"Behind every strong,
Independent woman,
Lies a broken little girl,
Who had to learn
How to get back up
And to never depend on anyone."
-Unknown

Rustling movements broke me away from my sleepy haze.

Sprawling exhaustedly across the warmth of my sheets, I began to groan in protest at the nearby sounds tarnishing my peace.

Lifting a pillow and planting it across my face, I muffled the sounds and blocked out the beams of light emanating through the cracks of my eyelids.

Dozing back into a deep slumber, I was startled back awake after hearing the rattling of hangers from my closet. Realizing that it's probably because of the maids, I lifted my head up and began to yell.

"Would you quieten it down! I'm trying to sleep here!"

The moment my eyes adjusted to the light, I noticed the boxes of clothes and shoes being carried out of my room. All the maids looked at me with confusion written all of their faces as they continued to scurry in and out of the door.

"What the fuck?! What are you doing with my clothes?"

I began to stand from my bed; my body drowsy and falling limp, I balanced myself with the wall and staggered to my closet.

Peering through, everything had been emptied out.

I grabbed the remaining maid by her shoulders as she tried to make her way out and slammed the box of clothing she was carrying onto the floor.

Her eyes widened before she quickly tucked her head down to avoid eye contact.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I growled at her.

"I-it was the Pakhan's orders Miss." She squeaked.

"What!?"

Just at that moment, Ruslan barged into the room.

He wore his trusty leather jacket and usual black clothing underneath as he quickly gasped out his words.
"I heard what's happening!"

I could feel my face contorting into a scrunched up expression of bemusement as I make out what he said.

"What the fuck are you talking about! What's going on?"
I stamped my foot in frustration and watched the maid scrambling out of the room, leaving all the remaining components littered on the floor.

Incompetent bitch. I'll be sure to fire her once I find out what's going on.

"I-err-you.." Ruslan began to stutter reticently, bringing his hand to rub the back of his neck as he failed to maintain eye contact.

"Spit it out Ivanov. I haven't got all day."
I snarled as he brought his head to look back up at me.

"Well.. the Pakhan and Dimitri decided to kick you out of the manor." He rushes out in one breath.

"What!"

"Yeah.. you're now supposed to live with the rest of the strippers."

"You got to be fucking kidding me."

"I- I don't think so?" Ruslan started to think twice about what he was going to say upon seeing the deathly glare I'm giving him.

"Hey now, don't shoot the messenger."I start moving towards him as he inched backwards with his hands up as though he were about to tame a beast, fearing what I may do to him.

"Move." I barge past him and grab the cardboard box on the floor, stopping in front of my safe of weaponry. I punch in the pin and unlock it, grabbing all the weapons I could and shoving it in.

I then take the loaded box and launch it to Ruslan's chest.

"Make sure these make it to the car unscathed. If I see a scratch or a gun missing it will be your balls next." I threaten and let go of the box just as Ruslan grabs it.

His legs bend at the unexpected weight and with a gulp, he quickly nods and ushers out of the door.

With the room now empty, I dragged my hand through my knotted hair frustratedly.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" I seethed to myself.

Now fully alerted, I stridently paced into the closet trying to find anything appropriate to wear.

Seeing that everything was gone, I looked to the floor as a last resort, where the maid had dropped a plain T-shirt with leggings. A simple piece of wear that had been thrown at the back of the closet and never thought about again.

I gripped the cotton clothing with such intensity and anger, blood had threatened to spill from my nails sinking through the thin attire and into my palm.

Infuriated, I stripped from my silky night wear and pulled the clothing over my head and ankles.

Walking to the bathroom, I slipped on the fluffy pantofles that I always wear around the house and walked towards the basin.

Tightly gripping the edges of the sink, I lifted my head and faced my reflection.

The knot in my throat was insufferable as the choking lump grew immeasurably. Tears began to spot my vision as I looked into my damaged soul through the nebulous vision of my eyes.

These besmirched eyes.

