Page 12 of Bratva Prince

Chapter Four

Sofia woke to unfamiliarsurroundings, disoriented for a split second that bordered on panic.The room didn’t make sense at first.It was nothing like anywhere she should have been.Then it clicked back into place.Volkov estate.Right.

She lay still for a moment, grateful no one could see her like this, before forcing her breathing to even out and her thoughts to settle.Outside the heavy curtains, dawn was already bleeding into the sky.

The house had shifted with it, moving from stillness into something carefully structured.Guards rotated outside the corridor.Doors opened and closed in timed intervals.Footsteps moved along the marble halls like they were following a schedule instead of living a life.

Nothing here happened by accident.Everything was watched.

Sofia sat up in bed slowly, finally composed.Sleep had come in fragments rather than surrender.Her mind had refused to fully shut down in a place that felt too controlled to ever be truly safe.

Although the door was locked, she was all too aware there were adjoining walls and a husband in the next room who was still a stranger to her.

Her marriage had lasted less than twelve hours and already felt like a carefully constructed siege.She rose, crossed the room, and pulled open the curtains.

The estate grounds stretched out beneath her in perfect symmetry.Stone paths cut through manicured gardens.Security patrols moved between hedges at precise intervals.Black cars idled near gated exits like sleeping predators.It felt suffocating.

Sofia exhaled slowly.This was not unfamiliar territory.It was simply a different cage than the one she had grown up inside.Sofia inhaled and exhaled until familiar calm filled her.A knock sounded at her door.

She turned.“Yes?”she asked, glad her voice came out even.

A woman’s voice responded from the other side.“Breakfast is ready, Mrs.Volkov.Mr.Volkov is already downstairs.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” she replied.

Mrs.Volkov.The title still felt artificial, and it would probably be that way for a long time.Sofia opened the door and stepped out into the corridor.Two guards immediately shifted their attention toward her.They were neither hostile nor welcoming.They simply watched her, probably figuring out what kind of problem she might turn into.

She gave them nothing back.She kept her expression neutral, her pace steady, and walked past without acknowledging them.

Downstairs, the dining room was already set.There was minimal décor.A long table, more food than anyone actually needed.Sofia paused only long enough to take it in.

Then, as casually as if she were simply stretching her legs after a long night, she decided to take a short walk outside before sitting down.A quick look at the garden wouldn’t hurt.She wanted fresh air, space.That seemed normal enough.

She stepped out toward the estate grounds, her attention shifting to her surroundings.The garden was beautiful in a way that felt almost staged.There were carefully trimmed hedges, an assortment of rose bushes, wide stone paths, ornamental trees spaced with deliberate symmetry.

Sofia’s gaze wasn’t on the flowers and trees for long.She noted the camera placement along the roofline.Guard rotation patterns near the east gate, sight lines between hedges.The distance between patrols.Blind spots that weren’t really blind if you paid attention long enough.

She walked slowly, as if she were just admiring the grounds, while her mind quietly mapped the entire perimeter.Exit routes, in case things ever went wrong.

The front gate was obviously heavily monitored.Side access appeared tighter than it looked.A service path near the greenhouse was less obvious, but likely covered in shifts.She filed it all away without emotion.

Sofia liked planning for worst-case scenarios.It made things simpler, made her feel safer.By the time she turned back toward the house, she already knew three ways out, two she didn’t like, and one she might be able to use if she absolutely had to.

Dmitri now sat at the far end of the table.He had not changed much from the night before.He wore a dark shirt, his sleeves slightly rolled at his forearms.He looked up as she entered, and their eyes met.She wondered if he spotted her through the windows, walking the garden paths.

A quiet moment of mutual assessment passed between them before either spoke.Sofia took her seat across from him.Breakfast was served immediately.For several seconds, only the sound of utensils touching porcelain filled the room.

Then Dmitri spoke.“Managed to sleep?”

Sofia lifted her coffee.“Briefly.”

“I see,” he said.