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Rivka stood at the edge of the grand ballroom, the heavy fabric of her dress brushing the cold marble floor. The laughter, the clinking of champagne glasses, the endless smiles—it all felt like a distant echo. She wasn't truly here, not in any way that mattered. To the world, she was a daughter of a fallen man, an innocent face hiding the storm of secrets beneath it. To the people in this room, she was a ghost—something to admire, to whisper about, but never truly see.
Her eyes scanned the room, but she wasn't looking for a friendly face. Her gaze was drawn to him, as it always was.
Alec Fedorov.
He stood across the room, effortlessly commanding attention with his presence alone. Tall, imposing at 6'4", his eyes cold, like the steel of a weapon sharpened to perfection. He wore the expression of a man who had never needed to work for anything, and that confidence, that arrogance, was what set him apart from the others in the room.
But it wasn't his wealth or his power that made him dangerous—it was something deeper. A quiet, consuming hunger that he hid beneath the mask of a successful businessman. By day, he was the face of charity, the owner of a conglomerate that spanned industries, a man revered by all. But Rivka knew better. She had seen the whispers. Heard the rumors. Alec Fedorov was the king of the underground, the one whose name caused fear in the darkest corners of the city. He didn't just own businesses; he owned people.
And tonight, she was no different.
Alec's eyes met hers across the room, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. He didn't smile, didn't move—he simply watched her, his gaze predatory, measuring, calculating. Rivka felt a shiver run down her spine as her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to look away, but something held her there, trapped in his gaze like a fly in amber.
"Rivka," a voice said softly from behind her.
She turned to find her older brother, Daniel, standing with that familiar half-smile of his. It was forced, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "He's watching you again," he added, voice tinged with worry.
She didn't need him to tell her that. She could feel Alec's eyes like a weight on her skin, burning, pulling her in. It was suffocating, yet magnetic. Rivka swallowed hard, trying to hide the unease that crept up her throat. "I'm fine, Daniel. He's just… a businessman."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, his smile fading. "He's more than that, Rivka. You know it as well as I do."
Before she could respond, Alec started walking toward her. Every step he took seemed deliberate, his presence commanding the space around him. The crowd parted like water, and Rivka felt the familiar surge of panic. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe.
"Good evening, Miss Rivka," Alec's voice came, low and smooth, like the rumble of distant thunder. It was impossible to ignore. His words slid into her ears and wrapped themselves around her chest, squeezing tighter with every syllable.
"Mr. Fedorov," she managed to say, keeping her voice steady, though her heart pounded in her chest. "I didn't expect to see you here."
He smiled, and the world grew darker. "A man of business never truly leaves his work behind, Miss Rivka. We all have our… interests."
Rivka could feel the weight of his words like a threat. She had heard the rumors—how Alec Fedorov took what he wanted without hesitation. How his power reached places that no one dared to go. Her family, especially her father, had once crossed paths with him, and that mistake had cost them everything.
But Alec wasn't here to talk about business. Not really. His eyes held something darker—something dangerous. And as he took a step closer to her, the space between them narrowing, she could feel the heat of his presence like a furnace.
"Tell me, Rivka," Alec said, his voice a whisper now, meant only for her ears, "Do you know what happens to people who make the wrong enemies?"
Rivka's pulse raced. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breath. "I'm not interested in your games, Mr. Fedorov."
His smile widened, predatory. "I think you are."
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