"Give me back my laptop!" I struggled, trying to push his hand away, but it was like an ant trying to topple a tree.
"Disobedience requires punishment." He made his cold declaration, producing a pair of icy handcuffs from somewhere. Under my horrified gaze, he clicked them efficiently around my wrists, securing me to the sofa's heavy wooden armrest.
The cold metal pressed against my skin. I was completely immobilized.
"What are you doing?!"
He didn't answer, just stepped back with the laptop. His fingers moved across the trackpad, clicking into the blog's backend.
"No—" I sensed what he was about to do and screamed in despair.
But it was too late.
His index finger pressed the red "Delete Account" button without hesitation.
A popup appeared: "Are you sure you want to delete this account? This action cannot be undone."
He didn't hesitate for even a second. He clicked "Confirm."
On the screen, a small loading circle spun for a few moments. Then my blog—years of work, all my dreams, all my spiritual refuge—instantly became a blank page. All the words, all the photos, all my heart and soul... vanished in that moment.
I stared at the blank page in shock, my mind equally blank. I forgot even how to cry. It wasn't just a blog—it was the only breathing space I'd secretly carved out for myself in a suffocating life bound by family obligations and my mother's demands. It was my entire imagination of what another life could be.
Now it was gone. Effortlessly erased by him.
Kholod closed the laptop with a dull thud, shattering my last illusion. He picked up my phone from the coffee table, unlocking it skillfully—he even knew my passcode!
He moved in front of me, leaning down close to my ear. His hot breath against my skin brought no warmth, only cold that penetrated to my bones. His voice, like Siberian wind carrying ice shards, carved each word clearly into my eardrums.
"I'm taking away these useless things."
He paused, savoring the broken light in my eyes before continuing his verdict.
"From now on, your world can only have me in it. You will never escape me."
He straightened up, taking my phone and laptop with him. He didn't even unlock my handcuffs, just gave me one last look with those all-controlling eyes, then turned and left the bedroom as silently as he'd entered.
In the room, only I remained—handcuffed to the sofa, powerless to struggle.
The fireplace flames still danced, crackling softly, but they could no longer drive away the bone-deep cold surrounding me.
I looked out the window at that endless snow-covered forest. Ithad once symbolized freedom and vastness. Now it looked more like a massive, natural prison.
He didn't just want to imprison my body—he wanted to completely destroy all my longing for the outside world, to break the wings of my thoughts.
Tears finally fell, delayed but inevitable. But colder than the tears was the growing clarity in my heart—this battle would be far more brutal and hopeless than I had ever imagined.
Chapter Five
Kholod
"Boss, Sofia Bellucci's here. Says she wants to see the missus."
I raised an eyebrow. That cold-hearted bitch who'd pawn off her own daughter without blinking, all for the family hustle. Showing up now? Right on cue. I was itching to watch what kind of bullshit performance this so-called "loving" mom had lined up.
"Let her in," I said into the intercom, eyes glued to the monitor. "Take her to Noelle."
On the screen, Noelle was curled up on the couch by the fireplace, knees hugged tight to her chest. Hadn't moved an inch in three damn days. Not since I'd shut down that pathetic little blog of hers myself.
