CHAPTER 3
982 Words
ALINA'S POV****
The next morning, rain streaked the window, and I didn't want to get out of bed. My thoughts kept replaying last night– the chaos on the boat, the fear, the blood, the stranger. I shook my head. “It's just a nightmare,” I whispered to myself, trying to steady my racing heart. But deep down, I knew it wasn't just that.
I finally got up, dressed, and went downstairs. The house was quiet. The smell of breakfast hit me, but Dad wasn't at the table. Kira stirred, rubbing her eyes. “Good morning,” she said, smiling.
“Good morning,” I replied. My little baby. I kissed her head.
“Arghhh, you really need to stop calling me that, I'm a grown up.” She whined.
“Common, baby, you're just eighteen. You're basically a teenager,” I laughed.
She rolled her eyes. “ Yes, mom.”
I ruffled her hair before going to sit down. I noticed Dad's chair was empty. “Where's dad?”
“I don't know,” she shrugged. “Maybe in his office.”
I frowned. Something was off. That wasn't like him. I had to see him. I pushed my chair back and walked towards his office. The hallway felt longer than usual, my steps resistant, heavy.
The door was slightly sharp, and I pushed it open. Dad sat there, slumped in his chair, his face swollen, eyes red. He didn't look up at me.
“Dad… what happened?” I asked, stepping closer.
He looked up, eyes empty. “It's… nothing, Alina. Really.”
Nothing. That word has haunted me for a year. A year of unanswered questions, of surviving on scraps, of my sister and I, trying to hold ourselves together while he stayed silent.
I had to hold myself together.
“Dad… talk to me. Tell me what happened,” I asked, softly.
“Alina, it's nothing. I'm fine. Go have breakfast, you must be tired from yesterday's trip,” he said.
I couldn't take it anymore. “Nothing? You're fine? Well, we're not, Dad!” I snapped. “A year, Dad! A year of nothing! We've lost everything, Kira can't even attend college, and every time I ask, you tell me it's nothing!”
He sighed, shoulders slumping.
“I need to know what happened,” I said, my voice shaking but firm. “I can handle anything. I'm an adult, not a child. I can't take this anymore. Please… tell me.”
His lips pressed together, and finally, he spoke.
“Alina… it's not something easy to explain. I… I had a business. Something you wouldn't understand.”
I frowned. “What do you mean? You've never mentioned anything other than the company stuff.”
He hesitated, then began. “It wasn't just a company. I dealt with… guns, drugs. Illegal things. Dangerous things. Everything was taken away from me by Denis Volkov. I slipped. Just one mistake. So he took everything: the property, the money, the business. He even wants the house to be cleared in two days.”
I felt my knees go weak. Guns. Drugs. The people. All this time, I thought my father's life was normal. I hadn't imagined this. Not even in my worst nightmares. My mind reeled.
“You mean… all this time… you were involved in that?” I whispered, fear and disbelief twisting my stomach.
“Yes,” he said, head down.
I felt my stomach tighten. “And he took all of it, because of one mistake?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “And I can't let them destroy what little remains of you and Kira. I don't want them to take the house, Alina. But I don't know what to do. There's nothing I can do.”
“I'll go to him. I'll meet him.” I said.
Dad's expression darkened. “No, Alina. You can't go to him, he's too dangerous. You can't just walk in and ask for mercy. Denis doesn't forgive mistakes. You have to understand… he takes what is his, and he doesn't stop. You could get hurt, or worse.”
But the words only made my resolve stronger. I swallowed hard. My mind raced. The thought of losing our house– our home filled with memories, our only safety, our family– was unbearable. Everything my sister and I relied on– it was all gone because of a mistake and a ruthless man.
My fists clenched. “I'm going to see him, Dad. I don't care how dangerous he is,” I said, my voice firm. “I have to try. I have to plead with him. We can't just let him take the house.”
My father shook his head. “Alina… you don't get it. You can't – he's not like anyone you've ever met. I've shielded you and your sister from that world, from danger. I can't let… if you go, you put yourself in danger.”
I looked at him, determination rising. “I know. But I can't just sit here. I have to do something.”
“Alina, I can't lose you, I've lost enough already,” he pressed a hand against my arm. “For peace, just let it go. Please… don't go anywhere near him.”
I nodded faintly, outwardly agreeing. “Okay dad, I won't go,” I said. He looked relieved.
Though I had already made up my mind. Tonight, I will go to Denis Volkov’s office. I didn't know how I'd approach him, or what I'd say, but I had to try. Our home, our life, depended on it.
I left the office, my heart was pounding, my mind racing. I was scared. But beneath the fear, a flicker of determination burned.
I would face him. I would plead. And I would not let our house be taken.
- Writer
