Hey...because of uni exams, I will able to post the next chapter only after 2 weeks.

—————————————————

Melissa "The weight of true."

I was sitting on my soft bed, staring at the white wall of my room, but it seemed like I could see a clear black dot. The silence in the room was almost unbearable, pressing down on me like the weight of all the decisions I had made, all the things I could no longer undo. The air smelled faintly of stale coffee, the remains of the cup I had thrown away hours ago. My mind had lost track of time. The days seemed to blur together since the night Daniel died, and it had been three days already.

Because of me.

The thought echoed in my head, relentlessly, mockingly. Daniel was the first person to die because of me. I mean, it wasn't because I killed him, it was because I was the reason Roman blew his brains out in the middle of a hotel room. Maybe he wanted more than just two digits from him, but I never thought a man like my husband would do something so irrational.

He was a womanizer, an idiot even, who abandoned his wife and children, but there was always something broken inside me that couldn't answer the question of why I thought about it so much. He was the type of man I always thought was disgusting. But not now. Not after everything. Not when I wasn't the one who killed him.

But it didn't matter who Daniel was or wasn't. Roman saw him as a threat. Roman, with his dark, burning eyes, his volatile anger and the implacable possessiveness that had once thrilled her, struck with the fury of a man on the edge. Daniel didn't stand a chance. Roman killed him without hesitation, with me sitting in his lap.

Because of me.

I closed my eyes, leaned my head back against the pillow, trying to breathe. The feeling of something new was gnawing at my insides, twisting my stomach, leaving an emptiness. Every time I thought about Daniel's lifeless body on the chair, my heart ached with the knowledge that I could never go back. I could never fix it. Or pull the trigger faster than Roman did.

Three days ago, I was still Charlotte, I thought bitterly. Three days ago, I was pretending to be someone else—someone who didn't feel pain, someone who could escape all of this. Someone good. Someone who even thought of Roman as Kane.

But Charlotte was gone. That carefully constructed facade fell apart the moment I saw Daniel's invisible blood on Roman's hands. No more running. No more pretending. It was only then that my brain realized that my old life had returned.

I was Melissa again. And that was a problem. Because everything inside my heart and soul was craving it. But my brain? It was screaming at me to stop, to not feel the pain of 10 months ago again.

For so long, Charlotte had been a shield, a mask I could wear to push people away, to numb myself from the past. Charlotte was the quiet, good girl, the girl who was just being married to her second husband. But it was all a lie. The truth was, Charlotte was too strong—just another way for Melissa to hide from herself.

Now, stripped of that identity, I was vulnerable. Vulnerable to everything she had tried so hard to bury: the guilt, the fear, the anger, the past. And to Roman.

Especially Roman.

A sharp hum broke the oppressive silence in the room, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I glanced at my phone on the table, the screen glowing with a new message.

John.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw his name. I hadn't heard from John in what felt like forever since I'd shut the door on him because he was a coward and the worst husband for someone who hated boundaries. But I couldn't forget that he was part of my life before everything went to hell, before Melissa reappeared, when I still believed in normalcy. A time when peace, or something like it, seemed possible.

With trembling fingers, I opened the message.

John: Charlotte, we haven't seen each other for 4 days. I need to see you. Can we talk? Please meet me. You know where.

My first instinct was to ignore it. I didn't need it right now. My life was already falling apart. But something about John had always been hard to ignore. He was level-headed, someone who didn't push me too far, who didn't demand more than I could give. Like sex. And maybe, just maybe, meeting him would bring me some semblance of comfort, something normal that would ground me in the chaos. Because with him, I would be the one who, if he wanted, would kill.

Sighing, I put the phone in the back pocket of my jeans and walked to the elevator without any problems because everyone had disappeared somewhere. At least that's what I thought when I grabbed my jacket from the hook by the elevator, but a female voice stopped me when my finger reached out to press the button.

"Where are you going?" Lin glared at me from the side with a sarcastic grin and leaned her shoulder against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. I exhaled and turned my head slightly towards her.

