Sofia met Mark at a party hosted by mutual friends. Tall, self-assured, with an open smile, he caught her attention immediately. Conversation with him flowed smoothly and easily, his jokes were timely and witty, he always walked her all the way home and never forgot to call her every single day. A few months later […]
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Artem had long since grown used to the steel tracks feeling like an extension of his own being. He felt every vibration, every screech of the wheels against the rails not only with his ears, but with every cell of his tired body. He wasn’t just a train driver; he was the guide of a […]
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The aroma of bay leaf and cumin, so familiar and cozy, suddenly pierced her consciousness like a sharp prick. Elena froze halfway to her apartment, unconsciously squeezing the cold metal keys in her palm. In the chaotic rush that morning, getting her son ready for kindergarten and trying not to be late for an important […]
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The aroma of bay leaf and cumin, so familiar and cozy, suddenly pierced her consciousness like a sharp prick. Elena froze halfway to her apartment, unconsciously squeezing the cold metal keys in her palm. In the chaotic rush that morning, getting her son ready for kindergarten and trying not to be late for an important […]
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A loud crash sounded right by my temple, and the wall suddenly became splattered with crimson streaks. Sharp shards of white ceramic, like icy crystals, covered the floor at my feet with a melodious yet ominous chime. The air filled with the thick, pungent smell of beetroot and herbs. “People who are in this house […]
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What happened that night at the “Lazur” restaurant was already racking up millions of views, but no one knew what came after. What happened that night at the “Lazur” restaurant was already racking up millions of views, but no one knew what came after. When Sofia first crossed the threshold of Lazur, the air trembled […]
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Ksenia zipped up the new burgundy dress and looked at herself critically in the mirror. Today was her father-in-law Mikhail Stepanovich’s seventieth birthday, and she wanted to look appropriate. A jubilee is a serious occasion; the whole family would gather, and Ksenia understood that every glance, every gesture would be judged with a critical eye. […]
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Yana stood beside her husband and kept quiet. He was exactly as she had always seen him: grown, successful, already with two children. But he still couldn’t let go of that old grievance against his parents. She understood that it lived inside him like a scar that never healed. And no matter how hard he […]
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He pretended to be a sleeping prince, and I—a sinful fairy, until a six-year-old girl let truth into my world, a truth that smelled sharper and more bitter than hospital antiseptic. The silence in the apartment was so thick and heavy it felt almost edible. The lights outside had long since gone out, yet Alisa […]
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“And just imagine: I walk into an appliance store, pick out a vacuum cleaner, go up to the register—and the card doesn’t work!” Eleonora Viktorovna was telling the story indignantly, waving her hands; her voice trembled with genuine offense. “I entered the PIN three times and it kept saying ‘incorrect’! Your Sofia changed the PIN […]
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