To everyone who texted me "I need more. I can't wait for 2 weeks what if I die?" This one for you. Please live. Don't die :)

Melissa "The woman. The power. Sounds like a synonyms."

Remember I talked about choices that either lead us to a beautiful paradise or, on the contrary, into a dark abyss? Well, I wasn't finished.

I was standing between the recently closed closet and two idiots, because of whom Kate ended up in this damn closet. My eyes darted around the scene, trying to find even a drop of positivity, but the fact that my heart was beating beneath Roman's thin shirt didn't help at all. The sound was rhythmic, calming, but my mind was in chaos. So strong and turbulent that I desperately wanted to jump off this floor and end up underground. Although, no. The world would lose such a perfect creation like me. I could just get rid of these idiots instead. Right.

For some reason, I kept returning to a thought that had tormented me since childhood: How much does our life depend on our own choices? Does everything really depend only on us, or are we just a product of random events and circumstances beyond our control? I often wondered how many people think they have power, only to find out that every decision was already determined by something else—other people's choices, emotions, past experiences, and even fears. Life has given me plenty of opportunities to observe how people handle their decisions.

Right now, I could guess that Jean and Lin, like some kind of adrenaline junkies, decided to take matters into their own hands and get to Kate. But first off, they should have done it quietly. Secondly, they should have dealt with it right away instead of hiding a living person in a closet. And third, is it just me, or does it seem odd that she's upside down?

My thoughts were interrupted by a sound that instantly sent a chill down my spine. The echo of cracking wood spread through the room—Roman had broken down the door. Damn. Time and my body froze when I realized that not all of my decisions were right.

If I hadn't had whiskey last night, if I hadn't slept with him *correction: probably crazy sex* and if I hadn't run away this morning, it would have been much better to just sit in New York and have tea. But there were too many ifs. The truth was that I hate following dull and boring choices and living as if I'm afraid of everything. I'm not scared. I only fear when it's advantageous.

Even my body reacts faster than my mind. I moved quickly, standing between the two wannabe spies who stood there stunned, silently watching the scene in which they clearly didn't belong, and I smiled theatrically when I saw the silhouette of my husband.

Roman burst into the room, his eyes blazing with rage. His tall figure filled the doorway, and for a moment, it seemed like his presence had sucked all the air out of the room. His gaze locked onto me, and the air was thick with unspoken tension.

"Coward," Roman hissed through gritted teeth, clenching his fists at his sides. "Running away after sex? My God. Do you think you can hide from me?"

I didn't flinch, though my pulse quickened from the deafening noise in my ears. I tried to figure out how to get them to tell me how Kate ended up in the closet, how to get what I needed from her, and how to make my husband forget about last night.

"Shhh...," I raised my hand. "Why so much fuss over sex?" "You think sex means nothing?" he growled, his voice full of venom. He took a step toward me, his body radiating the threat of violence. "Are you smart enough to understand how badly I want to kill you right now?"

My face remained calm, although inside I felt the familiar wave of adrenaline and anger. He was once again trying to assert control over me. But I was no longer the woman I had been a few years ago.

Before Roman could say anything else, I did something that shocked everyone in the room, even myself. I turned to Lin—Roman's own sister, grabbed her by the collar, and pulled her toward me. "If you try to hit me or turn away, I'll tell Dean who you really are," I managed to whisper, then kissed her.

The kiss was sharp, raw, and utterly devoid of passion. It was a statement, not a gesture of affection. When I pulled away, Dean immediately pulled Lin back, who was frozen in shock, blinking in confusion, while I looked at Roman with defiance in my eyes.

"See?" I said, my voice calm but sharp. "Physical contact means nothing."

Roman froze, his eyes darting between me and Lin, trying to process what had just happened. Lin, caught off guard, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand but said nothing. The room fell into stunned silence.

"You just kissed her!" he finally shouted. "And?" "She's my sister." "And I'm your wife." I smiled wryly. "And I must say, she's a much better kisser than you." "Oh... well, remind yourself of that next time when those same lips were around my dick last night." "Oh God... Dean... I'm gonna be sick," Lin muttered. "Shut up!" Roman and I simultaneously silenced her.

I took a step toward him, closing the distance and poking my finger into his chest. "Oh... then remind me next time not to sleep with a man who knows I don't remember anything when I drink alcohol." "Oh, so you don't remember anything?" He smirked. "Sorry, I didn't know you were drunk, krasavica. Want me to remind you how it was, sweetheart?"

