Time flows with its relentless pace. Seven days have passed since that beautiful morning. Richard had suddenly disappeared somewhere without a trace. He left that morning and never returned afterward. Strangely, no one seemed concerned about it. In fact, the happiest person about Richard's absence was Elizabeth. Deep in her heart, she prayed to the Creator that he would never come back again—that she would never have to see the face of that monster ever again.
For the past few days, Elizabeth had been living in an eerie kind of peace. The brutal shadows of those horrifying nights were, for now, far away. No anger, no cruelty, no torment hunted her anymore. Yet she was not free from the chains of captivity. Even though Richard himself was absent from the garden house, he had left behind one of his most trusted commanders—Lucas. His only responsibility was to make sure Elizabeth never stepped outside her room. Richard's strict orders had bound Lucas hand and foot like invisible shackles he could never break. Elizabeth's room remained locked from the outside at all times, and even her meals were brought directly to her room.
During these seven days, Elizabeth had not seen Lucas even once. Reshma had repeatedly requested Lucas to let Elizabeth step outside for a little while. Being trapped between four walls for days was suffocating her. But Lucas did not dare disobey Richard's command. Richard's words chained him tighter than iron ever could.
Today, however, Lucas intentionally lay sprawled across the sofa with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep—knowing very well that foolish women would believe him. And exactly as expected, Reshma quietly brought Elizabeth downstairs, tiptoeing carefully. She had no power to truly free Elizabeth, but she tried in every possible way to ease her misery.
As Elizabeth slowly descended the stairs barefoot beside Reshma, she noticed Lucas lying on the sofa. She immediately whispered to Reshma from behind.
Reshma turned around, and Elizabeth silently gestured toward the living area with her deep black eyes. Reshma glanced at Lucas, then quickly reassured Elizabeth with her eyes before hurrying into the kitchen. She instructed Nishi to arrange the dining table quickly. Today, her goal was simple—to let Elizabeth sit at a dining table like a normal human being and eat properly.
Over the last few days, a strange closeness had grown between Reshma and Elizabeth. Elizabeth constantly called her "Reshma Ma" with desperate affection, and Reshma, in return, cared for her like a daughter.
By now, the wounds on Elizabeth's hands and feet had healed. Reshma herself had removed the stitches from her hand. Physically, Elizabeth had recovered completely, though mentally she remained shattered.
Carefully, silently, Elizabeth moved across the floor. Suddenly, when she looked back, Lucas quickly shut his eyes again. Elizabeth smiled faintly. Yes… sometimes now, even those pale bluish lips carried traces of a real smile.
Seeing Elizabeth sit at the dining table, Lucas exhaled warmly through pursed lips and turned his back toward them, maintaining the act of sleep. This way, the snake would die without breaking the stick.
Elizabeth silently thought to herself—behind this hard shell existed a heart soft as a child's, one drowned in the deepest abyss of sin where no diver could ever reach.
Then Richard came to her mind.
Not accidentally this time. Intentionally.
No matter how many showers she had taken, no matter how hard she had scrubbed her skin red beneath layers of soap, she could never erase Richard's scent from her body.
The dark bruises across her neck, cheeks, lips, and stomach had become permanent scars. Each one reminded her again and again of that savage man. The thought alone sent a poisonous chill through her chest. She could still hear the echoes of those terrible nights… her screams, her desperate pleas. Yet none of her tears had softened Richard's cruel heart even slightly.
Every memory shattered the fragile peace inside her. She tried to think of something else, but the old melody of hatred and pain returned again like madness consuming her whole. Eventually, Elizabeth stopped trying. She forced herself to bury those memories deep inside, though she knew they would never truly disappear.
Today, after so long, Elizabeth was finally eating something she loved. Early that morning, Reshma had cooked kacchi biryani with extra ghee especially for her. Even the aroma alone filled Elizabeth's heart with joy.
Despite Elizabeth insisting countless times, Reshma refused to sit beside her and eat. No matter how much affection Elizabeth gave her, Reshma still believed there must always remain a line between servant and master. So she stood beside Elizabeth, lovingly serving food onto her plate.
For the first time in years, Elizabeth was eating her favorite food with genuine satisfaction.
Suddenly, the food got stuck in her throat.
Reshma immediately handed her water and gently rubbed her back. Tears spilled from Elizabeth's eyes. Reshma softly wiped them away and spoke in a tender motherly voice,
"Eat slowly, dear. Look how your eyes are overflowing with tears now."
Elizabeth slowly lifted her trembling eyes toward her.
