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CHAPTER XI. The Romanoffs
While Zoya worked her magic on the unsuspecting guard, Elina knew that her task was far more delicate-she had to find a way to reach Natasha, to pull her away from the watchful eyes of the Red Room. The stakes were high, but luck was on her side; she knew where Natasha was being kept, that dark, foreboding place where memories of torment and guilt intertwined.
As Elina returned to the familiar, shadowed hallways, the flickering lights overhead cast ghostly silhouettes on the walls, mirroring the turmoil in her heart. The closer she got, the more the past weighed on her. It would be the first time she'd face Natasha since that horrific moment when she'd seen her sister strapped down, helpless, enduring unspeakable pain. And now, after having endured her own torture, she understood the full extent of what she had allowed to happen.
When she arrived at Natasha's door, a shiver ran down her spine. The silence was unnerving, and the absence of guards hinted at the possibility of Natasha being inside, alone. Elina took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she might find. Slowly, she pushed the door open, the creak of the hinges sounding louder than it should in the oppressive quiet.
Natasha was there, crumpled in a corner, her body battered and broken, her spirit seemingly crushed. The sight of her sister, once so strong, now reduced to this, made Elina's heart ache with a deep, gnawing guilt. It was a painful reminder of the cost of her own vengeance, a cost Natasha had paid in full.
Closing the door behind her with a soft click, Elina crossed the room and knelt beside Natasha. She reached out, her hand trembling as she gently shook her sister awake. Natasha stirred, her eyes barely opening, swollen and bruised, but still flickering with that indomitable spark.
"Elina?" Natasha's voice was a whisper, strained and weak.
Elina nodded, her throat tight with emotion. But the recognition in Natasha's eyes quickly turned to something colder, more distant. She pushed Elina away, her movements sluggish but determined, her gaze hardening with the pain of betrayal.
"What do you want?" Natasha rasped, her voice laced with bitterness. "You got what you wanted, didn't you? You got your revenge."
The words hit Elina like a punch to the gut. She had no defense, no excuse that could justify the wrongs she had done. "I know," she breathed, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry, Natasha. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have come after you. I was wrong-about everything. But we need to get out of here, together."
For a long moment, Natasha just stared at her, her eyes searching Elina's face for any sign of deceit. There was a time when she would have trusted her sister without question, but that time had passed. Now, trust had to be earned, and Elina wasn't sure she had the time to earn it. Yet, as the seconds ticked by, Natasha seemed to weigh her options, realizing that she had nothing left to lose. Slowly, she nodded, the tension in her shoulders easing just a fraction.
