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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

Mikhail Artemiev—a billionaire whose name in business circles was synonymous with success, cold calculation, and impeccable control. His name graced glossy magazine covers, his business empire stretched from Europe to Asia, and his mansion on the outskirts of the city seemed carved from marble, glass, and perfect order. He was a man people respected, feared, … Read more

The sky hung low, as if pressed down by the weight of unspoken words and grief, tinted gray, almost leaden. It seemed to press not only on the earth but on the souls of those who stood at the edge of the fresh grave. Wet snow, heavy and sticky, fell onto the black lacquered coffin, … Read more

— Olya, I’m leaving. Olga froze, a plate clenched in her hands halfway to the sink. A thin stream of water trickled from the faucet—the only sound in the heavy silence that followed his words. She turned slowly. Igor stood in the doorway already wearing his jacket, a travel bag at his feet. Not the … Read more

That morning was no different from any other. A new maid had arrived at the country estate of Mikhail Sergeyevich Artamonov. Her name was Lena—young, just past twenty, with a tired look in her eyes as if she had lived not through one sleepless night but through an entire lifetime. In her hands she carried … Read more

The doorbell pierced through the morning drowsiness of the house. Sharp, insistent. I frowned, lifting my head from the pillow. Who could possibly need us this early? Tamara Pavlovna, my mother-in-law, was already shuffling down the hallway. Her whisper was louder than any shout. — Coming, coming! No need to ring so hard… I threw … Read more

Arina wasn’t quiet out of shyness or loneliness. She chose quiet the way you choose to breathe—on purpose, with control. In her family, words were counted for weight, not volume. If silence could say it better, you kept your mouth shut. Her father, a former officer, believed in endurance, patience, precision. Her mother, a judo … Read more

“Mom, why have you started treating Denis so badly? Did he offend you in some way?” This time, Varvara decided not to stay silent. “Again you’re filling my head with nonsense,” Tamara Fyodorovna muttered discontentedly. “Don’t you have anything better to do than compare your husband with your sister’s husband?” “Oh, please, Mom. I’ve never … Read more

Outside the windows, garlands glowed with warm light, their reflections trembling in the glass where Christmas trees sparkled faintly. From inside came the muffled strains of holiday melodies. Beyond those walls, however, ruled a different world—a white, breathless silence. Snow tumbled down in heavy flakes, as though an unseen hand endlessly poured it from the … Read more

Boris Sergeyevich, on his way to his business partner’s country house with his fiancée for a barbecue in honor of the holiday, stopped by the supermarket. Initially, he had planned to celebrate March 8th in a restaurant, but Anzhela, having learned about the invitation, persuaded him that a trip to the country house would not … Read more