I didn't even realize when my palm smacked him across the cheek. The slap was so hard that his head snapped to the side. "Yes. Remind me to kill you."

My expression hardened, my anger boiling over again. His hand tightened angrily around my wrist. "Don't rush. I'll kill you first for that." I tried to pull my hand away and hissed. "Kill your idiots first." "What are you talking about?" He let go of me and looked over my head at them. "What the hell did you do?"

My feet quickly carried me to the closet, and I opened it again. "Come here and see for yourself." I crossed my arms, watching the already pale Kate. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a muffled sound. Roman's large figure stood next to me, shoulder to shoulder. "What the hell is this?"

I turned sharply to Dean and Lin, my voice rising as I demanded, "Now's the time to tell us. What the hell did you two do yesterday?"

Roman and I moved in perfect unison, leaving Kate behind as we slowly advanced on Dean and Lin. "We... we can explain," Lin backed away. "Right, Dean?" "Of course." They both swallowed hard as their backs hit the couch, while we just stood there, watching them in silence from above.

But the words hung heavy. Lin and Dean exchanged nervous glances once more. No one wanted to answer. And I realized again that something had to be done.

"Answer!" I screamed, my fury boiling over. Various scenarios flashed through my mind, each worse than the last. "Alright." Dean patted Lin's leg. "Relax, birdie, I'll explain everything." And she really did relax, but Roman only tensed up even more beside me, though to his credit, he didn't throw his sister under the bus and kept silent.

"So... You both left, and we decided not to waste the opportunity, so I seduced her." "A bit too seduced," Lin muttered. "Don't be jealous," Dean smirked, but continued to look up at us. "So, she got drunk, we carried her to the room, and then... she just passed out. So we decided to tie her up, blindfold her, and, well, use Lin's gag. At that moment, the closet seemed like the perfect option." "Where the hell did you get a gag from?" "So that's what bothers you? You should keep quiet too." I rolled my eyes. "Did you not think she might suffocate in there and die before she could give the code?"

Dean opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off before he could begin. "I honestly don't care. There's no point in trying to figure out what's going on in your heads anymore." I snapped, my voice trembling with anger. "Just... leave. Get out. Now."

Lin and Dean hesitated, but they knew arguing was pointless. With quick nods, they got up and left without a word, their footsteps echoing down the hallway until they disappeared from sight.

Once they were gone, I was left alone with Roman. The tension between us was palpable. The door was broken, hanging off its hinges like the fragile truce that had once existed during our marriage. I looked at the broken door, then back at Roman, and realized just how much colder and harsher I had become, dreaming of strangling this bastard.

"The door's broken. You'll have to move Kate to the bathroom." I said, my eyes as hard as steel.

Roman remained silent for a while, his chest still heaving with the remnants of his recent anger. "You can't boss me around." He said louder than necessary, his voice almost a growl.

I turned to him and stepped closer, my eyes narrowing. "You will do it, Roman. Because you have no choice." I whispered dangerously. "Just like you had no choice that night. Do you think you control me just because your dick was inside my pussy?" My lips curled into a sinister smile. "That's hilarious."

Roman's eyes darkened, his anger beginning to rise again. He turned to me as well, gripping my hand tightly, trying to reassert his control. I didn't back down. Instead, I leaned in closer, our faces just inches apart, and my whisper was sharper than a blade.

"Do you want to know the truth?" I said, my voice cutting through the brief silence like a knife. "You need me more than you realize. You think you control me because of that night? Because of what we did?" My smile widened, now filled with a cruel smirk.

"Your dick could have been inside my pussy ten times last night, Roman." A cold pleasure coursed through my veins. "But even that—and everything that happened—proves one thing: You can't live without me. And that's why you're so desperate to strangle me."

Roman tightened his grip on my hand even more, but I didn't flinch. I saw the struggle in his eyes, the war between his desire for control and the painful realization that I was right. In that moment, I knew I had all the power.

For a long time, we stood like that, locked in a silent battle of wills, until finally, Roman's hand loosened. His face twisted in frustration, but he said nothing.

I smiled, now truly victorious, as I turned and walked into the bathroom, leaving Roman in that room, knowing he would soon come and bring Kate there. I had gotten what I wanted, and I knew it. The power was now in my hands.