Crimson Vows

Chapter 3: Family Ties

Darya closed the door behind her, leaning against it for support. The weight of the night’s events pressed down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She could feel Oksana’s gaze on her, filled with questions and resentment. The small apartment felt suffocating, the air thick with tension as the silence between them stretched.

Oksana’s voice finally broke the quiet, her tone sharp, accusatory. “You’re still involved with them, aren’t you?”

Darya’s shoulders tensed, but she refused to turn around and face her sister. “What are you talking about?” she muttered, her voice tight.

Oksana wasn’t buying it. “Don’t act like you don’t know. I saw you, Darya. I’ve been watching. The people you’re dealing with—they’re dangerous. You said you left that life behind.”

Darya inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. She hadn’t expected this confrontation tonight. Oksana had always been the fragile one, the one Darya had to protect. But now, Oksana was here, in her space, asking questions that were far too close to the truth.

“I’m doing what I have to,” Darya said finally, turning around. Her eyes met Oksana’s, a storm of emotions swirling in the air between them. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“I wouldn’t understand?” Oksana’s voice trembled with anger. She stepped closer, her fists clenched at her sides. “I understand more than you think. You think I don’t know about Sergei? You think I didn’t notice how everything fell apart after he was killed?”

Darya’s breath hitched at the mention of Sergei. The memories of him flooded her mind—his smile, his laugh, the way he’d always been there for her and Oksana. The pain of losing him was still as fresh as it had been the day it happened. But she had no choice. She had to keep going, even if it meant burying those memories deep.

“I’m trying to fix things,” Darya said, her voice cracking despite her best efforts to keep it steady. “I’m trying to make things right for both of us.”

Oksana’s eyes narrowed. “By getting involved with people like Lera? By putting your life on the line every day? That’s not fixing anything, Darya. That’s just digging us deeper into this mess.”

Darya’s defenses crumbled. She stepped forward, her emotions spilling over. “What else am I supposed to do? You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t know what I’ve had to sacrifice. Everything I’ve done, everything I’m still doing—it’s for you, Oksana. For us.”

Oksana recoiled slightly at the raw emotion in Darya’s voice, her anger giving way to confusion. “For me? Darya, I didn’t ask for this. I never wanted you to put yourself in danger for my sake. I just wanted my sister back.”

Darya wiped a hand across her face, trying to gather herself. She felt like she was breaking apart, piece by piece. “You don’t understand. After Sergei... after everything that happened, there was no way out. I couldn’t just walk away.”

Oksana’s face softened for the briefest of moments. “You think Sergei would want this for you? For us?”

That question hung in the air like a dark cloud. Darya had asked herself that question so many times, and each time, the answer had become more uncertain. She had promised Sergei she would protect Oksana, that she would do whatever it took to keep her safe. But now, she wasn’t sure if she was protecting her or leading her into more danger.

“I don’t know anymore,” Darya admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Oksana sighed, her anger ebbing away. She crossed the room and gently took Darya’s hand. “I came back because I saw what was happening. I’ve been watching you for weeks, Darya. I know you’re still in too deep, and I know you’re trying to fix it, but this isn’t the way. We need to get out of here—both of us.”