"Understood," Yuri said, already checking his gun.
As I walked out, I felt Mikhail's gaze burning into my back. Maybe he thought control would keep me safe, or maybe he didn't realize control was the very thing I was learning to destroy.
**********
Liza's apartment smelled like cigarette smoke and coffee grounds. She opened the door barefoot. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were as sharp as ever.
"You look like hell," she said, waving me inside.
"You always know how to make a girl feel welcome," I muttered, sitting down.
She poured coffee into a chipped mug. "You shouldn't have come. He's got eyes on you, doesn't he?"
I nodded. "Yuri's parked outside. Probably checking every window for a sniper."
Liza snorted. "Paranoid men make the worst lovers."
"I wouldn't call him that," I said quietly.
She raised an eyebrow. "You're sleeping in his bed, aren't you?"
"That doesn't make him mine."
Liza sat across from me, her expression softening. "So, why are you here, Isa?"
I stared at the steam rising from the cup. "I don't know who to trust anymore. My father keeps lying, Mikhail hides things, and every truth I find feels like another lie waiting to unfold."
Liza leaned back. "That's because, in this world, truth is a luxury and lies are what we trade to survive."
I frowned. "You sound like him."
She smiled bitterly. "Maybe because he's right. You can't play clean in a world that's already dirty. You think Mikhail's where he is because he's honest? No, baby. He just lies better than anyone else."
I looked away, my stomach twisting. "Then what do I do?"
Liza's tone softened, but her words cut deep. "You learn to bend him, not break him. Men like Mikhail, if you fight them head-on, you'll lose. But if you make them believe they've already won? That's when you take everything."
Her eyes locked on mine. "Don't let him cage you. Let him think he already has."
I sat there quietly, while her words sank like stones in my chest. Maybe I didn't need the truth to win. Maybe I just needed control, and control was something I could take back piece by piece.
Liza smiled faintly. "You always had that fire, Bella. Don't waste it trying to love a man who only understands war."
As I stood to leave, I realized she was right. Truth didn't save anyone in this world, but power did. And I was finally learning how to use mine.
**********
The car waited by the curb when I stepped out of Liza's building. Yuri stood by the door, with sunglasses on, even though the sky was gray. He didn't speak, just nodded toward the back seat.
"Had fun gossiping?" he asked once we started moving.
I gave him a small smile. "I’ll call it survival, not gossip."
He grunted. "You shouldn't be out here. The boss isn't happy."
"Mikhail's never happy," I said softly, looking out the window.
The city blurred past, and rain fell against the glass, neon signs, and people rushing like that all had somewhere better to be. Everything looked normal, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something in the air had changed. Maybe it was me.
