The Baranov Estate was the kind of place where emotions came to die.
Everything was cold, precise, brutally organized—
just like Viktor Baranov himself.
He sat in his office, posture straight, expression unreadable, aura sharp enough to slice a man in half.
Viktor was the kind of man who intimidated people just by existing.
No smile.
No softness.
No distractions.
Until the distraction walked in on soft footsteps, humming a tune completely out of place in this frozen mansion.
Elian Mirov.
The problem child.
The temptation wrapped in innocence.
The headache Viktor never asked for—
and couldn’t seem to remove from his life.
🌙 “You’re late.”
Viktor didn’t look up from his paperwork.
“Elian,” he said, voice cold, “you said you’d be here at seven.”
Elian pushed the door open fully and leaned against the frame, smiling like sin wrapped in sugar.
“It’s 7:03,” Elian replied sweetly.
“Did you miss me that much?”
Viktor’s pen snapped in his hand.
Elian’s smile widened.
He loved doing that—
poking the beast just to watch him flinch.
“You’re supposed to be taking your training seriously,” Viktor said, ignoring the teasing.
“You’re an adult now, not a child. Act like one.”
Elian walked over slowly, every step graceful, controlled, intentionally seductive.
He stopped in front of Viktor’s desk and leaned forward, lowering his eyes.
“Do I really seem like a child to you?” he whispered.
Viktor’s jaw tightened.
The temperature in the room dropped.
“Elian,” he said in a low tone, “sit properly.”
Elian ignored that and slid into the chair across from him, crossed his legs, and tilted his head as if he wasn’t the cause of Viktor’s impending aneurysm.
“So what’s today’s lesson, Viktor?”
His voice was soft. Too soft.
“Interrogation? Combat? How to emotionally detach even more than you already do?”
“Discipline,” Viktor replied.
Elian smirked.
“Oh, my favorite.”
🧊 Viktor’s Unbreakable Rules
Everyone in the underworld knew that Viktor Baranov had three rules:
Control everything.
Never show weakness.
Do NOT get attached.
And Elian broke all three effortlessly.
Viktor hated it.
Viktor hated himself for being affected.
When he finally looked up, Elian was resting his chin on the table, staring at Viktor like he was studying every millimeter of his face.
“What?” Viktor snapped.
“You’re handsome,” Elian said casually.
“Like… painfully handsome. It’s distracting.”
Viktor choked.
People didn’t flirt with Viktor Baranov.
They bowed.
They trembled.
They ran.
But Elian?
Elian flirted like he breathed.
Naturally.
Constantly.
Annoyingly.
“Stop that,” Viktor said.
“Stop what?”
“Whatever you’re doing.”
Elian blinked innocently.
“Smiling?”
“No.”
“Breathing?”
“Elian.”
“I can stop if it helps you think.”
Viktor groaned internally.
This boy would ruin him.
🩸 The Mission That Ties Them Together
Viktor finally tossed a folder onto the table.
“Read it.”
Elian opened it and his expression shifted—
the softness fading, seriousness replacing it.
“It’s about the attack from six years ago,” Viktor said.
“The same one that injured Adrian and nearly killed Damian.”
Elian’s jaw clenched.
That event had scarred everyone.
But for Elian, it was personal.
His older brother had been one of the casualties.
A death that was ruled “unavoidable.”
A lie he never swallowed.
Elian looked up, voice quieter.
“You think the enemy is back?”
Viktor nodded once.
“And we’re being targeted.”
Elian leaned back, brain already analyzing.
“So what’s our job?”
Viktor stood—tall, broad-shouldered, terrifyingly calm.
“To infiltrate the internal circle.”
“To find the mole.”
“And to eliminate them.”
Elian smirked.
“Together?”
Viktor paused.
His expression remained unreadable.
“…Yes.”
Elian nearly laughed.
A dangerous mission?
A possible traitor?
Life-or-death stakes?
And Viktor was choosing him as a partner?
“How romantic,” Elian teased.
“Is this your way of asking me out?”
Viktor slammed a hand on the desk.
“Elian—”
“Yes, Viktor?”
He fluttered his eyelashes.
Viktor inhaled through his teeth.
“Behave.”
“No.”
“Elian—”
“I refuse.”
Viktor closed his eyes, clearly regretting every life choice.
⚡ The Moment Viktor Loses Control (a little)
Elian stood and stepped around the desk, stopping right in front of Viktor.
Close.
Too close.
He reached out and straightened Viktor’s tie.
Slow, gentle, intimate.
Viktor didn’t move.
“Why do you always do this?” Viktor asked quietly.
Elian smiled softly.
“Do what?”
“Get close.”
Elian cupped Viktor’s face lightly, barely touching.
“Because you never let anyone touch you,” he whispered.
“And someone should.”
For a moment—
just one brief second—
Viktor broke.
His eyes softened.
His breath hitched.
Then he grabbed Elian’s wrist gently and pushed it away.
“Enough,” he whispered.
Elian smiled.
“See?” he murmured.
“You break so beautifully.”
Viktor stepped back immediately.
“Elian. Go home. Now.”
Elian winked and walked to the door.
“Goodnight, Viktor.”
The door clicked shut.
Viktor dropped into his chair, exhaling.
“Elian Mirov…”
His voice was low, dangerous, defeated.
“…will be the death of me.”
✨ AUTHOR’S SASSY NOTE
AND THAT’S CHAPTER 3 MY LOVES 💋🔥
Viktor is trying to be cold,
Elian is trying to ruin his sanity,
and the readers are here for the suffering.
If you want Chapter 4 (MAIN COUPLE REUNION — Adrian × Mikhail)
just say:
👉 “Start Chapter 4!”
AND PLEASE support the other novels too OR ELSE I’ll send Damian to kick your door down 😇
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