In a broken voice, she whispered,
"I'm crying, Reshma Ma."
Those words pierced straight into Reshma's heart. Her deep eyes held Elizabeth from head to toe in silent affection. She cupped Elizabeth's cheeks gently and asked softly,
"Are you missing home?"
Elizabeth shook her head.
"No… I miss my uncle. I never really had a home, Reshma Ma."
Reshma knew nothing about Elizabeth's family. Elizabeth had never spoken about them before. But Reshma had always sensed one thing clearly—this girl had grown up starved of love.
Elizabeth continued quietly,
"You know, Reshma Ma… my uncle loved kacchi biryani too. But even then, he would eat only a little and save the rest for me. Later, I'd secretly eat it."
"Your aunt didn't let you eat properly?"
Elizabeth's tears worsened. She silently shook her head.
Reshma stared at her in disbelief. Then she sat beside Elizabeth, kissed both her cheeks softly, and pulled her into her chest.
"Even in this age, people still torment someone over food? Disgusting… I feel sick just thinking about it."
At that moment, Elizabeth burst into uncontrollable sobs. The dried wounds inside her heart began hurting all over again.
The sound of her crying reached Lucas's ears. He sat upright with a frown and looked toward her. Reshma tried desperately to calm Elizabeth while Nishi came and stood beside them anxiously. Fear filled her eyes as she looked around nervously, terrified that if Elizabeth cried too much, they too might be killed like the maids from before.
"Please stop crying, my child… don't cry like this…"
Elizabeth suddenly raised her head from Reshma's chest.
Her voice trembled violently.
"T-Today… I want to speak. I want to pour water over the flames burning inside me. These hidden pains are destroying me from within. I can't do this anymore… I truly can't…"
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Elizabeth forced herself to continue.
"Everyone must be curious about me, right? About my strange appearance… my hair…"
Meanwhile—
On the rooftop of an eight-story building, sunlight pierced through glass and fell across the body of an extraordinarily handsome man.
Beneath black trousers, Richard's powerful muscular body remained bare as he continued his morning workout. Beside him sat Nasso, silently counting every push-up.
"One hundred twenty-three… one hundred twenty-four…"
Then suddenly Richard stopped.
From the laptop screen before him came Elizabeth's voice through a live feed. The garden house dining area was streaming live.
A crooked smile curved Richard's lips.
Lately, his mind had been occupied with complications surrounding a recent shipment. Several politicians wanted to partner with him in the women trafficking business. Richard had refused outright.
Sharing power was never his style.
In this kingdom, he alone was king—and minister too.
That refusal had enraged powerful politicians. A foreigner from Italy ruling their city so completely was unbearable to them. In anger, they unleashed an entire police force after Richard.
But the result?
Nothing.
Police pressure, political conspiracies—none of it even scratched him. Over the years, Richard had built his empire too carefully. No matter what enemies tried, he always remained one step ahead.
This time was no different.
Like a devil descending onto the battlefield himself, Richard personally handled the situation. One by one, he brutally eliminated every enemy. His revenge was merciless—beyond imagination.
Everyone who tried to stop Richard received horrifying deaths as gifts from him personally.
The police could do nothing.
Because Richard never left evidence behind.
Every step he took was flawless and calculated. That was why, within such a short time, he had built an empire even in a place as powerful as Italy.
Prem had also tried countless times to catch Richard, but without proof, nothing could be done. The police had spies tracking him for days, which was why Richard had avoided the garden house recently.
Still, Richard was not someone who hid in shadows.
Instead, he destroyed his enemies openly and strategically.
His brutality, savagery, and psychopathic mind consumed everyone around him.
Richard resumed his push-ups. Sweat soaked his hair, strands sticking against his forehead while thin streams rolled down his cheeks. His entire body glistened with sweat, yet somehow steam-like heat still radiated from him.
The blue veins around his neck bulged visibly.
After completing two hundred push-ups, Richard lifted his entire body weight onto his palms alone, holding himself suspended in the air. Veins spread clearly beneath his skin from the pressure.
From another building, it would look as though someone had been hung upside down shirtless in midair.
Back in the dining room, Reshma listened silently as Elizabeth spoke again.
"I'm Russian. I was born and raised in Russia. Yet fate brought me here. You're probably wondering how they could be my uncle and aunt if I'm Russian. They truly are my blood relatives. Because while my mom was Russian… my dad was completely Bengali."
"My dad was a journalist. Brave, fearless, and reckless by nature. In a short time, he built a strong career for himself. Because of international assignments, he often traveled to different countries. During one such trip, he went to Russia to make a documentary. That's where he met my mom.
