Two Years Later…
The misty Moscow morning still clung to the glass doors of one of the city's most luxurious shopping malls when a young woman stepped inside. She wore a black shirt layered with a short top that highlighted her poised figure. There was an unusual firmness in the way she walked confidence radiating from every step.
From a distance, anyone would swear Sofia had returned.
Her hair was slightly shorter, but the eyes those sharp, mesmerizing eyes were the same. Beside her walked a cheerful friend as they moved from one showcase to another under the glittering mall lights.
She nudged her friend playfully with her elbow and laughed.
"Look, this dress is perfect for you. Wear this and you'll look like Katrina Kaif!"
They both laughed.
But in the crowd, unnoticed, a tall man in a black overcoat and sunglasses stood still, watching them with an intense gaze.
Viktor Alexeyevich.
He felt his heartbeat quicken. Every tiny detail of Sofia was engraved in his memory, and this girl was her mirror image. The same walk. The same smile at the corner of her lips.
Was this a hallucination?
Or had Sofia returned from the dead?
Viktor slowly began following her. Questions stormed his mind. If she wasn't Sofia, then who was she? And why did she resemble her so perfectly?
The girl stopped in front of a jewelry store, gesturing excitedly while talking. The sight dragged Viktor into the past Sofia used to admire jewelry in the exact same way.
Suddenly, another man pushed through the crowd and approached them.
Dmitri.
But the grief that once shadowed his face was gone. He looked… happy.
Dmitri walked straight to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. She smiled warmly at him.
"Hi! Why are you so late? We've been waiting forever. Shopping is almost done!"
Dmitri kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Sorry, traffic. Come on, let's have lunch."
Viktor watched from a distance, his chest tightening. Was this girl Dmitri's new lover? Or was Sofia alive, hidden from the world?
He could no longer restrain himself. He stepped toward them.
"Dmitri…"
They both stopped.
Dmitri didn't look surprised. Instead, a faint mocking smile appeared on his face.
"Oh, big brother! What a coincidence. Let me introduce you. This is Lia, my fiancée. She does resemble someone… doesn't she? You know… the one you lost two years ago."
Lia extended her hand politely.
"Hello, Mr. Viktor. I've heard a lot about you from Dmitri."
Her voice was different from Sofia's faster, more confident. Yet her eyes carried that same piercing intensity that confused Viktor deeply.
As Viktor stared, Dmitri quietly pulled Lia aside and whispered in panic, unaware of how sharp Viktor's ears were.
"Are you crazy, Sofia? We almost got caught! Why were you smiling like that? If Viktor suspects you're alive, none of us will survive this."
Lia's expression changed instantly. The playful look vanished, replaced by the cold composure of a trained agent.
She gripped Dmitri's hand tightly.
"Be quiet. Even walls have ears. Viktor may be a don… but I am DGFI's top agent. Dying was part of my mission. I returned as 'Lia' to retrieve the final key Viktor took from me two years ago."
Her fake smile returned as she signaled her friend.
But Dmitri was sweating. He knew he was standing between two fires his brother Viktor and this dangerously brilliant woman who had returned from the dead.
From a distance, Viktor noticed everything the whispering lips, the sudden shift in her eyes.
He understood.
Dmitri was hiding something.
Inside his mind, a chilling thought formed.
"Sofia… you never left. You were never gone. Dmitri hid you. Or perhaps both of you are setting a trap for me. If you are truly Sofia… this time, I won't put you into a coma. I will lock you inside my heart."
Viktor pulled out his phone and sent a message to Alia:
"Sofia is alive. She's at the mall with Dmitri. Be ready. The prey has walked into our net on her own."The situation reached its breaking point.
The moment Viktor's suspicion turned into certainty, he did not waste a second. Just when Dmitri and Sofia—disguised as Lia—thought they had escaped unnoticed, Viktor's men surrounded them from all sides.
Dragged by the Hair — Face to Face with the Truth
Viktor himself stepped forward and grabbed Sofia harshly by her short hair. She cried out in pain, but his eyes burned like molten lava. He dragged her across the floor and threw her in front of Alia.
"Alia! Look carefully at your 'dead' sister. The one we buried in a coffin two years ago is standing here today under another name, romancing my brother. Look at this traitor!"
