Dimitri sat at his desk, staring out his office window at the endless night sky. The faint hum of the city filled the quiet space, but all he could focus on was the ticking clock on the wall. Time was slipping away. That missing file was really bugging him and the longer it was gone, the worse things got.

He ran a hand through his hair, so frustrated. It's been weeks since it vanished, weeks of chasing nothing and hitting dead ends. That file held important information, the kind that could ruin everything he had built if it landed in the wrong hands. He was always so clever, always a step ahead.  But this time, someone got the better of him.

Whoever had taken it knew exactly what they were doing. They had covered their tracks too well, leaving nothing behind. Dimitri was suspicious, but without proof, it was all just guessing and guessing wasn't gonna get that file back.

Tonight, things were gonna be different. He was done waiting.

○●○

Sera tiptoed down the hall, quiet as a mouse on that shiny marble. It was late and she had planned on getting some rest, but something about the house felt heavy tonight. As though the atmosphere itself had turned against her, pressing in with unseen hands.

She had been giving Dimitri some space, but she couldn't ignore how distant he had been lately. There was an edge to him now, sharper than usual. And she had a feeling it had something to do with that missing file. She had heard him mutter it before, usually when he thought she wasn't listening. But she knew it was important to him.

Sera never asked about it Dimitri wasn’t the kind of man who shared easily. But that didn’t stop her from wondering.

As she passed by his office, she noticed the door slightly open. Inside, He was hunched over his desk, eyes scanning a bunch of papers. He hadn't seen her yet.

She was about to leave when she heard him mutter a name.

"Viktor," Dimitri said, his voice low and sharp.

Sera froze.

Viktor was someone from his past, a man he had once trusted. That trust had shattered years ago when Viktor betrayal nearly destroyed everything Dimitri had built. Since then, Dimitri rarely spoke about him. But hearing his name now sent a shiver down her spine.

She stayed where she was, watching as Dimitri picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Viktor," he said again, his tone ice-cold. "I know you did this. Don’t waste my time lying."

Sera’s heart skipped a beat.

Was Viktor the one who took the file? She wasn’t sure, but one thing was clear this wasn’t just about a business deal gone bad. It was bigger than that.

Dimitri was done playing games. He had wasted way too much time chasing shadows, looking in all the wrong spots. But now, he finally had something real.

His man said Viktor had been talking to someone lately, someone Dimitri hadn't thought of in years. A man named Ivan Mikhailov.

Dimitri mind raced as the puzzle started coming together. Mikhailov had always been a dangerous figure in the underworld, but unpredictable. If Viktor had reached out to him, there was only one reason the file was within Mikhailov reach.

Dimitri lost his cool. He slammed his fist on the desk, the whole room heard it. He had been close before but now, it all clicked.

Mikhailov was the key.

Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and dialed another number. "Get me everything you can on Mikhailov," he ordered, his voice firm. "Now."

Sera stepped back, her heart pounding. She had been standing there long enough to hear everything.

She shouldn’t have listened in, but now she couldn’t ignore the feeling growing inside her. Dimitri was way more on edge than normal and she had a gut feeling it was all connected.

She knew him better than anyone else in this house. She had watched the way he carried his power, the way he ruled his world with a fist hand. But there were moments small cracks in the real—where she caught glimpses of something else.

Something real.

Sera turned to leave but just as she did, Dimitri’s voice cut through the quiet.

“You should be resting,” He said it, voice still sharp but something else was hidden under that roughness.

Sera didn’t turn around. She had stopped expecting warmth from him a long time ago But that didn't mean she didn't hear him.

“I will,” she said softly. “But if you need anything, I’m here.”

The words felt strange, as if she was offering something original than just help. But it was the truth. No matter how far out of touch he had gotten, no matter how much he tried to shut her out, she couldn’t ignore the part of her that still cared.

She didn’t understand what it was about Dimitri. He was unforgiving, a man who built his empire by crushing anyone who stood in his way. Yet, when the world wasn’t watching, there was something more under that hardened shell. She had seen it before, a flash of the real him, a quick glimpse of the man everyone *didn't* fear.

But it was just a quick look, nothing more and she wasn't sure what to do with it yet.

○●○

Dimitri was up and at work the next morning. His mind locked onto one goal getting the file back. He had called in his best men, mapping out a plan to deal with Mikhailov. He knew the risks Mikhailov wasn’t someone you could take lightly. But the file was slipping through his fingers and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

Failure wasn’t an option.

Sera never seen Dimitri like that. The intensity in his eyes, the way he moved with such purpose...it was like the man she was starting to know disappeared, replaced by someone colder, more ruthless.

She wasn't sure how she felt about it.  She'd always known Dimitri was powerful but now she saw how much that power weighed on every choice he made. He wasn’t just a man who controlled everything he was a man who didn’t hesitate to remind the world why he was in control.

Yet, a small part of her couldn’t help but wonder. Was the man she had seen days ago someone almost human still buried under all that armor? Or was he truly lost to the darkness?

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

Sera opened it, finding one of Dimitri men standing there.

“He wants to see you,” the man said flatly.

Her stomach tightened. She had no idea what he wanted, but something told her this wasn’t just a casual conversation.

Dimitri stood at the front of the room, arms crossed, his men gathered around him. The file was so close, he could feel it. But he wasn't gonna be reckless. Mikhailov had connections and Dimitri knew better than to underestimate him.

As the door opened and Sera walked in, his focus diverted. She just stood there, looking calm but her eyes were kinda curious.

“You’re coming with me,” Dimitri said, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument.

Sera didn’t question it. She didn’t even hesitate.

She simply nodded.

The end was almost here. The file was close and Dimitri felt it all coming together. But looking at Sera, quiet beside him, another thought popped into his head.

Was this really just about a stolen file?

And once he had it back then what?