Mom was a professional singer. Dad became captivated by her enchanting voice. Whenever she performed at bars or stage shows, Dad would always go there just to listen to her sing. At first, they became friends, and gradually that friendship turned into deep love. Mom fell so deeply for a foreign man that she didn't even hesitate to change her religion for him.
Their relationship didn't take long to become serious. They got married and gave their love social recognition. And I was born from that love—a life created from the blending of two cultures. The cold soil of Russia and the warm blood of Bangladesh."
Elizabeth paused briefly before continuing.
"Soon after marriage, Mom became pregnant with me. While I was still in her womb, she finally told her family about the marriage. No one had known until then. But the news brought a storm.
Her family could never accept the marriage. In their eyes, Dad's social status was far beneath theirs, something shameful. They pressured Mom relentlessly—she had to divorce him, and I had to be aborted before even being born.
But Mom was firm. Love meant more to her than conditions or restrictions. So her family abandoned her."
Despite everything, Elisa never let go of her husband's hand.
"To protect her love, Mom left behind all relationships, status, and a huge chapter of her life. At that time, she was very successful professionally. Her career in music was bright. With that success, Mom and Dad bought a small house in Russia and started a new life together. Their world became complete with my arrival. Their universe of two became three. My birth erased every wound of hardship."
Elizabeth's voice softened.
"I came into their lives like a new light. Dad's parents had accepted the marriage from the beginning. After I was born, Grandpa became desperate to see me. He constantly begged Dad to bring me to Bangladesh. But Dad refused because I was too little. He visited alone instead.
Still, I was everyone's favorite. Dad especially couldn't stay away from me for even a moment. Even during work trips, he constantly video-called just to see me. He used to say, 'A moon has been born in my home.'"
A faint smile touched Elizabeth's lips before vanishing again.
"Mom practically gave up singing for me. Her whole world revolved around me. To both Mom and Dad, I was the center of their universe.
When I turned two, Dad decided to bring all of us to Bangladesh. Because his work required constant travel, he feared Mom wouldn't be able to manage alone with me. After a lot of persuasion, Mom agreed. Drawn by love once again, she left Russia and came to Bangladesh with Dad.
Our little family began a new chapter."
For a while, everything was wonderful.
"I became everyone's favorite. Especially my red hair and fair skin fascinated people. People came from far away just to see me. Mom and Dad always protected me, but they couldn't protect me from evil eyes.
One day, my cousin Shihab's maternal uncle visited our grandfather's house. I was only two years old then. Somehow… I caught his filthy attention."
Elizabeth's hands trembled slightly.
"One day, Mom went into the kitchen to warm milk for me. When she returned… she saw him touching me inappropriately."
The room fell silent.
"I didn't understand anything at that age, but I cried endlessly that day. Mom saw that horrifying sight with her own eyes. She couldn't suppress her rage or disgust anymore. She attacked him viciously.
Mom became so violent she beat him until he was covered in blood. She even struck him with a butcher's knife. Her eyes burned with terrifying revenge.
And I… I just cried like a child without understanding why everything had become so frightening."
When Dad learned the truth, he handed the man over to the police. But even that couldn't erase Mom's fear.
"The very next day, Mom returned to Russia with me. No one could stop her."
That decision planted resentment in Elizabeth's aunt's heart forever.
"Days passed. Months passed. Years passed. Dad tried many times to convince Mom to return to Bangladesh, but she never agreed. Eventually, even Dad realized Bangladesh wasn't safe for me.
My beauty itself would one day become my destruction."
Elizabeth looked downward.
"Mom's name was Elisa. She was breathtakingly beautiful—like a Greek goddess. And that beauty reflected onto me. My red hair and appearance came from her. As I grew older, my beauty grew too… and so did Dad's fear.
He constantly worried about how to protect me from the filth of this world."
Eventually, her father left journalism and settled in Russia permanently with another job.
"Our family became peaceful again. Safe. Full of love.
My entire childhood until twelve years old was protected beneath Mom and Dad's care. Their love for me was so overwhelming they never even thought about having another child."
Then everything changed.
"One night, darkness entered our lives."
Although her father lived in Russia, he had been deeply investigating a case in Bangladesh. Recently, worry had become visible on his face, though he never burdened Elisa with it.
"One night, Dad was discussing the case through a video call with former colleagues from Bangladesh. A few days earlier, he had traveled to America regarding the same investigation. During that meeting, an email suddenly arrived.
