Victor

"Shall I serve dinner, sir?" I nodded to the stewardess and turned to Elena. Her face was so peaceful in her sleep. The last two days have been stressful for both of us. Elena continued to ask me questions, looking at me like she expected me to lie to her with every answer. She kept her distance, although she tried to hide it, but I felt that she still hadn't decided whether to give our marriage a chance. Her kisses were restrained, her hugs somewhat stronger, as if she wanted to make sure that I would stay.

She was confused, scared and I understand that. But I miss her smile, the real one that makes her eyes shine, her cheekbones fill. "Elena, my love?" I turned to her and gently moved some hair from her face. Slowly, her eyelids trembled, the lack of makeup was something that only made me admire her beauty even more. "Victor?" her sleepy voice rumbled inside me. Women don't understand how beautiful they are when they wake up. The flushed face, the way they frowned, as if taking away their sleep was the most irritating thing in the world, the disheveled hair that made their face look childishly cute, the fist clenching and eye rubbing gesture.

"It's time for dinner, my love" I stroked her cheek lightly, Elena flinched and sat up abruptly, turning to raise the back of her seat, probably to hide her worry, but I saw it and her fear of me pierced me like a knife . "Elena?" she turned and looked at me questioningly. She was trying to hide it, but I can see her keeping her distance and it's killing me. "What is there for dinner?" she cleared her throat, started to fold the blanket, trying to look normal, but her hands were shaking slightly and she was doing the same fold twice.

"I don't know" I got up and went to the toilet. Only two days ago, this woman looked at me with tenderness and light in her eyes. I had decided that I was making progress, that I was watching her fall in love with me, and now everything is disappearing, leaking through my fingers and I don't have the strength to stop it, to hold it back. "Victor?" I closed my eyes, took a breath and turned around in the small space to open the door. Elena was standing in front looking up at me.

Those beautiful green eyes, those cherry lips, the fiery hair, the freckles on her nose and cheeks, looking like someone ran a wet brush over her face. I love this woman, my breathing, my life, everything depends on her and I, my family, my job, we fail everything. If I tell her how crazy I am about her, will it change anything? Will that make her stay? I promised her a family, children, a happy marriage, I stand behind my every word, but will she believe me?

"May I come in?" a blush crept across her face, her eyes darting around. I relented, she hesitated only for a second, but entered the toilet and closed the door behind her. "I..." my hands were itching to touch her, to hug her, I want to give her confidence, to give her a decision, but also to leave her the right to free will. I tried to make more room for her, to keep the distance she needed to feel safe. I leaned my palms back against the small sink and waited.

"Do you hate me?" her question caught me off guard. "What?" my brows sunk, her eyes shot up and my being screamed to try and calm her down. "It's all so confusing" the moisture in her eyes acted like snake venom on me, one by one my organs started to tingle, but I was afraid that if I tried to touch her, she would run away and I wouldn't know what she was thinking, what want. "I don't understand, Viktor, you're....you're so kind, so gentle, how..." her eyes fell behind me and I followed her gaze.

She was looking at my hands. "Elena" I sighed, sat on the edge and opened my arms. Elena didn't know what to do, I want to give her a solution, but mine is only one and at the moment it hardly matches hers. She looked at my open arms, her teeth digging into her bottom lip, but it only took a moment before she sank into my arms. Her body was trembling, her fingers were desperately clutching the shirt on my back. "It's okay my love, it's gonna be okay" I started into her hair and she sobbed.

"I know it's hard, Elena" I gently rocked her, enjoying the feeling of her body next to mine, of my arms around her. "I wish I could change who I am, what I'm like, if it wouldn't put you in danger I'd do it for you, but I can't risk losing you Elena, a thousand times I'd rather you look at me with disgust and hatred,rather than risk you getting hurt" I planted a kiss on the top of her hair and she pulled away slightly, looking up.

