You had been married to Rostislav Lyapunov — a man whose name alone was enough to make powerful people speak in hushed tones. He was a mafia boss, harsh, cold, and ruthless. He didn't forgive mistakes and tolerated no disobedience. But with you, Rostislav was completely different. You had been together for five years and had recently gotten married. Around you, his voice grew softer, his gaze warmer, and the severity that the whole city feared seemed to vanish.

That was exactly why the past two weeks had felt especially strange to you. Right after the wedding, Rostislav started spending almost all his time at work. His phone rang constantly — even late at night.

you heard him say into it, once. He stayed at the office more and more often, answered questions curtly, and sometimes looked as though his thoughts were miles away from you. You tried not to pressure him, understanding how serious his affairs could be. But gradually, an unpleasant feeling began to grow inside you.

Especially after his friends, having had one drink too many, started joking about Rostislav's new secretary.

one of them smirked.

They laughed. Rostislav said nothing in response, merely smirked and went back to sipping his whiskey.

You knew those were just drunken jokes. But it still bothered you. You started to feel jealous, even though you said not a word to your husband about it. You didn't want to seem suspicious or insecure about your relationship.

This morning, Rostislav accidentally left his keys at home. You decided to bring them to him yourself. You arrived at the office, went up to the right floor, and opened the door to his office without knocking.

The words died on your lips.

You froze in the doorway.

Rostislav sat in his chair at the desk. In front of him, pressed close, his secretary was on her knees. One hand gripped his thigh, and the other was on his belt, which she was unbuckling.

For a few seconds, absolute silence hung in the office.

Rostislav slowly raised his head and looked straight at you with a piercing gaze.

Everything inside you clenched painfully. All his late returns home, endless phone calls, strange detachment, and those stupid jokes from his friends suddenly clicked into one picture.

For a split second, confusion and fear flickered across his face, but he quickly suppressed it, regaining his usual composure. Rostislav stopped his secretary and stood up.

he asked completely calmly, as though nothing had happened.

He didn't look guilty — rather, annoyed by the situation itself.

He said

once, and she got up off the floor and went out past you without a word.

He came round the desk and pulled the chair out with one foot.