That night became the beginning of our family's tragedy."
Elizabeth inhaled shakily.
"According to Korean law, if a criminal remains unidentified for fifteen years, the case is permanently closed. Fifteen years earlier, a murderer had brutally raped and killed a little girl before escaping.
After fifteen years passed, the case legally became inactive. Then the killer shamelessly returned publicly. But neither the police nor authorities took action.
That night, an anonymous person contacted my dad secretly and begged for help."
The person had written:
"The murderer walks freely while the victim's family screams for justice. Korea's administration remains silent. But you are an international journalist. If you expose this case globally, maybe the family will finally receive justice."
Attached was the horrifying description of the girl's murder.
"That night, after reading everything, Dad sat silently beside my sleeping body and held me tightly against his chest. He kept imagining… what if it had happened to his own daughter?"
That pain pierced him deeply.
"So that very night, Dad decided to go to Korea no matter what. Truth and justice were never things he could compromise on."
Elisa supported him, as always.
"But maybe somewhere deep inside… Dad felt it would be his last night."
Elizabeth's voice cracked.
"He held me in his arms the entire night. Maybe he already knew he would never return."
The next night, her father left for Korea while Elizabeth slept.
"He left while I was asleep because if I had been awake… he never would've been able to leave me."
When she woke up and found him gone, she cried endlessly in her mother's arms.
"Mom kept saying, 'Your dad will come back very soon.' And my little heart believed her."
But days later, everything changed.
Her father's phone became unreachable.
"At first, Mom tried to stay calm. But gradually panic consumed her. The man who couldn't spend even a single moment without seeing me suddenly vanished completely."
Elisa tried desperately to contact him—but failed every time.
"Then slowly… Mom broke too."
At night, she would hold Elizabeth and cry silently.
"We spent countless sleepless nights hoping Dad would suddenly open the door, kneel down, spread his arms, and say, 'Where's Papa's princess?'"
But reality remained silent and cruel.
Then Elizabeth whispered:
"Yes… Dad came back. But as a corpse."
Tears streamed down her face.
"They ripped open his chest and tore out his liver. They murdered him so brutally his body was barely recognizable."
No one even allowed her to see the body properly.
"I only saw his coffin from a distance."
She broke down crying.
"When Mom saw Dad's body, she collapsed unconscious right in front of me. I ran toward her, but the police didn't even let me near her. Nobody cared about my pain that day."
Everyone in the room sat frozen.
Even Lucas stared silently.
Elizabeth continued through trembling breaths.
"Mom could never accept Dad's death. She shattered mentally. Her family still never came to see her—not even once.
The police failed to catch the killers."
One day, young Elizabeth insisted on going to her father.
"She cried and screamed endlessly like a child. Mom finally lost control."
For the first time, Elisa struck her daughter.
"She pressed my mouth shut and screamed like a madwoman. Then… in her unstable state… she tried to silence me with a pillow."
Elizabeth's breathing became uneven.
"I couldn't breathe. The world became blurry."
When Elisa realized Elizabeth had stopped responding, she regained her senses.
"She screamed and cried hysterically. Neighbors helped rush me to the hospital. Somehow… I survived."
But Elisa never forgave herself.
"That same night… Mom committed suicide."
Silence swallowed the room again.
Elizabeth continued.
"After that, Mom's mental condition worsened even before her death. She laughed randomly, cried randomly, stayed at bars all night, returned home drunk every day. Sometimes she beat me when I cried from fear… then later covered my face with kisses and held me tightly while screaming and crying herself."
School stopped.
Her cheerful childhood disappeared.
"One day, Mom suddenly decided to go to Korea herself to find Dad's killer."
But she didn't want Elizabeth involved.
"So after ten years, Mom returned to Bangladesh and left me with my uncle."
At that time, Elizabeth still didn't realize it would be the last time she ever saw her mother.
"Before leaving, Mom suddenly ran back from the car and hugged me tightly while I screamed and cried for her. She kissed my face over and over again as if trying to preserve every second forever.
Before leaving, she touched my forehead and said, 'Mom will come back soon, baby.'
But just like Dad…
Mom never returned either."
Elizabeth wiped her tears weakly.
"At twelve years old, I once again became the target of filthy eyes."
Her cousin Shihab began touching her whenever he got the chance.
"Only my uncle protected me repeatedly. Otherwise… I don't think I would've survived."
Her aunt kept her promise to Elisa in her own cruel way.
"She watched over me constantly—making sure I worked properly. Even at night, she would wake up to check whether I was sleeping on the kitchen floor."
