Elena leans back slightly in her chair, eyes still on the screen for a moment longer before she looks up at me again.
Her voice is calm when she finally speaks.
“I know when I’ve been defeated,” she says quietly. “And I’d rather go down with my pride intact.” A beat. “I’ve been working for Anton Petrov since the beginning.”
The room doesn’t react immediately.
Not because the words aren’t heavy—but because everyone is processing the timing, the access, the proximity. The fact that she was inside the house while we believed the threat was outside it.
Elena continues, unfazed.
“My role in this household wasn’t random,” she says. “It was arranged. Carefully. To place me close enough to Valeria for when the opportunity came.”
My jaw tightens slightly.
Lukyan exhales through his nose, low and sharp. Misha shifts behind me but says nothing. Mike’s expression hardens, eyes fixed on her like he’s trying to decide if she’s reckless or simply finished caring.
I step forward just slightly.
“Why?” I ask. Not louder. Not emotional. Just direct. “Why betray our trust?”
Elena finally looks at me properly now.
And there’s still no fear in her eyes. No hesitation. No attempt at survival.
Only certainty.
“Because Anton’s victory is inevitable,” she says. “You’re just delaying it.”
Silence drops heavier this time.
She continues before anyone interrupts.
“The Rusnaks cannot protect Valeria forever,” she adds. “And when Anton takes what he’s coming for, it won’t matter who you punish here.”
Something cold settles in my chest. Not anger yet. Something worse. Calculation turning sharper. Focus narrowing.
I study her for a long moment.
She’s not bargaining. Not begging. Not even performing loyalty anymore. She’s simply…finished.
I lean forward slightly.
“Who else is inside my house?” I ask quietly. “Names.”
Elena lets out a small laugh. It’s soft. Almost amused.
“That’s for you to find out,” she says. “Isn’t that what you do best?”
Silence follows immediately.
I stare at her for a long moment longer, whip out my gun, and plant a bullet in her head. Her body sags against the table as blood spurts into the air.
Behind me, I feel Lukyan shift slightly. Mike doesn’t move at all. I exhale slowly through my nose and slide my gun back into place.
“Take the body.”
My voice is steady. Flat. Final.
