The morning sun really struggled to break through those thick gray clouds over the mansion. The air hung heavy, like the house was soaking up all the fear from Dimitri life. Sera shot awake, sweat all over her forehead. She was still all freaked out from those scary dreams about that black case full of guns.

She started her day the same old way, quietly and without drawing attention to herself. She avoided making eye contact with anyone, especially Dimitri, who had a way of breaking her calm with a single glance. Yet, no matter how much she tried to stay invisible, the tension in the house seemed to find her.

As she gathered a tray to take breakfast to his office, the head maid, Greta, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright, Sera?" Greta asked, her eyes soft with concern.

Sera managed a weak smile. "I'm fine."

But the truth was, she wasn't fine. She hadn't been since the night Dimitri dragged her to that shadowy room filled with tools of violence. No matter how many times she reminded herself that she was just a pawn in his game, her heart couldn't ignore the fear creeping into her every step.

○●○

Dimitri office was right there, door cracked open. She could hear yelling. She hesitated, thinking about knocking, but her curiosity won.

"She's a weakness," a voice growled. Sera didn't recognize it, but it was filled with authority.

"And I don't tolerate weaknesses in my men," Dimitri replied coldly. His tone sent a shiver down her spine.

Sera leaned closer, careful not to make a sound.

"Do you think you can handle this on your own, Dimitri?" the other man challenged. "Ivanov isn't like the others. He'll come for your empire, your bloodline... and any liabilities in your care."

A long, awkward silence hung in the air.

"I'll handle Ivanov," Dimitri said finally. His voice was low, dangerous. "And as for liabilities, I'll deal with them myself."

Sera's breath hitched. She wasn't sure why, but the word "liabilities" felt like a blade to her chest.

○●○

She didn't wait to hear more. The sound of Dimitri chair scraping against the floor was enough to send her hurrying down the hallway, her heart pounding. She didn't stop until she reached the kitchen, where she set the tray down with trembling hands.

"Sera, what's wrong?" Greta asked again, noticing the color drained from her face.

"Nothing," Sera lied, forcing a smile.

But inside, her mind raced. Was Dimitri talking about her? Did he see her as a liability?

○●○

The day dragged on and Sera did her best to avoid Dimitri entirely. She focused on her chores, cleaning floors, rooms and washing dishes. But no matter how much she distracted herself, the memory of his words kept playing in her mind.

When the sun went down, the mansion was quieter than normal. Sera was folding laundry in the servants quarters when Greta walked in, all nervous.

"Sera, Mr. Volkov wants to see you in his study," she said.

Sera froze, the pile of folded towels slipping from her hands.

"Did he say why?"

Greta shook her head. "No, but... be careful."

Greta sounded so worried, it made Sera even more anxious. She nodded slowly, wiped her hands on her apron, then headed to Dimitri study.

○●○

She walked in and there was Dimitri, sitting behind his huge desk, a whiskey glass in his hand. His sharp eyes found hers right away.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked, voice steady even though she was a mess inside.

He told her to sit, but she stayed standing.

"Sit, Sera," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

She slowly lowered herself into the chair across from him, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

"You've been avoiding me," Dimitri said, swirling the whiskey in his glass.

Sera heart skipped a beat. "I've just been... busy."

He smirked, setting the glass down. "Lying doesn't suit you, Sera."

Her stomach twisted. "What do you want from me?"

For a moment, Dimitri said nothing. He simply studied her, his gaze piercing. Finally, he leaned forward, his forearms on the desk.

"I brought you into my world for a reason," he said. "But don't mistake that for trust. Trust is earned, and so far, you've done nothing to prove yourself."

Her breath caught. "What do you mean?"

He sat back, looking all mysterious. "You'll find out soon enough."

○●○

The following morning, Sera woke to find an envelope slipped under her door. Inside was a handwritten note from Dimitri.

"Be ready at 10 AM. You're coming with me."

Her heart sank. She didn't know what he had planned, but the thought of spending another day in his presence made her stomach churn.

By 10 AM, she was dressed and waiting in the foyer. Dimitri showed up a few minutes later, looking sharp as ever. He just nodded for her to follow.

The car ride was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Sera kept her eyes on the passing scenery, trying to fight back the growing sense of dread in her chest.

So the car finally stopped and they were somewhere she'd never been. Dimitri got out first and held the door for her.

"Where are we?" she asked hesitantly.

"You'll see," He said, keeping his tone neutral.

They entered a warehouse, the air thick with the smell of metal and oil. Dimitri guided her through a bunch of hallways till they got to a big room with some mans waiting.

Sera froze when she saw what was in the center of the room a small, makeshift ring surrounded by metal barriers.

"What is this?" she whispered.

"Your first lesson," Dimitri said, his voice cold.

"Lesson?" she repeated, her heart racing.

He turned to face her, his expression hard. "If you're going to survive in my world, you need to learn how to defend yourself."

Before she could protest, one of the men stepped forward, tossing a pair of gloves at her feet.

"Put them on," Dimitri ordered.

Sera stared at the gloves, her hands trembling. "I can't-"

"You can," he interrupted, his tone sharp. "And you will."

○●○

The next hour was pure torture,
Dimitri men didn't hold back. They
shoved her into the ring, ignoring her
protests and threw punches she
wasn't prepared to block. Every hit
sent her reeling, her body crashing
into the metal barriers. When she
stumbled and fell, they dragged her
back to her feet, barking orders to
fight back.

"Get up, flower girl," one of them
sneered, laughing as Sera knees
buckled again. They kicked a bottle
of water her way but made no move
to help her. Her knuckles were scraped raw from trying to defend herself, her face stinging from every hit she missed. She tasted blood, felt it run from her lip, but their laughter stung more than the punches.

Finally, she just keeled over and couldn't get up anymore, Dimitri stepped forward, his shadow towering over her. "Why are you doing this to me?" she choked out, tears mixing with sweat and blood,

Dimitri knelt, gripping her chin and
forcing her to meet his cold gaze,
"Because I won't let you be weak,
Sera. Weakness gets you killed in
my world." His words were sharp,
merciless. He dropped her face and
walked away, leaving her bruised
and shaking on the warehouse floor
as his men looked on in silence.