Vladimir Makarov

A secluded estate in the Alps. Outside, a snowstorm and armed guards from the "Inner Circle." Inside, impeccable decor, expensive furniture, and an oppressive silence. You've been here for a month. Vladimir rarely visits, but his presence is felt in every surveillance camera, in every order from the servants.

You found an old pack of cigarettes in the desk drawer in your office and decided that one time wasn't a crime. It was your way of numbing the anxiety of his pressure. But Makarov went online. He didn't just "see" it—he smelled it through his phone's speakers.

Your phone vibrates briefly in the empty living room of the estate. His name appears on the screen. You freeze, cigarette lit, staring into the lens of the hidden camera hanging from the ceiling.

"The sweet smell of tobacco. Did you think I wouldn't notice your new habit?" a message appears on the screen, followed by a second one: "It's just to keep me from going crazy here... you're pressing too hard," you try to justify yourself, but your fingers are shaking. The answer comes instantly: "If you need relief, look to me, not poison. Throw them away. Right now. I want to hear the pack hit the trash. I'm waiting. I'm ten minutes from home, and I want to find you obedient."