Sofia fell to her knees from the force of his grip. In an instant, the hardened agent disappeared, replaced by the fragile performance of an innocent girl. She looked at Alia with teary eyes and whimpered softly,
"Uff… Apu… why is brother-in-law hurting me like this? His grip hurts. I'm Lia… why would I be Sofia? Has he gone mad?"
She said brother-in-law so convincingly that even Dmitri froze.
Alia stepped closer. There was no softness left in her eyes. She grabbed Sofia's chin tightly.
"Enough. Stop this act, Sofia. Your 'brother-in-law' drama won't fool me. I know exactly who you are. You're the DGFI agent who came to destroy our family. Viktor is not a fool. I'm not shocked you're alive. I'm furious that you thought you could deceive me."
Sofia suddenly smiled. There were no tears in that smile. She pushed Alia's hand away and stood up, though Viktor's fist was still tangled in her hair.
"Correct, Apu. Seems your CIA training has rusted; you took too long to recognize me. And brother-in-law… you've grown stronger. You pulled my hair so hard my real identity slipped out."
She leaned closer to Viktor and whispered,
"Two years ago I lost. This time, I didn't come alone. Your palace is under my agency's surveillance. If you kill me, your empire will turn to dust in seconds."
Dmitri stood trembling between them, realizing he belonged nowhere now.
Viktor's Control — Sofia's New War
Alia's voice rang sharply through the hall.
"Enough, Sofia! I won't melt because you call me 'Apu'. She is a poisonous snake. She returned from the dead to destroy us. Viktor, take her away. Do whatever you want. Just remove her from my sight."
A cruel smile curved Viktor's lips. He tightened his grip in Sofia's hair and pulled her closer.
"Wise decision, Alia. Today you proved survival is greater than blood."
He turned to Dmitri.
"If you move even an inch, I will shoot you."
As he dragged Sofia away, he leaned close to her ear.
"You are an agent. You know what happens when the 'dead' return. They suffer more than before. You made a mistake coming back. This time, not a coma… you will become a permanent resident of my darkness."
Sofia did not flinch. She grabbed Viktor's collar and replied calmly,
"The more you cage me, Viktor, the more forms I will return in. I am a DGFI agent, not your puppet. This time, I won't just drown you… I will take your home and your precious Alia with me."
Viktor pulled her toward his secret torture chamber. Before the door shut, Sofia saw Dmitri standing with his head lowered, and Alia trying to hide the trembling of her hands .Victor's composed facade shattered instantly, replaced by a primal ferocity. He was no longer just a mafia boss or a don—he was the 'Lord' of this underworld. Not a single leaf in this city stirred without his command. Hearing Sofia's defiance, his blood boiled with rage.
The Lord's Reign: The Scene at the Bed
Victor dragged Sofia into his massive bedroom. Before she could utter a word, he struck her with a vicious slap, using all his strength. The blow was so powerful that Sofia lost her balance and was sent reeling, crashing onto the enormous bed.
Sofia's lip split, and blood began to trickle down. She curled up in agony, sobbing uncontrollably. But Victor showed no mercy. He stepped toward the bed slowly, his shadow looming over her body like a shroud of darkness.
Victor (in a thundering voice):
"Remember this, Sofia: you aren't standing before some petty don or a boss. You are standing before the Lord Alekzevich. That DGFI you keep mentioning? They don't even know their top agent is currently weeping on my bed. I kept you alive because I loved you. But you came back to destroy my empire?"
Sofia buried her face in the pillow, her sobs muffled. Her sharp, agent-like edge had faded into a dull grey of pain. She spoke in a trembling voice:
"You... you are an animal, Victor. You might be a Lord, but you've never won anyone's heart. That's why you always strike instead of loving."
Victor knelt on the bed and gripped Sofia's chin firmly. His fingers dug in so hard that her face contorted in pain.
Victor:
"Winning hearts is for the weak. I know how to rule. You've gathered a lot of secrets for the DGFI, haven't you? Tonight, I will extract every piece of information from you. But not with whips or electricity. I will break you in such a way that you'll start to hate your own agency."
Sofia froze for a moment, looking into Victor's eyes even through her tears. She realized how terrifying a Lord's wrath could be. Victor then reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a black ribbon.
Victor:
"Cry, Sofia. I love your tears. Because your tears tell me that you are still under my control."
Outside the room, Dimitri was banging his head against the door in despair, while Alia leaned against the wall, wiping away her own tears. Neither of them dared to challenge the Lord's fury to save Sofia.