"Remind me when I'm supposed to report to you?" Without even looking, I pressed the button. "I don't remember either." "Because I'm his sister." She said it with such an intonation as if I should be surprised and cry, begging on my knees for forgiveness for not knowing about her. I admit, when Alex checked everyone, I was shocked that Lin was Linda and she was Roman's sister. But then it just became clear that there were even more lies and secrets in our marriage.

Not seeing my surprise, she was no longer so confident. I laughed briefly and grabbed her jaw in my palm. My grip was tight and I inhaled how much despair began to emanate from this girl.

"Do you know what your problem is?" I heard the elevator doors open. "You think you're insanely strong because your last name is Kirillova. But you're too weak for your last name, honey." I quickly pushed her away from me and walked into the elevator, but turned around and saw that Lin had lost her footing and fallen. "That's what I'm talking about. Learn to fight and win, and only then use your last name." I managed to say, and under her angry gaze, the elevator closed when I pressed the button that would take me to the first floor.

It helped me leave behind the suffocating thoughts of Roman, Daniel, and my fractured identity. I exhaled and felt my old confidence emerge again. Right. I'm the one who kills when I want. I'm the one in control. And I'm the one who will do crazy things.

***

The park was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow across the grass, turning the sky a soft pink. A familiar path led me to the bench where John had said they would meet. It was here that we first met.

He was already there, standing by the bench, his hands deep in his pockets, his face half hidden in shadows. As I approached, he looked up, his eyes softening as they met mine.

"Charlotte." He greeted me, his voice was gentle, almost hesitant, and it made me tense up. "Nice to see you."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. It felt strange to be here with him after everything that had happened. Everything about John seemed like a distant memory, from a time when things were simpler, when my world hadn't been consumed by lies and violence and fear for at least a few months. Even if I didn't love him.

He pointed to a bench. "Can we sit?"

Reluctantly, I sat down next to him, but kept a slight distance. John studied me, his expression unreadable for a moment before he finally spoke and I simply tried to process what exactly he wanted from me.

"I know it hasn't been easy for you." He began slowly. "And I don't want to make it harder. But... I was thinking about you. About us."

"John..." I began, but he interrupted me.

"No, just hear me out." He insisted. "I know we didn't end things on good terms, but I never stopped caring about you. I tried to give you space, to let you figure things out, but I can't shake the feeling that you're slipping away, like you're getting lost in something that's not you."

I felt my heart tighten with anger. I wasn't sure what I expected, but hearing John talk about the past, about their time together, was like opening an old wound. Not because it made me happy. But because I realized what he wanted from me. I didn't want to humiliate him again, but I needed to show him his place when things with Roman started to get out of hand.

"I'm not the same person I was when we were together." I said confidently, looking down at the ground but quickly looking up at him. "And it was no problem at all for me to slam the door in your face. Don't come back."

John reached for my hand, his touch warm and familiar but I quickly pulled it away and snapped. "Don't touch me!" "You haven't changed as much as you think," he said quietly. "I know you, Charlotte. The real you. And I still care about that person."

I blinked several times, trying to understand how my life had turned from a thriller into a sappy melodrama again. "John. Let's start with the fact that I'm Melissa." I swallowed the lump in my throat as all my thoughts stopped in reality. "We both used each other. Your mommy wanted you to find a wife, I needed your money, so stop this show. What do you want from me?"

"Great." John tsked, and his pretense was gone in an instant. "Come back and call off the divorce. I'll forgive you."

I stood up, hugging myself as the wind picked up. But despite the evening chill, I wanted to laugh heartily.

"No." I said calmly. "I don't care. Don't be a coward and explain everything to your mommy. You can even blame me and cry to her. Then she might not take your money away. And remember, I never need forgiveness from a man. If I wanted, you would be mine again, but I don't need that."

"Wait." John said, standing up and grabbing my arm, preventing me from leaving. "Just talk to me."

"I said it, let go." I answered even more decisively, trying to break free. His grip was much stronger than before and although I was a stronger woman, he was bigger than me. I was not stupid and I understood that everything had gone too far. A small panic began to creep into my chest, and all I wanted was to get away from here, away from this conversation, away from this bastard.