"I'm scared, Viktor" I tilted my head, her eyes were darkening under the pressure of worries. "What if something happens to you? How can I live with the thought that there will come a day when Marcus or Simon or Dominic will stand on my doorstep and one of them will tell me you're not coming home? What about our children? Always will I have to look over my shoulder?" she cried and I squeezed her harder. "I know, my love, I know it's hard" her body literally shook, she squeezed me with all the strength her tiny body possessed.

"But, Elena, look at me" I carefully grabbed and lifted her face. "Every day you go out on the street and look around for a passing car, every day you go to the market and look around because you're a rich man's daughter and you could be kidnapped for ransom, you could end up with food poisoning, in a random street gang fight, or to walk into the bank and get robbed" she snorted sweetly and I wiped a tear away with my thumb. "Life is dangerous as it is, Elena, every day people die violent deaths, yet they live happily. And you have me, Elena, our children will have me and all the protection I can buy. I have enemies, they attack me from time to time, but I'm here, in front of you, with traces of wounds, scars on my body, but alive, Elena. My parents raised me, we can do the same, my love" I crouched slightly, Elena sighed and settled more close, lying on my chest.

"You don't stop living because you're afraid, my love. You don't run away from the joy of today, because in tomorrow there may be unhappiness. If it were like that, humanity would have perished thousands of years ago, there would be no building, there would be no weddings, babies wouldn't be born. Everything is a risk, getting out of bed in the morning is a risk of tripping over your slippers, but you do it, don't you?" she nodded a little and I smiled. "Here, all I'm offering you is to take a chance on me, my love. I'm offering you to take a chance and see how happy I can make you? All you have to do is trust me to give it my all of myself to protect you and our family and say yes one more time?" I stared intently into her eyes.

"And what should I do if something happens to you?" she muttered, but I could see the joke in her teary eyes. "Then you will be a very beautiful, very rich young widow, my love. But I assure you, I would rather go zombie than stay in the grave knowing someone else could touch you" I grinned and she shook her head. "Widow Elena Craven?" I raised my eyebrows, Elena snorted and put her head on my shoulder. "It doesn't sound good to me, so make sure that doesn't happen," Elena murmured and my heart skipped a beat to my heels and back again.

"Is that a yes, my love?" I asked quietly, because if it was my chance, I didn't want to ruin the moment by destroying the small toilet, jumping around like a mustang, or scaring my little wife again. "Yes, but it will cost you a lot and you will have to win me over" she snorted, sobbing with laughter and I squeezed her so hard that between the small walls, her exhalation sounded like a ship's whistle. "You got it, my love" I pulled back, grabbed her face and looked straight into her soul. "Whatever you want, anything, for God's sake, I'll buy you the goddamn fucking sun!" she burst out laughing and i kissed her. i kissed her with everything i have.

Elena

Victor is right, there are dangers and risks around every corner, on every street, in every cup and plate. And in my new living room. Our luggage had not yet been taken out of the suitcases, it was only noon, Victor was urgently called by Dominic, and me? I was sitting on an amazing beige couch, across from an identical table, hidden behind my husband and Dominic's legs, peeking out like a sissy because my dad showed up unannounced and uninvited, yelling at me for not calling for two weeks.

This delayed the exit of Victor and Dominic, who now stood as a shield in front of me. "Viktor, you really don't have to..." I tried to stand up, but with the two of them standing, I had no room to do so and sighed, shaking my head. It's sweet that Victor is so overprotective, but does he really believe that my father would hurt me? "I won't leave you with him until he calms down, Elena!" Victor snapped without even looking at me. The memory of the boat flashed into my mind and my gaze went to his back.

"Victor, please" he turned and looked at me, his face was stormy, but not like in Koh Samui and that calmed me down a bit. "He's my father Viktor, he won't hurt me" Victor grunted and let his breath out slowly. "Okay, but if you agree to me leaving two at the door?" I nodded and was finally made room to stand up. Victor wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed me softly, causing my father to grunt in disgust from his seat on the other couch.

