The Romanov Diadem: Oblast Dmitrovka

11. The Character

"Good evening, Miss."

Viktor finally greeted the woman who was staring at him. He was uncomfortable and couldn't control himself if he got that kind of stare. Yes, like someone who needed a bedmate.

"Who's on your back?"

The woman whose name Viktor didn't know asked without thinking about cause and effect. Occasionally the woman stood unbalanced. Her legs seemed unable to support her seductive body.

"My wife. That's right, she is my adorable wife."

"Oh, IーI thought... I thought you were a single man bringing a woman into your room."

'What a jerk this woman is!' Viktor cursed the nameless woman inwardly. He was annoyed by the woman's words.

"I apologize if I'm being rude. Let me introduce you, I'm Viona Zakharchenko. I'm a Russian-English mulatto. And, what is your name?"

The woman named Viona extended her hand to Viktor, but Viktor couldn't welcome her.

'Who would ask for her name? And, who wanted to get acquainted with this strange woman?'

Viktor inwardly complained by asking the two questions that had made him uncomfortable.

'When I introduced Zoya to her, she should've understood that I'm not an entertainment-seeking man like Papa David.'

This time, Viktor made his heart condemn the bad actions of his father-in-law.

"Viktor Gusev Konstantin." Viktor finished saying his name just as the elevator doors opened.

'As Viona spoke, I recognized the sharp smell of liquor from her mouth.'

Viktor stepped off leaving Viona in the elevator alone as he spoke to himself.

"Hey, Viktor! Your name is as good as your handsome face and seductive body!"

Viona shouted as she staggered out of the elevator. Viktor looked back briefly to make sure she hadn't fallen.

"Hey, handsome! If you're lonely, please come to my room 311. Feel free to knock on the door, okay!"

Viktor shook his head as he tugged at the corner of his right lip. He looked back at the street in front of him. He felt Xandrova moving gently on his back.

" Bear with me, darling! We'll be at the room in a minute."

Viktor walked closer to his hotel room. He reached into his coat pocket for the cardlock.

"We're finally here, Zoya."

Viktor pushed the door open with his right foot and went inside.

"Sleep tight, my little wife! May God favor us to stay together til I succeed in making you happy, Zoya."

Viktor laid his wife's body down gently. He also took off the boots Xandrova was wearing.

"You're so pretty, Zoya! No wonder Maksim doesn't have the slightest intention of letting you go."

Viktor enveloped Xandrova and then stared at her for a few seconds.

"My Aurora is here. But why can't I reach you, Zoya?"

Viktor rubbed Xandrova's rosy cheeks, then hurried to turn off the bedroom light so his wife could sleep comfortably.

Before he knew it, Viktor's eyes were begging for rest. He takes the pillow from beside Xandrova's head and carries it to the long sofa where he will sleep tonight.

***

An unknown hand reached out to Viktor who was about to fall off the cliff. Not messing around, the hand tried to pull him up until Viktor safely reached the top.

"Who are you, old man?"

Viktor realized that the owner of the hand was an old man with an estimated age of around 60 years oldーperhaps more. The old eyes of the man who helped Viktor had tears in them as he looked at Viktor's face.

"Why did you help me?"

Viktor knew that his first question had not been answered, but he still threw another question to the old man. Viktor hoped the old man would answer all the questions he asked.

"Whoever you are, I thank you very much, Sir."

Viktor bowed his head. But when he looked up again, the old man was already lying lifeless.

"Aargghhh! Nーno!"

Viktor shouted as he raised his right hand to call for help. However, the ringing sound of the smartphone startled the man.

"Huh?! So, I was just dreaming? Right? However, that dream felt so real to me."

Viktor woke up from his sleep. He sat on the long sofa and got a blanket wrapped around his whole body.

"Zoya?!"

Immediately, Viktor got up from the sofa and went to the bedroom to see his wife. He had the blanket in his hand.

"Oh, no! Why are you putting this blanket on me, Zoya? I'm not gonna freeze to death from the cold."

Viktor enveloped his wife gently again.

'I would love to land my lips on the top of your head, Zoya. However, I can't deny that just looking at you... my heart feels at ease.'

Viktor stared at Xandrova's sleeping face. The man didn't know the attention his wife was giving him. Because all he knew was Xandrova's rejection.

Viktor didn't return to the sofa outside the bedroom. He chose to open the window and smoke a cigarette down there.

"Do I have to accept Grandpa Gennadius' job offer? As for me?"

Whoosh!

Wisps of cigarette smoke billowed into the air. Viktor frowned as he thought hard about what Gennadius had talked about two days ago before he went on vacation with Xandrova and his parents-in-law.

"Well, I've decided to go work at the Konstantin family company at Grandpa Gennadius' wish."

After being sure of his decision, Viktor went back to sleep on a different sofa. He now slept on the sofa in the bedroom right at the end of the bed.

On the other side, Xandrova opened her eyes. She heard what Viktor had said earlier.

"Did Papa find out about Grandpa's plan? No, did he not approve of Viktor's interference in the company?"

Xandrova sat up and hugged her trembling knees. Don't know what she was feeling that made her body tremble so much.

"VikーViktor... IーI... I need you."

Xandrova tried to call out her husband's name. She hoped Viktor would hear her voice.

"Viktor, I'm... cold...."

Xandrova's faint voice remained inaudible to Viktor who was already fast asleep. Xandrova didn't want to give up. She called her husband's name a little louder.

"Viktor, IーI... I feel the temperature getting colder ...."

Xandrova's pretty face turned red. The tip of her nose was red like a tomato. Oh, is it still this cold in Russia in summer? 

After waiting for a while with no movement from Viktor, Xandrova tried another way to wake him up. She reaches for her small bag on the nightstand next to the bed.

"I hope you wake up this time, Viktor."

After making a wish, Xandrova immediately dropped the bag.

"Oh my! What's that sound?"

Viktor woke up as he was startled by the sound of falling objects. He looked behind him and saw Xandrova smiling contentedly at him.

"Why are you awake, Zoya?"