Sofia's long-suppressed hatred, buried over two years, erupted like a volcano. She was no longer the timid girl she once was. She realized that surviving in this palace required not mercy, but the ability to strike.
Scene of Utter Humiliation
When Viktor whispered his arrogance into her ear, Sofia suddenly spun around. There were no tears in her eyes—only a venomous smile. She stepped so close that their breaths mingled. Then, looking at Viktor's snowy white hair, she laughed with derision.
Sofia:
"Do you think opening this door makes you great, Viktor? You imagine yourself the emperor of this empire, but do you know the truth? Beneath that white hair and your expensive linen suit hides a hungry wolf, drooling for scraps from your own brother."
Silence fell over the hall. Dimitri was stunned, and a bit of wine splashed from Alia's glass. Sofia didn't stop. She pushed her finger into Viktor's chest and said:
"You speak of ideals, yet every night you fumble just to inhale my scent. You are a parasite, Viktor. Your existence depends solely on your wife's body and your brother's fiancée's tears. You are no emperor; you are the greatest hypocrite in this hell. You wanted to 'mark' me? Today, I mark you—so the world will know that Moscow's so-called greatest don, in truth, begs from his brother's future bride."
Sofia then turned to Alia with a shameless, twisted smile.
"And sister, you think you are clever, sending your husband to my bed? In truth, you and Viktor are nothing but trash in a dustbin, helping each other spread stench."
Viktor's jaw clenched. His blue eyes darkened with fury and shame. Sofia fixed her gaze on him and delivered her final blow:
"Viktor Alekzevich, you may take my body by force, but seeing your shameless lust now fills me with disgust. Do you truly think I will ever respect you? Impossible! You will only ever enjoy my body, like meat thrown before a beast."
Sofia's unprecedented and shameless humiliation was unimaginable for a man like Viktor Alekzevich, whose mere gesture could make the European mafia tremble. Yet today, standing in his own palace, he was reduced to ridicule in front of a single woman.
The calm, noble mask on Viktor's face shattered instantly. Veins bulged across his body, and his blue eyes glowed with a sinister red.
Viktor's Terrifying Revenge Begins
Viktor said nothing. He grabbed a fistful of Sofia's hair and yanked her toward him. Sofia crumpled under his strength. Viktor's breath was like searing fire against her face.
Viktor (through gritted teeth, in a low voice):
"You have crossed the line, Sofia. I called you 'tigress' out of love, but you forgot I know the art of caging a tiger. You called me a beggar? A hypocrite?"
In a sudden motion, Viktor threw Sofia to the floor. He then turned toward Dimitri, who shrank back in fear.
Viktor:
"Dimitri! You said she was yours? From today, she is no one's. Any woman who dares point a finger at the emperor does not have the right to wed. She is no princess of this palace—she will be a punished captive."
Viktor unbuckled his belt and coiled it in his hand. With no trace of mercy or sanctity left in his eyes, he approached Sofia and lifted her once more.
Viktor:
"You wanted to see my shameless desire? Fine. From today, this lust will be your fate. That pride with which you imagined yourself Dimitri's wife—I will crush it into dust. Alia!"
Alia stepped forward, impassive. Viktor looked at her and ordered:
"Tonight, Sofia's place will be the dark dungeon in the basement, where we keep traitors. She will be given no food. And that red silk dress she wore to insult me? That will be her only possession. Tear it to pieces, so she remembers every moment that she has no cover."
Sofia shivered on the floor, but the fire of hatred still burned in her eyes. Viktor bent down, holding her hair, and whispered:
"Sofia, you were right—I am a beast. And now you will see just how terrifying a beast can be when angered. From tonight, every scream of yours will be music to my ears."
At Viktor's command, the atmosphere of the hall transformed instantly. Two massive guards stepped forward and seized Sofia's arms. She did not resist, knowing she had no strength to escape their grasp.
Exile to the Dungeon
As the guards dragged her out of the hall, Sofia turned her head one last time toward Viktor. Her face was filled with bloodied fury, yet a mysterious smile remained on her lips. Viktor, holding a glass of wine, watched calmly as if enjoying a performance.
Sofia (shouting):
"Viktor! Remember, you may cage me, but you will never conquer my hatred. The darkness you send me into today will one day consume this empire itself!"
Descending the stairs, Sofia saw Dimitri bowing his head. He did not even have the courage to meet his fiancée's eyes. Alia sipped her wine and signaled the guards to hurry.
The Dark Dungeon
Beneath the luxurious Moscow hotel lay another world—stone walls, damp air, and echoes of anguish. Sofia was thrown behind a heavy iron door. She collapsed to the floor, her knees and elbows scraping against the cold stone.
When the iron door closed silently, she saw that it was pitch dark, except for a sliver of moonlight filtering through a small vent. Her expensive red silk dress was now dusty, torn in places.
