The brown ancient clock in Viktor's study struck midnight as Aria crept down the hallway, barefooted and half-tiptoeing. She had spent the last few hours enduring Katya's lessons. An entire waste of time, she had thought. Lessons on how to walk in heels without wobbling, how to sip vodka without gagging, how to smile at Viktor's associates while counting exits.
This life was far from her reality.
Four days.
That's how long it had been since she signed to be with a man who didn't blink when people begged for their lives.
The marble floor was cold against her bare feet as she made her way toward what she hoped was a back exit. She'd memorized the layout during Katya's torturous etiquette sessions, noting every door, every window, every potential escape route.
The mansion was a fortress but every fortress had weaknesses.
The hallway stretched endlessly before her, lined with oil paintings that probably cost more than most people's houses. Russian masters mixed with contemporary pieces. Even in her desperation, Aria couldn't help but pause at a particular Kandinsky, her artist's eye caught by the violent swirls of color.
She'd waited until the house settled into its late-night rhythm. The guards changed shifts at midnight, she'd counted them during her walks with Katya. There would be a thirty-second window when the back terrace was unmonitored.
Thirty seconds to slip out into the gardens.
Thirty seconds to disappear into the night.
Thirty seconds to reclaim her life.
The door to the terrace appeared ahead, and Aria's heart hammered against her ribs. She could see the gardens through the glass manicured hedges that could provide cover, a gate in the far wall that might, if she was lucky, be unlocked.
Her hand closed around the door handle.
"Going somewhere?"
Aria's blood turned to ice. Viktor's voice came from behind her, low and amused, as if he'd been expecting this exact moment.
She turned slowly, her hand still gripping the door handle like a lifeline. Viktor stood at the other end of the hallway, fully dressed despite the late hour, leaning against the doorframe of his study with predatory grace. He looked like he'd been waiting for her.
"I couldn't sleep," she said, proud that her voice didn't shake.
"So you decided to take a midnight stroll? In the gardens?" Viktor pushed off from the doorframe and began walking toward her with measured steps. "Barefoot? Without a coat? In thirty-degree weather?"
Aria's mind raced for a plausible explanation. "I needed air."
"Air." Viktor's smile was sharp as a blade. "Of course. And the fact that you've spent the last three days mapping every exit in this house is just a coincidence?"
Heat flashed through Aria's cheeks. "I don't know what you mean."
"Don't you?" Viktor was close enough now that she could see the amusement dancing in his dark eyes. "You think I haven't noticed you counting guards during your walks with Katya? Timing shift changes? Testing door handles when you think no one's looking?"
"You've been watching me."
"I've been protecting my investment." Viktor stopped just out of arm's reach, close enough to grab her if she bolted, far enough away to give her the illusion of choice. "Did you really think you could waltz out of here without me knowing?"
Aria lifted her chin defiantly. "I had to try."
"Had to?" Viktor tilted his head, studying her face. "Or wanted to?"
"Both."
Viktor's laugh was low and rich. "At least you're honest. I appreciate honesty, Aria. It's so rare in my world."
"Then you'll appreciate this"
"I will never stop trying to leave. You can watch me, guard me, lock me up, but I will never stop looking for a way out."
"I know." Viktor's expression was unreadable. "It's one of the things I find most... intriguing about you."
"Intriguing?" Aria's voice rose slightly. "I'm not a puzzle for you to solve, Viktor."
"Aren't you?" Viktor moved closer, and Aria's back hit the glass door. "A broke artist who somehow caught my attention. A woman brave enough to witness a murder and still mouth off to the killer. A fighter who signed a contract to save her own life but won't give up trying to break it." His hand came up to brace against the glass beside her head. "You're the most interesting puzzle I've encountered in years."
"I'm a person, not a game."
"In my world, people are games. Pieces to be moved, strategies to be employed, weaknesses to be exploited."
Viktor's fingers found a strand of her hair, twirling it between his fingers. "But you... you don't play by any rules I understand."
