Ella stood in front of the full-length mirror in her apartment, the soft light from the lamp casting long shadows across the room. She could hardly recognize the woman staring back at her. She had once been someone else—someone more innocent, more hopeful. But now, as she gazed at herself, she saw a woman who had become entangled in a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal.
Her reflection stared back at her, eyes tired, shoulders slumped, as though the weight of everything she had become was too much to bear. She barely recognized herself anymore, caught between two worlds that seemed to offer nothing but destruction.
Her phone buzzed on the vanity, breaking her thoughts. The name on the screen made her heart skip a beat.
**Marco.**
She knew what the message would say before she even opened it.
**"Meet me at the usual place. Midnight. We need to finalize everything."**
Ella swallowed hard. The "usual place" was the abandoned warehouse. The place where she had first met Marco, the place where everything had started. It was cold, industrial, and heartless—just like him.
She had no choice. Marco had made it clear—his expectations were non-negotiable. If she didn't comply, there would be consequences, and those consequences were something she didn't want to face.
But the thought of going back to that place, of being in Marco's presence again, sent a wave of dread through her. She had already given him so much of herself—so many secrets, so many moments that had once felt sacred. But every time she met him, she felt like she lost a piece of her humanity.
Her mind flashed to Viktor. The way he looked at her, the way he made her feel something real. But that, too, was a dangerous game. He was part of the very world she was trying to escape. He wasn't the answer. No one was.
She had to finish this, whatever this was. She had to tie up loose ends before it consumed her entirely.
---
**Midnight – The Warehouse**
The warehouse loomed before her like a giant, a cold, empty shell that housed too many secrets. The darkness seemed to cling to the edges of the building, seeping into every crack and crevice. Ella's footsteps echoed through the space as she walked toward the large, open room where Marco was waiting.
When she entered, Marco was already there, standing by a table covered in documents, a glass of whiskey in hand. His eyes met hers, but his expression remained unreadable.
"Ella," he said, his voice smooth but cold. "You're late."
"I'm here now," she replied, her voice even, though her heart raced.
Marco didn't acknowledge her comment, instead gesturing for her to sit across from him. He handed her a folder, its contents sealed with a thick red ribbon. Ella took it, her hands shaking slightly as she placed it on the table.
"This is it," Marco said, his tone matter-of-fact. "The plan. Everything we've worked for. You're going to help me bring Viktor down."
Ella looked down at the folder, her pulse quickening. She had suspected this moment was coming, but seeing it laid out before her made the weight of it even more real.
"Viktor," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You want me to betray him."
Marco's eyes narrowed. "You've been close to him for weeks now. You've built his trust. It's time to deliver, Ella. If you want out of this life, if you want to survive, this is your only way."
Ella's chest tightened. She had been playing the role of Viktor's ally, his confidante. She had learned his secrets, heard his plans, felt the raw emotion in his voice when he spoke of his past. But to betray him—to hand him over to Marco—was unthinkable. Viktor wasn't just another criminal in the world Marco controlled. He was different. He was… human.
"Marco…" Ella began, her voice faltering. "I don't want to do this."
Marco's gaze hardened, and he leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her stomach churn.
"You don't have a choice," he said, his voice low and commanding. "You do this, or you're finished. You'll be nothing more than a footnote in my empire. You know how I operate, Ella. You know how this ends."
Ella swallowed, the reality of her situation sinking in. There was no escape. No way out. Not without losing everything.
"I won't fail you," she said quietly, though her heart screamed in protest. The words felt like they were being torn from her throat.
Marco nodded, his lips curling into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Good. I knew I could count on you."
He stood up, walking toward the door. "Get it done. And remember—if you cross me, there will be consequences."
Ella sat there for a long time after Marco left, staring at the folder on the table. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she could go through with it. But she also knew she had no choice. If she didn't, she would be nothing.
---
**The Next Night – Viktor's Club**
Ella couldn't shake the cold feeling that had settled deep within her bones. She had spent the entire night going over the plan in her head, trying to find some way out of this nightmare. But there was no escape. She had already made her decision—whether she liked it or not. And now, she had to follow through.
When she arrived at Viktor's club, the tension between them was palpable. He was sitting at a corner booth, as always, his eyes scanning the room, his demeanor cool and collected. But when he saw her, his gaze softened, and for a moment, she saw something that made her heart ache—genuine warmth.
"Ella," Viktor said, his voice low, almost tender. "I wasn't sure if you were going to show up."
"I'm here," she replied, her voice steady despite the chaos in her mind.
She sat down across from him, her hands clasped in her lap, her heart racing. The last time they had spoken, he had warned her about the dangers of playing both sides. Now, she was about to prove him right.
"I need to ask you something," Viktor said, his eyes studying her intently. "You've been acting different lately. Something's off. You've been distant."
Ella's stomach twisted. She knew where this was going. She could feel the weight of his words pressing on her chest. She had to lie. She had to keep him at arm's length, or else everything she had worked for—everything she had learned about Viktor, everything they had shared—would come crashing down.
"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile. "I've just been… busy."
Viktor didn't buy it. He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Ella, don't lie to me."
The sincerity in his voice was almost too much to bear. She had always prided herself on being a good liar, but Viktor had a way of seeing right through her, of peeling back the layers she had worked so hard to keep intact.
"I'm not lying," she said, her voice faltering despite herself.
Viktor didn't say anything for a long moment, just watching her, his gaze unwavering. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice low and soft.
"If you're not lying, then why does it feel like you're pulling away?"
Ella swallowed, the lump in her throat almost choking her. She wanted to tell him the truth. She wanted to break down and tell him everything—how she was caught between two worlds, how Marco was forcing her to betray him, how she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
But she couldn't. She couldn't afford to.
"I'm not pulling away," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm just… I'm just trying to figure things out."
Viktor stared at her for a long time, his expression unreadable. For a brief moment, Ella thought he might see through the lie, might understand the depth of her pain. But then he sat back, his eyes hardening once again.
"If you're playing me, Ella," he said quietly, "you'll regret it."
Ella's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to hold his gaze. "I'm not playing you."
He nodded slowly, as though trying to decide whether or not to believe her. "I hope not," he said, his voice colder now.
Ella felt the weight of his words, the growing chasm between them. She knew that if she didn't pull away soon, she would lose him. But she couldn't pull away. Not now. Not when everything was already falling apart.