Next Scene
At midnight, the sound of the dungeon door unlocking echoed. Sofia thought Viktor had come to inflict more torment. But in the darkness, she saw a shadowy figure enter, holding a small torch and wearing a black coat.
Sofia gasped—it was not Viktor.
The shadowy figure was Dimitri. But the mercy and love that once shone in his eyes were gone. He knelt in front of Sofia and pulled a sharp knife from his pocket.
Dimitri (whispering):
"Sofia, Viktor only captured you, but I have come to free you from this torment. You shamed my brother in front of everyone, dishonoring our family. He may forgive you, but my blood cannot accept it."Sofia's chest tightened as Dimitri stood before her with a knife, and in that unbearable moment, her vision blurred—and suddenly, she jolted awake.
The Blur of Dreams and the Cruelty of Reality
Sofia realized she was sweating, her heart pounding wildly. For a few fleeting seconds, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Dimitri hadn't come to harm her. But that relief lasted only a moment. When she opened her eyes and looked around, her blood ran cold.
Reality:
She was not lying on a soft bed. She was still in that dark, damp basement dungeon. The musty smell of stone walls and the scuttling of rats reminded her that while Dimitri's knife had been a dream, Viktor's punishment was brutally real.
Sofia rose to her feet. Her once-expensive red silk dress was now smeared with dust and sweat, and her body ached all over. The terror of her dream now felt even more terrifying in reality.
Suddenly, heavy boots echoed outside the dungeon. The slide window in the iron door creaked open. Through the darkness, a pair of icy blue eyes stared at her. Those eyes belonged to no one else but Viktor Alekzevich.
Viktor (in a detached tone):
"Awake, Sofia? Did you see Dimitri in your dreams? Perhaps he was trying to save you, wasn't he? But in reality, Dimitri is upstairs, sipping champagne with Alia. Your 'hero' has left you alone in this hell."
Sofia said nothing. She sat like a stone in the darkness. Viktor continued:
"The night is almost over. Tomorrow morning, you will leave this dungeon—but remember, you will not emerge as the same Sofia. From tomorrow, you will be my personal servant. From cleaning my shoes to obeying my every command—that will be your life. Thought you were bold? Tomorrow, that boldness will be crushed beneath your feet."
Sofia whispered into the darkness:
"Why don't you just kill me, Viktor? Ending it all bit by bit would be much easier, wouldn't it?"
Viktor let out a devilish laugh. He tossed a small package through the window into the dungeon.
Viktor:
"Killing you would end the game. I want to watch you burn alive. There's some stale bread and water in that package. Eat it, because tomorrow is going to be a long day for you."
The Unimaginable Morning
Viktor's cruel plan seemed completely reversed. When Sofia emerged from the dark basement dungeon at dawn, no one could recognize that she had spent the night with that beast.
The Morning Scene
In the hotel's grand dining hall, Viktor and Alia were seated for breakfast. They had expected to see Sofia battered, dusty, and broken. But the woman who descended the stairs stopped Viktor's hand mid-air, holding his coffee cup.
Sofia now wore an ultra-thin, luxurious sheer silk dress that traced every curve of her body. This was no servant's garment it was a weapon of seduction. Her eyes held no tears, only a victorious glow.
She did not even glance at Viktor or Alia. Straightforward, she walked to Dimitri's side. Dimitri, who had been cowering the night before, was now completely under Sofia's spell.
The scene:
Dimitri fed her a piece of fruit with his own hand. Sofia smiled at him, speaking as naturally as if the night's humiliation and the dungeon ordeal had never happened. She was the undisputed empress of the palace.
Viktor's jaw clenched. Trembling with rage, he stood up. Seeing Dimitri feed his fiancée sparked a primal jealousy within him.
Viktor (in a grave tone):
"Sofia! Have you forgotten the lesson I taught you last night? Where did you find the audacity to show such defiance with Dimitri this morning in that outfit?"
Sofia took the last bite of fruit from Dimitri's hand, savoring it slowly. Then she looked at Viktor and gave a mesmerizing yet poisonous smile.
Sofia:
"Lesson? Oh, you mean the dungeon? That was quite the thrilling experience, Viktor. But this morning I realized Dimitri's touch is far stronger than your whip. And the outfit? You wanted me to have no veil. Now that I've shown everything, why are you so distressed, big brother?"
Alia glanced at Sofia's body and discreetly grasped Dimitri's hand under the table. But Dimitri's full attention was solely on Sofia. Calmly, he looked at Viktor and said:
"Brother, Sofia is right. She is my fiancée, and I will keep her as I please. She will endure no more punishment from today onward."
Viktor realized that Sofia's influence was not only through her appearance but also through the hold she had over Dimitri. She had not become a servant; she had made Dimitri her personal servant instead.