Aria jerked her head away from his touch. "Because I'm not playing. This is my life."
"And now it's mine." Viktor's voice went cold. "Don't forget that."
"How could I? You remind me every chance you get."
"Do I?" Viktor leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Then let me remind you again. You belong to me now, Aria. Your time, your body, your very breath—all mine. Running away isn't just futile, it's a breach of contract."
"What are you going to do? Kill me?"
Viktor pulled back to look at her, his expression unreadable. "Death would be a mercy compared to what I could do to you. To the people you care about."
Aria's hands clenched into fists. "You bastard."
"I've been called worse." Viktor's smile was sharp. "Usually right before I killed someone."
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
"It's supposed to remind you that I'm not a man you want to cross." Viktor stepped back, giving her space to breathe. "But since you're so determined to test boundaries, let me make something clear."
Aria waited, her heart hammering.
"You can try to run every night for the next year if it amuses you. I'll catch you every time. Not because my security is impenetrable but because you have nowhere to go."
"What do you mean?"
Viktor pulled out his phone, swiping to show her a bank statement. Her bank statement. The balance read zero.
"Your accounts have been frozen pending investigation into your... associations with known criminals," Viktor said pleasantly. "Terrible thing, being connected to the Russian mafia makes banks very nervous."
Aria stared at the screen in horror. "You can't do that."
"I just did. Your credit cards are cancelled. Your lease has been terminated for non-payment. Your landlord was very understanding about the circumstances." Viktor pocketed the phone. "Even if you somehow made it off my property, you'd have nowhere to go and no money to get there."
"That's... that's illegal."
"Is it? I'm sure if you contacted the authorities, they'd be very interested to hear about your connection to a suspected crime boss. They might even have questions about what you witnessed in that alley."
The walls felt like they were closing in. "You've thought of everything."
"I always do." Viktor's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "I'm not trying to break you, Aria. I'm trying to protect you."
"Protect me? You've destroyed my entire life!"
"I've removed your options so you can focus on what matters." Viktor moved closer again, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "Building a new life. With me."
"I don't want a new life with you."
"You will." Viktor's confidence was absolute, infuriating. "Given time."
"Never."
"We'll see." Viktor gestured toward the staircase. "Come. It's late, and we're having our wedding tomorrow"
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
Viktor sighed, the sound somehow more threatening than any of his earlier words. "Aria, you can walk upstairs under your own power, or I can carry you. Either way, you're going back to your room."
Aria looked at the door behind her, then at Viktor's implacable expression. She could try to run now, could attempt to fight her way past him, but they both knew how that would end.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "But this isn't over."
"I wouldn't want it to be." Viktor's smile was dangerous as he gestured for her to precede him up the stairs. "I do so enjoy our little games."
As they climbed the grand staircase in tense silence, Aria's mind raced. Viktor had thought of everything. Her money, her housing, her connections to the outside world. He'd systematically cut off every avenue of escape with ruthless efficiency.
But there was something he hadn't considered.
Aria Bennett had been surviving on her own since she was sixteen. She'd been broke before, homeless before, desperate before. And she'd always found a way out.
This time would be no different.
She just needed to be smarter about it.
"Sweet dreams,my to-be wife," Viktor said when they reached her door. "Try not to plan any more midnight adventures. I do need my beauty sleep."
Aria slammed the door in his face, taking savage satisfaction in the sound. On the other side, she heard Viktor's low chuckle before his footsteps retreated down the hall.
She pressed her back against the door, sliding down until she sat on the floor, and finally allowed herself to cry. Not from fear,she was beyond fear now and not even despair, she was too angry for that.
She cried from pure, burning rage.
Viktor Kozlov thought he owned her. He thought he'd trapped her so completely that she had no choice but to submit.
He was about to learn just how wrong he was.
Aria wiped her tears and stood, moving to the window that overlooked the gardens. Somewhere out there was freedom. She just had to be clever enough to reach it.
The game was far from over.