My life was granted by the Devil. One person's death conceded the life of another and with that, came the Devil's awakening.

Tainted with the sin of murder and punished by the divinity above, I was held prisoner below and cursed with the Devil's enslavement with the privation of freedom.

Because when the Devil comes knocking, there's no escaping.

As a means of repayment, my soul was sold to the Devil; controlling every aspect of my wretched life, I never lived to feel the warmth and sentiments of idolization from a parent.

I never experienced the protection or safety from a sibling.

Instead, taking pitied on by those around me, who only graced me with their presence because of what ran through my blood.

Thus. Life as I know it, would start falling apart the moment I left the safety net of this house and ventured into the world of the unknown.

At least here, in the place I called home for all of my existence, I was a prisoner to the indulgence of the Pakhan and the Mob.

Unpredictability was a risk that I was unwilling to take. Because who knows what the Devil has under his sleeve.

§§§§§

After briskly brushing my teeth and flattening my bedridden hair, I skipped through the corridor and down the stairs into the foyer. My hand grip onto the railing as I jump down the stairs hastily.

My frantic body searched for Dimitri's as I turned on my heel and stormed into the main hall.

Clutching my hands into tightly balled up fists by my side, my eyes land onto his suited frame.

Walking in the opposite direction, he was headed straight towards me with one of his guards as they spoke absentmindedly.

Clenching my feet and freezing my motion, I planted my stand onto the ground as I raised my arms to cross over my chest.

" Ty sukin syn * ! What the fuck are you up to Dimitri!" I rumbled loudly across the hall.

* Ty sukin syn = you son of a bitch

Dimitri momentarily turned his face to look at me. A complacent smirk dragging the corners of his mouth before he turned to the side to finish his conversation.

"Give me the police report on the murder, te ponimal* !?"

* te ponimal= you understand

The guard gave a quick nod before scurrying the other way as Dimitri began to stroll towards me.

His grey amused eyes watched mine, growing darker and sinister with each step he takes closer.

Goosebumps peppered my skin just when the hairs on the back of my neck erect heedfully at the menacing hues of frost obtruding the blanching silver coated in his iris.

Glueing eye contact, I couldn't help the disgusted expression creeping upon my face at the palpable similarity between father and son.

"What do you want Sabina?" He quipped in a bored tone once he was within arms distance; mirroring my stance, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Kicking me out of the house huh? What the fuck are you gaining from that shit!?"

"I don't have to explain myself. Get in the car and leave."

"Fuck no I ain't getting in the car!"

"You ain't got the choice."

"Says who?!"

"Ya skazal*."

* Ya skazal = I said.

A booming voice bellowed from above the first floor, causing Dimitri and I to raise our heads and look up.

Icily cold cages of vibrating smoke encased within the Pakhan's indifferent eyes penetrated towards me.

Freezing me in motion, my feet felt heavy and I couldn't move. Gradually the frustration gave way to fear as the shafted gaze of unpromising steel pricked me in trepidation.

"B-but, but why?" I made out in a small voice as my parched throat clogged with the urgent desire to burst into tears.

The unwavering mask of an inscrutable expression etched on his face, he glowered down as me as his eyebrows pinched together. 

Firmly gripping the handrail, his nails began to dig into his palm angrily as his knuckles turned white.

My eyes flashed at the action before they stay glued to his face.

Tensing his jaw and clenching his teeth tightly together, he looked to Dimitri shrewdly and raised his eyebrows in secret communication.

Confused, I dropped my head to face Dimitri.

"This is not fair! I adhered to your request. You gave me the choice to either leave or fucking strip. I chose to make a fool of myself and be a fucking stripper but you're kicking me out too!"

"What can I say?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"Life's unfair."

"You're the actual worst." My jaw clenches and I feel the way my teeth grit together. Instinctively, the fists on either side of me ball tighter and I start charging towards him.

With the nodding of his head, Dimitri waved two fingers and demanded his command.
"Take her away."