But before I could free myself from John's grip, a shadow appeared next to us.

A shadow appeared next to us, dark and imposing. I felt the air change before I saw it, my heart sank into my heels. Roman.

"Let go. Her. Go away." Roman's voice was a low, dangerous growl. His words seemed to cut through the air like a blade, filled with some kind of restrained cruelty that took my breath away.

John tensed next to me, his hand still on mine, but his grip loosened. He turned to Roman, clearly trying to assess the threat before him. But I knew better. Roman was the type of man who didn't make empty threats, and I could see it in his eyes now—a terrifying mix of possessiveness and anger that even I feared.

"What the hell is this?" John asked defensively, standing slightly in front of me as if protecting me. Idiot.

Protective instinct. This was a completely wrong move.

Roman's eyes flashed something dangerous, and before anyone could react, his fist lashed out, connecting with John's jaw with a sickening crack. John staggered back, clutching his face.

"Roman!" Melissa screamed, panic rising as I threw myself between them, standing in Roman's way. "Stop it!"

But Roman wasn't listening. His chest was heaving with barely contained rage, and his eyes were fixed on John with a burning intensity that sent a chill down her spine.

"Stay out of this." Roman growled, not taking his eyes off John as he struggled to his feet. "This is none of your business anymore."

John's hand dropped from his jaw, anger flashing in his eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, his voice thick with disbelief. "You can't just come in and-"

Roman cut him off with another punch, this time to the stomach. John doubled over, gasping for breath. I screamed, my hands grabbing Roman's arm in a desperate attempt to stop him, to pull him away from the edge because we were in a public place and this could end even worse than last time.

But Roman was a force of nature when he was like this, unyielding and unstoppable.

"Roman, stop!" I screamed again, and my voice didn't even waver. "You'll kill him!"

Something in my voice must have gotten through to him, because he froze, his breathing ragged, his fist still clenched, ready to strike again. For a moment, the tension hung in the air, like a spool wound too tightly, threatening to snap.

Then Roman slowly straightened up, his eyes still dark with rage, but some of the savagery was receding. He stepped back, letting John collapse to the ground, gasping for air.

Mine was pounding in my chest as I stood between them, shaking, torn between the thoughts that he was taking control of the situation from me again. This was all getting out of control. And again, not because of me. But because of him.

John groaned on the ground, trying to sit up, his face pale with pain.

"I told you that you have to let go and leave on time, John." I said in a foggy voice, sitting down next to him.

But before John could respond, Roman grabbed my arm, yanking me to my feet. He pulled me away from John, his grip tight and unforgiving. I gasped as I was dragged back, far enough from the park that we were in a dark alley, and he pinned my body against the cold brick wall of a nearby building.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, my heart pounding in my chest, I wasn't about to let him have his effect on me. I struggled in his grip, trying to push him away, but Roman held me in place, his body close, too close. "Why the hell are you even here?" "What?" He smiled. Crookedly and angrily. "It seemed like a lot of fun."

My eyes sparkled. "Fight me." "What?" "You heard me." I nodded. "Fight me because I am the opponent who can defeat you." "Ты права." He answered calmly. "Not a big suprise." "The victory is already in your hands." He grabbed me by the throat bringing me closer to his mouth. "And I intend to return it as much as I hate you." And the next thing I felt was the taste of his lips on mine.

I froze for a second, but quickly pulled myself together and slapped him hard across the cheek. "Don't you dare." He leaned down as if he hadn't felt the blow at all, his lips touched my ear, and he spoke in a low, dangerous whisper. "I remember you telling me that I could only touch you if you let me."

I froze again, my breath caught in my throat. I didn't need to remember because I remembered that night, knew how I tried to set boundaries with Roman when things got too intense, too dangerous. For me. But Roman always pushed those boundaries, always tested my limits.

"And you know what?" Roman continued, his voice thick with anger, his fingers squeezing my arms. "I don't give a shit about your fucking rules anymore."

