ELI
The weather had shifted. A breeze hung heavy in the air, not from the chill, but from something unseen. Something unspoken. And I felt it. I wasn't sure what it was, not at first, but it clung to me like static, unsettling and strange. I tried to ignore it. I told myself it was just another lazy day in the estate, another day of being spoiled and protected beyond reason. But deep inside, a seed of suspicion began to bloom.
It started with Ivan.
He was young, possibly just a year older than me…maybe not even. When I first saw him, I remembered thinking Damir must have picked him specifically to keep me company. He didn't look like the other guards: no permanent scowl, no bulky build. Ivan smiled a lot. He laughed at my stupid jokes. He let me tease him and never once scolded me for sneaking past the assigned routes in the estate. It felt like I had a friend… or something close to it.
And I liked that.
I had grown used to the constant presence of security.whenever I left the house, I noticed the subtle differences. No one stood directly beside me anymore. Not in the kitchen. Not in the garden. But I knew they were around. The invisible eyes. The movements in the shadows. Every time I walked out into the estate for air, I felt it…the weight of constant surveillance.
At first, I felt safe. I felt treasured.
But then came Ivan's shift. The moment that changed everything happened on a golden afternoon. The sky was soft and orange, and I'd grown restless after hours of lounging on plush cushions in my room. Damir had gone out for a business meeting. I had already finished my smoothie. I was bored and curious.
So I wandered.
I strolled lazily past the trimmed hedges, the scent of roses curling into my nose. I didn't intend to spy. I swear I didn't. I just wanted to explore. But that's when I saw them…Ivan and a man I'd never seen before. He wasn't in a uniform. His head was shaved clean, and his eyes were strange… too small for his face and way too dark. They were tucked in a corner of the estate…one of the more hidden parts, behind the garden walls near the back.
They were speaking in hushed tones.
I couldn't hear them. I didn't want to get too close. But the look on Ivan's face wasn't cheerful. It wasn't friendly. It wasn't him. And that man… he didn't look like a new recruit. Something about his presence gave me chills.
I walked away quickly.
I didn't confront Ivan. Not that day.
But since then, everything changed.
Ivan started acting differently. He stopped smiling as much. His eyes didn't light up when I called him from the balcony. He'd avoid eye contact sometimes. Other times, he'd stare at me too long.
Then one evening, I found Ivan at the far side of the hallway near the west wing. I didn't even mean to start anything. I was still trying to understand it myself.
But he approached me first.
"You like it here, huh?" he asked, that usual cheer replaced with a lazy grin.
"Of course. It's my home now," I replied cautiously.
He tilted his head, eyes running over me too boldly. "Must be nice being spoiled. New clothes every day. Laptops. Cars. Even your own drivers."
I blinked. "What's wrong with that?"
Ivan shrugged. "Nothing. Just saying… Damir must really love you. Or maybe you're just really good in bed."
My stomach dropped.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me," he said, voice low now, lips curling. "How good is he? Does he fuck you slow or rough? Or does he prefer you crying?"
My body froze, shock choking my throat. My hand moved before I even thought about it.
SLAP!
The sharp sound cracked through the hall. Ivan's head jerked to the side.
My fingers stung, but I didn't care. My cheeks burned. My entire body shook.
"Don't you ever talk to me like that again!" I screamed, my voice cracking, eyes blurring.
Then I turned and ran.
Tears filled my lashes before I reached the main stairs. My breathing turned into sobs. My knees almost gave way when I saw Damir standing by the grand piano, phone in hand. He looked up instantly, alarm on his face as he dropped the phone and rushed toward me.
"Eli? What happened? Baby, what's wrong?"
I crashed into him, sobbing into his chest, fists clenched against his suit.
"It's Ivan," I sniffled. "He…he said disgusting things to me. About you. About us. Asking how you f..fuck me."
Damir went still. Ice cold.
"What did he say exactly?"
I hiccupped through the tears, choking on the shame. I told him every single word, my voice trembling as I repeated Ivan's vulgarity.
Damir's jaw clenched. His entire body tightened like a loaded gun.
"That bastard," he growled, voice dark and deadly. "You'll never see him again. I promise you that."
He picked me up like I weighed nothing, carried me upstairs and into the bedroom. He didn't say a word. Just held me, strong arms wrapped tight around my shivering frame as I wept into his chest.
His lips pressed against my forehead, then my temple. Soft. Reassuring.
"I'm sorry, zvezdochka. I should've protected you better. I failed."
"No, no, you didn't… I just…he scared me…"
We kissed. Gently at first. His lips brushing mine like he was afraid to break me. Then deeper. Slower. His hand caressed my hair as our mouths met again and again, until my breathing calmed and exhaustion pulled me under.
I fell asleep with him still nipping on my lips.
When I woke up again, it was dark. The moonlight streamed through the window. I turned my head and saw him still there, sitting by the bed, one hand resting on mine, watching me like I was everything.
"Go back to sleep, baby," he whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."
I nodded weakly, my heart swelling in my chest.
That was the last day I ever saw Ivan.