Chapter 13: The Return to the Estate
The iron gates of the grand estate stood open, their heavy hinges twisted and scarred where a vehicle had rammed through them hours earlier. The fountain in the center of the circular drive was silent, the water skimmed with a thin layer of gray ice. Crystal chandeliers still blazed through the high arched windows of the dining hall, casting a surreal, warm yellow glow across the manicured lawns that were now trampled by muddy boot prints and littered with discarded shell casings.
I walked up the marble steps alone, my torn red dress trailing mud across the pristine white stone. The heavy oak front doors were unlocked, swinging slightly on their pivots with an eerie, hollow groan.
Inside, the opulence remained undisturbed in its brutality. The candlelit banquet table still held half-filled crystal wine glasses and silver platters of untouched food, but the guests were gone, evacuated by terrified staff in the opening minutes of the chaos. In the center of the room, standing beside the ornate marble fireplace where the fire had finally burned down to a bed of glowing red embers, Viktor waited.
His black suit jacket was gone, his white shirt torn at the shoulder and stained with dark crimson blood. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the intricate black ink of his neck and arm tattoos in the harsh firelight. He held a glass of amber whiskey in one hand, swirling it slowly as he stared down into the hearth.
"I knew you'd come back," Viktor said without turning around, his voice low, gravelly, and entirely devoid of surprise. "You never could leave a loose end untied, Evelyn."
I stepped across the threshold, the click of my bare heels echoing against the marble floor. "The boy is safe," I said steadily, my voice cutting through the silence of the cavernous room. "They're halfway to the state line by now."
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Viktor finally turned, his dark eyes sweeping over my battered form, taking in the blood, the dirt, and the unwavering defiance in my posture. He didn't smile, but a strange, grim respect flickered across his rugged features.
"Good," he murmured, taking a slow sip of his drink. "Because you and I have a final debt to settle."
