Alina stood by the kitchen window, watching the autumn leaves slowly settle onto the asphalt of the courtyard. Behind her came familiar sounds: children’s laughter, the shuffle of slippers across the parquet, the refrigerator door slamming. She didn’t turn—she knew she’d see the same scene she’d seen every day for the past three months. Inga […]
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The dream of a house by the sea had been a family dream for many years. Inna remembered how, as a child, sitting at the table in the tiny kitchen of their Khrushchev-era panel apartment, she and her mother and father would leaf through photos of the seashore and imagine how one day they would […]
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Natalia opened the door to her two-room apartment and headed straight for the kitchen. The October evening had turned out rainy, and after a hard day at the design agency she wanted to quickly cook something warm and hearty. Sergei was due back from work in half an hour, and Natalia planned to greet her […]
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September had brought a chill to the evenings, and Irina had just finished making dinner when the doorbell rang. Alexei opened it, and his relatives swept into the apartment as a noisy crowd: his mother, Valentina Mikhailovna; his sister, Lena, with her two children—seven-year-old Masha and five-year-old Denis; and right behind them, his brother Viktor. […]
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The hall of the expensive restaurant was awash in lilies and an atmosphere of meticulously choreographed cordiality. Yelizaveta Ignatyevna Veresayeva, my mother-in-law, was celebrating her fifty-fifth birthday. She stood in the center of the room, in a sapphire-colored dress, basking in admiring looks. She raised her glass, sweeping the guests with the heavy, velvety gaze […]
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— This year, don’t spend on yourself—pay for your sister’s wedding; we’ve already decided,” his father informed him. The voice on the phone sounded casual, as if his dad were saying they needed a loaf of bread for dinner. Nothing more, nothing less. Kirill froze, staring at his laptop screen. An Excel sheet glowed there—his […]
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“Marina, open up already—we’re freezing!” came a familiar, imperious voice from behind the door. Marina froze with the keys in her hand. With her new hairstyle, spring-lilac manicure, and boutique shopping bags, she felt like a queen. There were still two hours before her romantic dinner with Igor—time to change into her new dress, light […]
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My name is Tamara Alexeyevna. I am seventy-four. Once, my days were full—there was a husband I adored, work that felt like calling rather than duty, a house that held warmth even in winter, and three children whose laughter braided itself into the walls. Then, ten years ago, my husband’s heart failed him. After his […]
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— Marina, open the safe immediately! — the mother-in-law stood in the doorway of the study, clutching some documents in her hands. Marina Sergeyevna froze with her morning tea cup in hand. She had just been peacefully having breakfast in the kitchen when suddenly Tamara Ivanovna — the mother-in-law who hadn’t shown up for half […]
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Ethan Carrington was a man accustomed to control—control over markets, negotiations, and above all, the meticulously crafted life he led. As the CEO of a San Francisco-based tech giant, he dominated boardrooms and made headlines. Yet, despite his towering success, one part of his life remained unresolved: his brief marriage to Isabel. They tied the […]
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