bring a smile to Dmitri's face; instead, his eyes hardened with anger.
"What is she thinking?" Dmitri roared. "She is challenging me? Announcing victory like this even after killing my men?"
But he knew this move was Jasmine's way of striking him mentally. Jasmine was standing in the middle of the biggest crisis of her life, yet her Instagram was saying—she is successful, happy, and victorious.
Dmitri looked at the close-up picture of Jasmine's white hair on the screen. Those eyes, that courage...
"Brother," Elena came and stood by his side. "Jasmine is using her fame as a shield. If we attack her now, the news will spread globally. That will be a great advantage for the spies."
Dmitri slammed the tablet screen onto the table.
"No, Elena. I won't kill her now. But I won't let her go either." Dmitri looked at the picture of Jasmine in the ruby-red gown. "Jasmine is now showing herself as a 'goddess'. And I will worship this goddess... but in a different way."
Dmitri slowly started to laugh. His laugh was terrifying this time. He accepted the challenge Jasmine had given him. His plan was no longer just revenge, but to utterly destroy Jasmine's arrogance. The Mafia Boss's Proposal: Extreme Tension at the Spy Base
Jasmine was still sitting with a cigarette in her hand, in front of the NIS Commander and Ji-Han. Just as she was explaining her so-called 'heartbeat key', the encrypted phone on the command table rang. The same unknown, untraceable number was flashing again.
Ji-Han quickly handed the phone to Jasmine. "Dmitri. He's calling you again."
Jasmine took the call with annoyance and a sense of mental readiness.
"What do you want, Dmitri?" Jasmine's voice was tired, but sharp.
Dmitri's voice came from the other end—no longer tears or rage, but a cold, insane self-confidence.
"I called to congratulate you, my enchantress," Dmitri said. "You proved me weak. You scared my empire. And you taught me to think anew."
Jasmine frowned. "Stop talking nonsense. You have 12 hours. The file is about to be released. Now finish the job."
Dmitri laughed, the sound audible even over the phone.
"The job will be finished, Jasmine. But in a different way. I will no longer destroy your spy lover. I will defeat him permanently. I have decided..."
Dmitri paused for a moment, as if wanting to feel the impact of his words.
"I will marry you, Jasmine."
The phone in Jasmine's hand seemed to freeze for a moment. She fixed her eyes on Ji-Han, whose face had turned hard as steel. An extreme silence suddenly descended upon the command room.
"What... what did you say?" Jasmine whispered in disbelief.
"You heard right. You will be my partner. My Queen. Your so-called file, your heartbeat key—everything will now be under my control. If you are my wife, Ji-Han cannot touch you. Your spy mission will fail, Jasmine. Because your heartbeat will be in my hands."
Jasmine gritted her teeth in anger. She stood up, her body trembling with rage.
"You are a lunatic, Dmitri! That will never happen!"
Dmitri's voice was now soft, but terrifyingly firm.
"Listen to me, enchantress. In two months, I will arrange our wedding at the oldest cathedral in Moscow. Use your modeling fame. The world's most desired model is marrying Russia's wealthiest businessman. There can be no better cover than this. I give you time. If you don't come..."
Dmitri lowered his voice further.
"Then finding Ji-Han will not be difficult for me. And I will kill him in such a way... that it will forever leave its mark on your heartbeat. The choice is yours, Jasmine. Either be my Queen, or witness your spy's death."
Dmitri cut the call.
Jasmine slammed the phone onto the table. There were no tears in her eyes, only fire.
"He wants to marry me! He's crazy! Ji-Han, did you hear?"
Ji-Han walked toward her. His face was calm, but his eyes were burning fiercely inside.
The Commander quickly stood up. "This is an unexpected opportunity! A weakness we can exploit. If Jasmine agrees to the marriage, we can destroy all of Dmitri's associates and his fortress at once."
Ji-Han placed his hand on Jasmine's shoulder. "This is our mission, Jasmine. Not a game with your life."
Jasmine turned to Ji-Han, her eyes full of intense resentment.
"You are a spy. Do you want me to marry him for your mission to succeed? Don't you have any feelings for me?"
Ji-Han looked into Jasmine's eyes. That gaze was a tough mix of love, responsibility, and extreme duty.
"We will finish this game together, Jasmine. We will defeat him together. Your safety is the first priority of my life."