Instantly, I felt two stiff arms intertwining my own and fastening it behind my back.

Panic began to override my body as the trembling anxiety shivered up my spine. Bulging my eyes out, I looked to Dimitri.

All the anger dissolve and I'm left with pleading eyes silently begging.

Never in my life would I have given him satisfaction of me submitting to his desires of failure, nor would I have ever allowed him the chance to have something to hold over me.

I've had to work twice as hard to get half as much as he does. All of which to prevent the day where I have to look at him with begging eyes.

And now. All that was for nothing.

Wallowing my arms, I struggled against the hard chest behind keeping me entrapped. Shaking my body, I tried to loosen his grip as I raised my feet and stomped it on his.

But it was no use. The fluffy slip ons doing me no justice, the guard didn't budge once as he begins to drag me into the foyer.

"No! Wait. Let me say goodbye at least." I urged.

My heart began to leap from its cage as I looked behind Dimitri past the hall.

Wrapping his arms around a petite frame, stood Ruslan facing downwards and stroking his hands against a dainty figure.

Her face buried in Ruslan's chest, my heart broke at the sight. My limbs began to fall limp and numb as I watched Ruslan's broken expression.

His glossy eyes looked up at me; shielded by his furrowed brows, he slowly shook his head as he mouthed the repeated words, 'I'm sorry.'

As if everything were in slow motion, the greying head lifted from its position and peeked through Ruslan's leather jacket.

Olga's tearstained cheeks of wet patches glistened as her glowing eyes sliced through my heart.

Rimmed with red veins, her cobalt iris shined ruefully. Her once invigorating pools of laughter had now perished into a state of despondency as her wrinkled lips quivered in despair.

Untethering the choking knot in my throat, the adrenaline began to disperse rapidly through my body; coursing through my bloodstream as I slithered a hand out of the guards grip and reached out for Olga.

"Olga!" I cried. Her name spewing out from my heart as I inched further and further away from her.

"Moy tsvetok *!" She sobbed out, as she unclasps herself away from Ruslan and sidled towards me.

Sliding her feet against the glassy flooring, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Ruslan gently held back her shoulders, halting her movement. She looks up at him as he began to shake his head apologetically towards her.

Giving me a last saddened look, she buried her head back into his chest as her back shook with wails.

"No.. You can't do this Dimitri!" My voice breaking halfway, I averted my attention back at the sadist in front of me.

A monstrous sneer plastered across his face as he watched the interaction unfold in front.

"Oh, but I can." He laughed, quirking his eyebrows at the guard behind me.

Now more forcefully, my body was tugged towards the door. I planted my feet on the floor  to slow the movement but it was of no use.

"You will fucking regret this!" A deafening shriek ruptured out from the pits of my stomach as I began to throw my head back as a way to catch him off guard.

Still resolutely steady, my feet were now sliding towards the threshold as two other guards opened the door.

Feeling the light breeze coated my back, I lifted my head up for the final time.

My eyes immediately met Dimitri's. Unreadable bearings carved in his face as his blank expression held a sinful smirk tipping the corners of his mouth.

My eyes then followed up to the first floor. The static guise of the Pakhan looming over the entire house, holding the omnipotence of my entire being with only a single muscle movement.

Now nearing the terrace, I watched Dimitri pulling back his dark tendrils that hanged by his eyes, exposing them clearly to me.

A haunting last image of two pairs of laser-like glares emitting beams of stinging grey impaled into my mind as the grand door slammed closed.

My tense body dissolved into a heated heap of limps as my vision obscured with pricks of tears threatening to spill.

As my heart hammered against my ears, a gnawing ache intruded my chest. A feeling that had been long forgotten but resurrected once I rendered myself useless.

Authors Note

Hi guysss
Thank you for giving this book a chance <3
Please leave lots of comments and vote if you enjoy

Sorry if there isn't a lot of action going on right now, I'm just trying to get you guys to understand the MC in more depth

But please let me know if the description is too long/boring

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