The darkness was suffocating, wrapping around me like a cold, unyielding fog. I stood there, my breath shallow, ears straining for something—anything—that would anchor me. And then I heard it.

A scream.

My mother's scream.

"Nora!"

Her voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere, bouncing off unseen walls. It was raw and desperate, cutting through the void like a blade. My chest tightened as panic clawed its way up my throat.

"Mama?" I called out, my voice trembling. "Mama, where are you?"

There was no answer, only the sound of her cries growing fainter and fainter, like a receding tide pulling away from the shore.

I ran.

My feet pounded against the unseen ground as I chased the sound, my heart racing in tandem with my steps. The air grew colder, the void darker, as if the world itself was dissolving around me.

"Mama!" I shouted again, my voice cracking. "Please! Where are you?"

Suddenly, her scream pierced the air again, louder this time, more anguished. The sound twisted my stomach, and a mix of fear and helplessness surged through me.

But as I ran toward her, the darkness shifted, coiling like a living thing. It pressed against me, heavy and suffocating, dragging me down.

"No! No!" I screamed, clawing at the air, trying to push through. But it was no use.

The darkness swallowed me whole.

My eyes flew open, and I gasped, my lungs heaving as though I'd been running for miles. Sweat clung to my skin, my heart hammering in my chest. I sat up abruptly, the sheets tangled around me, and looked around.

The shadows of the room loomed but held no menace—just the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains. Slowly, the panic ebbed as I took in my surroundings.

I was in my bed. Safe. Alone.

But the echo of her scream lingered, haunting the silence.

...

The stack of files in front of me seemed to multiply the longer I stared at them. Numbers, reports, and agreements—all blending together in a tedious blur. I sighed and pushed my pen across the page, but the silence didn't last long.

Maksim leaned back in his chair, looking utterly relaxed, his gaze flicking from one document to another without any real interest.

"You know," he said, breaking the silence with his usual casual confidence, "working with you is almost tolerable."

I glanced up, arching an eyebrow. "Almost?"

"Don't get me wrong," he continued, his voice light and teasing, "you've got this whole serious arrow vibe going on. Very intimidating and focused. I can barely breathe in the same room as you. But then, every once in a while, you smile, and poof!" He gestured dramatically with his tattooed hands. "The sun breaks through the clouds."

I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "Poof? Clouds?"

"Exactly! Poof." His grin stretched wider, and I could tell he was enjoying this way too much. "You know, sunshine breaking through the ominous clouds. Very poetic. I might write this down, give it a fancy title."

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. "Flattery isn't going to get these files done, Maksim."

"Who said I was flattering?" he shot back, his tone teasing. "I'm nothing if not genuine. You should feel honored."

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "I think I'd rather get the work done first, thanks."

Maksim leaned forward then, his tone shifting slightly as he toyed with a pen. "But seriously, doesn't it get exhausting? Being perfect all the time?"

I glanced up, my smile fading a bit as I studied him. "Perfect?"

He shrugged, his eyes never leaving mine. "Well, Dimitri's already the king of everything. You're practically the queen."

I snorted, unable to help myself. "I'm no queen, Maksim, and Dimitri's not a king either."

"Of course you are," he said, his voice light but there was a subtle edge to his words. "And me? I'm the eternal second-place winner. Always Dimitri's backup. The court jester."

His tone was teasing, but I saw it—the way his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, how the sarcasm hid something deeper.

I paused for a moment, our eyes meeting. A brief silence hung in the air. Maksim had a way of making everything sound like a joke, but sometimes I wondered what was beneath the humor.

I let the silence stretch on a moment longer before I finally smiled, my gaze softening. "You're not just the court jester, Maksim. You're the one who keeps everyone entertained. Someone's gotta do it."

He chuckled, the warmth returning to his grin. "Right, right. I guess that's me."

We both returned to the files, the moment's weight gone but still lingering in the air. The quiet between us shifted as we continued to work, exchanging small laughs and occasional teasing.

"I guess you are fun after all," Maksim joked after silence. "I like your company."

"Thank you, jester," I teased back as he laughed, his hand accidentally brushing against mine making me glance at him.

We stared at each other, a brief break from the weight of everything around us when the sound of a knock on the door shattered the quiet.

Irina's voice followed immediately, soft but deliberate. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

And just like that, the lightness of the moment was gone and she seemed to notice our closeness before I pulled my hand away.

Maksim, ever the performer, rose with a dramatic flair, a stack of papers in hand. "Well, ladies," he said with mock seriousness, "I'm off to deliver these to Dimitri before he decides I'm expendable." He flashed a grin at me before striding out.

The door clicked shut, leaving Irina and me in a slightly awkward silence. She crossed the room with effortless poise and perched on the desk across from me, opening her laptop.

For a while, the only sounds were the soft clicks of her keyboard and the faint hum of the air conditioning. I focused on my own work, sipping my now lukewarm coffee.

"You two are getting along well," Irina said after a few minutes, her voice casual but just pointed enough to make me glance up.

I chuckled lightly, setting my mug down. "Yeah, we are. He's nice."

She gave a small smile, her eyes still on her screen. "Maksim's always been good at... making people feel comfortable."

I hummed in agreement, letting the comment pass without much thought, and returned to my files.

The conversation lulled into quiet again, but it didn't last long. Irina shifted slightly, her tone was suddenly more conversational—too casual.

