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— What do you mean your daughter is going to live with us now, Slava? Are you confused? This is my apartment, and I’m the only one who decides who gets to come in!” Katya snapped, stopping in the doorway with grocery bags in her hands.

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“What do you mean your daughter is going to live with us now, Slava? Did you mix something up? This is my apartment, and I’m the only one who has the right to let anyone in!” Katya burst out, freezing in the doorway with grocery bags in her hands. She had just crossed the threshold … Read more

The new maid wanted to discover why the owner’s daughter sobbed at night behind her bedroom door. But when she stepped into the teenager’s room…

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Trying to be silent, twenty-seven-year-old Elizaveta Andreevna Malinkina eased along the corridor toward Alisa’s room—the room of the fourteen-year-old daughter of the house. She needed to make sure the girl was asleep before she could finally let herself sleep, too. For the past two weeks, Liza had been filling in at billionaire Voropaev’s estate for … Read more

After their father’s funeral, the children returned to his three-room apartment on Leninsky Prospekt.

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After their father’s funeral, the children returned to his three-room apartment on Leninsky Prospect. It smelled of old books, medicine, and that very same “Chypre” cologne their father had been buying since Soviet times. Valentina, the eldest sister, immediately sat down in the armchair by the window. That was always where Petr Semyonovich used to … Read more

— Since I’m now the nanny for your sister’s kids, here’s the bill for my services, — the wife had grown tired of tolerating a daycare at home.

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Lera was standing by the mirror in the hallway, touching up her lipstick, when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock — half past six in the evening. Sergey hadn’t come home from work yet, and she was supposed to meet a friend at a café. The bell rang again, more insistently. “Lera, open … Read more

At his wife’s funeral, an unfamiliar girl shouted at the husband: “Check the footage from the maternity ward cameras!”

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Night, thickening over the city, seemed to anticipate a tragedy. Heavy clouds crawled across the sky, as if bearing the weight of unfulfilled hopes and broken fates. The car slid over the wet asphalt like a ghost, leaving behind a trail of headlights and silence pierced by anxiety. Roman sat behind the wheel, gripping it … Read more

— You bought the car, Svetlana, no one disputes that. But you’re married. And in marriage, sorry, everything is shared. Even if you need it more than Vera needs it for the photo zone.

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The morning after filing for divorce isn’t coffee with a croissant, but a call from the housing office reminding you about unpaid major repairs. Svetlana got up not because she slept well, but because there was an empty spot on the pillow beside her. Andrey had gone to his mother’s — predictable, like a “Phlebodia” … Read more

Tatiana set the heavy bags down on the hallway floor. Her back ached after a long day at work. She slipped off her shoes and massaged her aching feet. The sound of footsteps coming from the bedroom made her look up.

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Tatiana set the heavy bags on the floor in the hallway. Her back ached after a long day at work. The girl took off her shoes and massaged her sore feet. The sound of footsteps from the bedroom made her lift her head. — Tanya, why isn’t dinner ready yet? — Nikolai’s displeased voice cut … Read more

Elliot Row suddenly inherited a mysterious house—perched alone in the middle of a lake. What he discovered inside would change everything he thought he knew about his life.

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The ringing phone pulled Elliott Row away from the stove. An omelet sizzled gently, filling the kitchen with the rich scent of garlic and melted butter. He wiped his hands on a towel and glanced irritably at the caller ID — an unknown number. “Hello?” he answered curtly, eyes still on the pan.   “This … Read more

After being betrayed by his wife and closest friends, a man who had once built a fortune returned to his hometown. At his mother’s grave, he froze, struck by a sudden realization.

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Alexey stopped the car. So many times he had planned, intended to come, but never found the time. While his mother was alive, he wasn’t there. After she was gone—still, he wasn’t there. The memory filled him with disgust toward himself. It would have taken so little—just one jolt to make him realize that the … Read more