Victor handed me the phone with the express order to call if anything happened, Dominic kept an eye on my father like a watchdog until Victor told him they were leaving. "Call me, I'll text when we get there" I nodded and pecked his lips before sending them away with a look. "So you're really playing happy couple?" I looked at my father. "Couldn't you wait at least a day before you come and try to act concerned?" I asked bitingly and my father turned red.

"Am I pretending?" my father's chest puffed out in offense. So much has happened in the last month that I don't know where to begin to organize my thoughts. I agreed to an arranged marriage, got married quickly, lived through the happiest and most terrible two weeks of my life, began to fall in love with my arranged husband, only to find out that he is a third generation mobster and there is no way out. Meanwhile, I've realized so many things about myself that my dad doesn't even know how different his daughter is now and how close I am to kicking him out.

"When you yelled at me for not calling, didn't you think about doing it?" I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head slightly. One of the things I learned during my marriage with Victor is that I have the right to my own will and opinion, and I do have them. I never thought that, in fact, throughout my life, this right was taken away from me by my father's stunted understanding. Now, however, when Victor kept asking me what my wishes were, to comply with them, I rediscovered this right of mine and I like it.

"I...I didn't...I didn't mean to cause you trouble with that criminal!" snorted my father, his gaze darting to the side. "And what kind of trouble do you think I could get into with Victor because of one phone call? And stop calling my husband a criminal!" my dad doesn't need to know everything, does he? Not now, when I'm so mad at him that I want to strangle him. "Will Madame desire anything?" I almost screamed when a maid appeared next to us and I shook my head. "No, thank you, you're free" the girl slightly bowed her head and withdrew, modestly holding her hands in front of her.

"Madam?" repeated my father and I gave him an irritated look. "Do you really intend to continue this farce, Elena?" that's what it was. I married to help my father save his casinos, now that they were out of danger, he no longer needed my marriage. "Farce? What part of my marriage is a farce?" I asked and leaned back, tucking my legs under the sofa. "The whole thing, Elena! We don't need Victor anymore, divorce him and come home to me. We can live like before, be happy again, Elena" answered my father passionately, almost falling to his knees from the couch.

"You do realize that my marriage is perfectly real and legal, don't you, Dad?" I asked slowly and my father rolled his eyes. "I'm aware, but I have acquaintances, friends, who will help us cancel it quickly. Then I'll find you a more suitable husband, someone who suits you better, who will take better care of you and might be of use both of us" I almost threw up. Until now I was not aware of my blindness, nor my father's greed. Victor is not easy to manipulate, my father had used me as bait to get what Victor wanted, once done, their contract is no longer in effect, meaning neither owes the other anything and the only bond between them is me.

"Explain?" actually, I don't care, I just want to know how far my father's greed goes. "While you were on your...honeymoon" my dad spits out 'honeymoon' like he's tasted the most disgusting dish. "I found a man who is willing to marry you, even though you're no longer a...virgin, I guess?" I held my breath, I can't believe my dad asked me that! "It's none of your business, Dad!" I squealed in embarrassment and he cleared his throat. "That's right, that's right, you're right, and it doesn't matter" he nodded and made himself more comfortable, spreading his arms on the back of the sofa, as if this was his house.

"Anyway" he continued and I glanced briefly at the double doors to the living room. Victor said he would put two guards there, but I couldn't see them. "Well, this man agreed to marry you and invest in opening another casino called Mascot" I looked back at my father and raised my eyebrows. "You sold me out? Again?" sometime in the last month, while I was thinking about my marriage, the thought that it wasn't Victor who was the manipulator, but my father, I couldn't help but think that my marriage was actually planned by my father, and it made me feel dirty.

