After Sofia disappeared into the shadows, Aryan Volkov remained leaning against his car for a long time. Straightening his sleeves, he took a deep breath, inhaling the lingering scent of the cigar Sofia had left behind. A cruel, calculated smirk played on his lips he knew this game had only just begun.
As Sofia stepped through the palace gates, she found the corridor swallowed in darkness. Only the heavy door to Dimitri's study stood slightly ajar, emitting a faint, cold blue light. She tried to slip past silently, but a deep, resonant voice cut through the stillness like a blade.
"The scent of a Russian black cigar is quite potent, isn't it, Sofia?"
Sofia froze. Dimitri was standing by the window, a crystal glass of bourbon in his hand. He didn't turn around, but the lethal chill in his voice was unmistakable.
Dimitri: "I let you go out alone because I trusted you. But extinguishing a cigar on my enemy's car... is that your bravery, or a test of my patience?"
Sofia didn't back down. She walked straight into the room and stood before him, her eyes devoid of fear. She spoke with cool disdain, "Were you stalking me, Dimitri? Or have your sources started trembling just at the mention of Aryan Volkov?"
In a sudden blur of motion, Dimitri was on her. He grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against the wall. His eyes, usually a piercing blue, had turned almost black with rage. He whispered harshly:
"Aryan Volkov is a venomous viper, Sofia. He wants you only to destroy me. And you? You're playing games with him using smoke and dresses? Remember, you are mine. Not even a shadow touches you without my permission."
Sofia placed her hand on Dimitri's chest, firmly creating space between them. She replied in a calm, defiant Sylheti-Bengali:
"Amare atkaiya rakhar cheshta korio na, Dimitri. Ami baghini, khachat thakar obhyash amar nai. Ar Aryan? Tare ami kila kori shesh kormu, houta ami jani. Tumi shudhu dekhba." (Don't try to keep me trapped, Dimitri. I am a tigress, I have no habit of staying in a cage. And Aryan? I know exactly how to finish him. You just watch.)
Dimitri didn't fully grasp the literal meaning of her words, but he understood her fire perfectly. He released his grip and pulled a fresh Galaxy Chocolate from his drawer, placing it on the table between them.
Dimitri: "Tomorrow morning, we go to that hotel. This time, we go together. I want to see if Aryan Volkov has the courage to even look into your eyes while I am standing right there."
Sofia looked at the chocolate and allowed a small, knowing smile to touch her lips. She knew that tomorrow would be one of the bloodiest and most exhilarating days in the history of Moscow.