Before I could react, his lips crashed against mine again, rough and demanding. But this time, I didn't do anything else. Like I couldn't. It wasn't a kiss of affection or love—it was a kiss of possession, of control. For a moment, my mind went blank, my body swept up in the storm of his intensity. I tried to push him away, but my hands went weak in his hard body, and my heart pounded with a mixture of fear and confusion. Because I fucking loved it.

My body betrayed me, responding to the heat of his kiss even as my mind screamed at me to continue to resist, to push him away. But Roman's grip tightened, his kiss deepened, consuming me with some raw, primal energy that made me feel like I was drowning.

This was not the Russian I knew. This was not the man she once loved. This was someone darker, more dangerous, who cared nothing for boundaries or consent.

I finally managed to tear my lips away from his with a gasping groan. "Stop." I whispered, my voice indecently low, my chest heaving as I tried to regain control.

Roman's eyes bore into mine, furious and unyielding. "Why do I have to do this?" he growled, his hand moving to my waist, pulling me even closer. "You keep trying to push me away, but you can't. You belong to me."

"I don't belong to anyone." I spat, my voice regaining its strength and the fire returning to my eyes. I pushed him in the chest, trying to create some distance between them, but Roman didn't move.

His lips curved into a grin, but there was no warmth in it. "You think you can run from me? You think you can hide behind him again?" He jerked his head toward the park where John was probably still lying on the ground, groaning in pain. "I'll kill him if I have to."

My heart stopped at the threat. I knew Roman wasn't bluffing. I'd seen him many times, I'd seen the cruelty in him. He'd killed for her once before - because of her. The memory of Daniel's blood flashed through her mind, making her cringe. Here he was again, trying to take all my power and control over my life from me.

"No." I said confidently, my voice echoing off the walls. "Don't you dare. You've already done everything to ruin my life. So don't think you have the right to influence my life now."

For a moment, something flashed in Roman's eyes - doubt, hesitation, perhaps even regret. But it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the same cold, unyielding determination.

"You think you can leave me, Melissa?" he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. "You think you can just walk away in a few weeks?"

"I have to." My answer was unwavering. "I don't want to do this anymore. I can't live the way I've been living. With you by my side."

Roman squeezed my waist even tighter, pulling me even closer until there was no space between us. Absolutely no fucking space. His lips brushed my ear again, sending shivers down my spine.

"It's not up to you." He muttered, his breath hot on my skin. "Not anymore."

My heart was pounding in my chest, my thoughts were racing as I tried to find a way out of this. I had to leave him. I had to free myself from his power, both physical and emotional. But Roman was unyielding, unyielding.

For a moment I thought about giving up right then and there, just to make it stop, just to put an end to the chaos. But then I remembered that night. I remembered dying and bleeding and being saved by Natasha and not my husband who doesn't even know what I've been through. It made me realize that I had a choice.

With a surge of strength I'd always known I had, I pushed Roman away as hard as I could, breaking free of his grip. I stumbled back, my breathing becoming ragged as I put more distance between us.

Roman stared at her, surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected me to resist. He hadn't expected me to have the strength to push him away.

But Melissa wasn't the same woman she used to be. She wasn't Charlotte anymore. She wasn't even Melissa in the Mafia. She wasn't hiding behind a mask. She was the new Melissa, and I wasn't going to let Roman control me anymore.

"I'm done." I said, my voice firm, my gaze unwavering as I met his eyes. "You don't own me, Roman. You never will."

Roman was silent for a moment, his jaw clenched, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then he slowly stepped back, his expression hardening.

"We'll see about that." He muttered in a cold voice, turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, shocked, but still standing.

I watched him go, my heart barely perceptible, a mixture of relief and fear swirling inside me. I had confronted him too many times over the past few days, but I knew it wasn't over yet. Roman wasn't the kind of man who walked away easily. And didn't take back what was his.

But now I was free.

And that was enough. But there was something else that scared me more than the power he had over me and the power I had over him. That was what.... And at that moment, I wasn't sure if I hated him for it—or if I hated myself for wanting him.