It was like I was a commodity that he could trade. Actually, I was just that, wasn't I? All my upbringing, what I learned and my father's rules? I never argued, I was always exemplary, I didn't go out at night because it was 'dangerous', I never had a boyfriend because my father didn't approve of relationships before marriage. I have always been told that my husband will be his choice, because who, if not him, can best judge who should succeed him? Not me, as his daughter, my husband would inherit him. Now that husband was Victor, but aside from his wealth, my father saw nothing else acceptable about Victor and was determined to replace him with someone more suitable, in his opinion, someone who would likely be easy to manipulate and obey him, like me, until before my marriage.

"Sell you? Elena, what are you talking about?" my father's eyes widened, his face reddened again, he suddenly looked like one of those wrinkly funny dogs. "Isn't that exactly what you did when you agreed that I should marry Victor, father? You fell on your knees, crying and begging me to marry him? And now you want me to divorce him?" I felt drained. How much more can I take, how much more can I learn? How did my life suddenly become a series of discoveries about everything and everyone around me?

"Elena, don't take it like that!" my father got up, went around the table that separated us and sat next to me, holding my hands. "You did something very important for me Elena, you saved our family, my business and my reputation. But that was in the past, you don't have to put up with this guy anymore, you don't have to be his pawn. You can get rid of him ,marrying a man who will truly care for you and love you, who will worship you like a queen. A man who is kind and gentle, who deserves respect. Victor Craven is not like that, Elena, it kills me to know that you are his wife!" with each word spoken, my father's voice grew louder and made me cringe more and more.

He spoke as if he really knew Victor or knew something about my marriage to him. Victor is a criminal, a murderer and he was honest about it. But he didn't choose to become that. Just the memory of what was told gave me chills, I can't even imagine what it must have been like for ten-year-old Victor to spend his days in a cage like an animal, whipped, hardened, to become the man he is today, the man who I saw on that boat. But unlike my father, Victor didn't use the experience to make me feel guilty.

He told me everything in a voice and expression as if it were someone else's life. Victor accepted what he was, even at the beginning he tried to tell me that he was not a good person, calling himself a beast, but then I didn't understand what he meant by this statement. But now I know, as I know, that the Victor that his father created is different from the Victor that I married. Yes, his two personalities may act identically under certain conditions, but I doubt that if his father had managed to break him completely, Victor would be the man he is every day.

"Don't talk like you know my husband, dad" I pulled my hands from my father's and stood up. "I will not divorce Victor, not now or ever, until I decide this myself. The time when I was your daughter is over, father, I am now the wife of Victor Craven, now I am Elena Craven and no one, remember it well and carefully consider what you will say or do when you leave my house, never again and no one will influence my decisions" for the first time I rebelled against my father, for the first time I raised my own voice and my heart raced like mad.

"What does that mean, Elena?" my father stood up, towering over me with a venomous look and clenched fists. "This means you can no longer make decisions about my life. My marriage to Viktor was your last decision for me, staying with him is my first as a person" I explained slowly so that my father would realize that from here on ,I intend to stand up for my wishes. And right now, my only wish is for him to leave. "And before you say anything else, let me remind you who I am married to" my father's eyebrows sank, is this how Victor feels when he wins against other mobsters, as if he is invincible, as if he is strong enough to move heaven and earth. Does he feel the same pleasure when he has an opinion and someone listens to it?

"Call it what you want, dad, do what you want. But if you try to harm me, Viktor, or our marriage in any way, I will forget that I am your daughter" is this what power tastes like? I saw my father's eyes darken with something, fear, awareness, caution. I walked past him and just now noticed a man's foot next to the living room door frame, had the security been here the whole time and I just hadn't noticed them, thinking Victor had refused to send them in anyway?

"You're making a mistake, Elena!" I stopped and turned sideways. "Actually dad, right now I might have done the best thing for myself in a long time. I believe you can find a way out on your own?" without waiting for his answer, I walked out, stopping at the threshold to meet the guard's indifferent gaze. "Victor wouldn't let me out without a guard, would he?" I asked coolly and the man nodded. "Okay, get someone else and prepare a car, we'll be leaving in an hour" the man nodded and looked behind me.