"I couldn't help but notice," she began, her eyes flicking to the documents in front of me, "that you're working on the logistics for the supply chain?"

I glanced up, catching the faint edge in her voice.

"Yes," I replied evenly, my tone giving nothing away.

Her lips curved into a small, polite smile. "It's just... I thought Dimitri specifically assigned that to Zakhar. I remember him mentioning it during our last meeting."

I met her gaze steadily, refusing to let her see even a flicker of irritation. "He did. Zakhar asked for my input, so I'm helping out. Dimitri knows."

"Oh," she said, blinking, her surprise poorly disguised. "I see. Well, I suppose it makes sense. You do have a way of... getting involved."

There it was—subtle, like a blade hidden in silk.

I smiled, leaning back slightly in my chair. "I prefer to think of it as being adaptable. A lot of people seem to like it."

Her smile faltered, just for a second, before she recovered. "Of course. It's good to have someone so versatile around."

I took another sip of my coffee, my expression calm and unbothered. "I like to think so."

She didn't respond, instead returning to her laptop with a slight nod. The conversation was over, but I could feel the faint ripple of tension still lingering in the air.

After Irina left the room, I let out a sigh and leaned back in my chair. The files on the desk still loomed over me like an unyielding mountain, but at least I had made some progress. The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me from my thoughts.

I glanced toward the door as Nikolai stepped in, his calm demeanor a welcome contrast to the storm that was Maksim. Speaking of storms, Maksim followed right behind him, his grin already firmly in place.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Maksim declared, dropping into the chair next to me with all the grace of a collapsing bookshelf. "The life of the party has arrived."

"More like the chaos of the party," I muttered under my breath, earning a chuckle from Nikolai.

Dimitri entered last, his presence commanding as usual. He gave me a quick glance before focusing on the map Nikolai was already spreading out on the desk. "Let's get started."

I straightened in my seat, my attention sharpening.

"We need to narrow down the possible locations," Dimitri said, his tone clipped as he stabbed a finger at the map spread across the desk. "Leonid isn't stupid. He won't stay in one place for long."

"True," Nikolai agreed, leaning forward to study the map. "But we know he has connections in these areas." He tapped a few marked points. "It's likely he's using them to stay hidden."

"And what about Angie?" Maksim cut in, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Gabriella practically got a restraining order shoved in her face the last time she tried to talk to her."

Dimitri shot him a sharp look. "Because Viktor made sure Angie knew nothing. It wasn't her fault."

I tilted my head, watching Maksim with mild amusement. "I don't think mocking Gabriella's efforts is going to help us figure out where Leonid is."

Maksim grinned, his eyes flicking to me. "But maybe my charm will."

I rolled my eyes, turning my attention back to the map. "Focus, Maksim."

"Fine, fine," he said, leaning back dramatically. "But don't pretend you don't enjoy my company, Nora. I make this whole doom-and-gloom mission thing bearable."

Dimitri's pacing came to an abrupt halt, and his glare was practically a physical weight. "Maksim, if you're done wasting everyone's time, maybe you can contribute something useful."

Maksim smirked, completely unfazed. "Oh, I'm contributing. Keeping morale high is important, boss."

"High?" I snorted. "I think you're confusing morale with annoyance."

Maksim pressed a hand to his chest, feigning offense. "Ouch, Nora. You wound me."

"You'll survive," I shot back, unable to suppress a small smile.

"Can we get back to the topic at hand?" Dimitri's voice was sharp, his frustration barely contained. His gaze landed on me briefly, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes before he turned back to the map.

"Leonid's hideouts," Nikolai said, steering the conversation back on track. "We know he's using intermediaries to move money and supplies. If we track them, we might be able to find his next location."

I nodded. "And what about the people he's working with? Someone has to know more than they're letting on. Angie might not have been helpful, but what about the others Gabriella mentioned? The ones connected to Viktor's dealings?"

Dimitri tapped his fingers on the desk, his brow furrowed. "We're already looking into them. But we need more pressure. Leonid's too good at covering his tracks."

"Pressure, huh?" Maksim drawled, leaning closer to me. "What do you say, Nora? Feel like turning up the heat on some of Leonid's friends? You're good at making people talk."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you volunteering to be my practice dummy?"

Nikolai let out a quiet chuckle, while Dimitri looked like he was debating whether or not to throw Maksim out of the room.

Maksim grinned, leaning even closer. "Only if you promise to be gentle."

"Enough!" Dimitri barked, his voice cutting through the room like a whip. He shot Maksim with a glare that could've frozen fire. "Shut up and let everyone work."

Maksim held up his hands in mock surrender, but the smug grin didn't leave his face. "Relax, big brother. Just keeping things lively."

"Lively doesn't help us find Leonid," Dimitri snapped, turning back to the map.

I exchanged a look with Nikolai, who gave a small smirk, his expression as calm as ever. I couldn't understand this man, maybe because he was friends with Dimitri.

A sigh escaped me before I heard Dimitri's phone going off. "Hello?" he picked up.

His expression turned grim, making all of us glance at each other in worry. "Gabriella isn't answering. She was supposed to check in an hour ago."

{Word Count- 2178}

A/N

I'm so sorry for not updating in 3 weeks but I'm a college student so you can guess how busy I am.

Hope you liked this chapter. What more would you like to see? Any specific character?

More drama coming soon ;)

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See you on ephemeral hearts soon!

xoxo

-lily