Her beauty only fueled her aunt's jealousy.
"She stopped my studies. Stopped me from going outside. Eventually, she locked me inside completely."
Still, Elizabeth loved studying.
"At night, after finishing endless chores, I used to study beside a candle in the kitchen corner."
Her uncle silently cried whenever he saw her.
"But he never spoke against my aunt because she constantly threatened suicide."
Elizabeth's voice became distant.
"I endured insults, humiliation, dirty stares… everything… only because I believed Mom would return someday. She had promised me."
Years passed.
"She never came back."
Slowly, Elizabeth hardened herself emotionally.
"One day, I realized endless regret had gathered inside me like an ocean. If I allowed myself to drown in it, it would destroy me completely.
So I stopped crying."
She accepted darkness as her destiny.
"I convinced myself happiness simply wasn't meant for me."
But even then…
A small hope remained.
"Maybe someday someone would come into my life like my dad… and I could love like my mom."
A bitter smile appeared on Elizabeth's lips.
At that exact moment, footsteps echoed.
Everyone turned around in fear.
Richard had arrived.
Behind him stood Nasso, holding a laptop.
Richard walked calmly toward them without expression. Elizabeth's entire body stiffened the moment she saw him.
Lucas inhaled sharply in fear.
But Richard simply walked toward the stairs without saying anything.
Then suddenly he stopped.
Without turning back, he called softly:
"Red."
Elizabeth froze.
Richard spoke coldly:
"If life fucks you hard… just moan."
Then he walked upstairs as though nothing had happened.
Elizabeth's tears dried instantly in shock and rage.
Later, after she finished eating and washed her hands, Richard suddenly stormed in like a hurricane, lifted her effortlessly into his arms, and carried her upstairs.
Fear stole her breath.
Inside the room, Richard gently placed her down.
He was still wearing the same black shirt, only without the coat now.
Suddenly Elizabeth felt something cold against her neck.
Richard leaned close over her shoulder and fastened something around her throat.
Her eyes widened.
It was a thin silver chain… with Richard's ring hanging from it.
Near her ear, Richard whispered huskily:
"Be a good girl, and you'll surely get everything you desire."
Then he walked into the bathroom immediately.
Elizabeth stood frozen, holding the chain tightly.
The cursed king of darkness himself had just gifted her something.
When Richard returned, he leaned against the bathroom door shirtless and said calmly:
"I either love or hate. Nothing in between. I value generosity and despise stinginess."
Elizabeth finally looked directly into his ocean-blue eyes and replied shakily:
"This isn't a gift…"
Before she could finish, Richard interrupted deeply,
"Think of it as a reward for the night. Love is an unfamiliar word to me."
Those words crushed the tiny wave of emotion rising inside her.
Richard watched her tears without reaction.
Then suddenly he remarked:
"You look like a school girl, Red."
Elizabeth frowned.
"I'm not."
"So that means you're an adult?"
"I'm twenty, by the way. Not nineteen."
Richard slowly stepped closer.
"And are you?"
"My birthday was a few days ago…"
"I'll be thirty-one."
"Oh…"
Then Richard wrapped one arm tightly around her waist and pulled her against his chest.
Her head pressed against his broad body.
"So… you're perfectly healthy now, huh? No more sickness, right?"
His voice darkened dangerously.
"I'm starving, Red."
With one hard push, Richard threw Elizabeth onto the bed and lunged after her.
But just before he reached her—
Elizabeth's eyes suddenly locked onto something near his ear.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Meanwhile, a car sped toward the airport.
Nasso drove while Lucas repeatedly glanced at Richard through the front mirror.
Neither of them knew where they were going.
Richard silently scrolled through something on his tablet.
Finally, Lucas cleared his throat nervously.
"Uh… Boss… where are we going?"
"To die."
Richard answered casually without lifting his eyes.
Lucas instantly paled.
He didn't fear killing.
But dying?
That terrified him.
Richard finally looked up and asked calmly,
"You don't want to come?"
Lucas answered immediately,
"Yes, Boss. Of course I'll go."
Richard smirked and handed him a ticket.
"I'll explain the rest after we arrive."
Then he looked toward Nasso.
"Drop us at the airport and then do exactly what I told you."
Nasso nodded silently.
Lucas glanced at the ticket and froze in surprise—though excitement also flickered inside him.
"Boss… you're going to—"
"I have other business."
Lucas asked nothing further.
Meanwhile, Richard stared out the window silently.
His mind was full of unanswered questions… and dangerous mysteries waiting ahead.