Chapter 57

A/N: Uploading before schedule today, cause I will be busy.

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In the remote, uninhabited western region of Russia, a simple house stood amidst trees and vegetation. A pastoral-style home, it was surrounded by vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and a pig pen.

Natasha, Alexei, and Yelena approached the house, walking side by side. As they moved, Natasha and Yelena's eyes flicked downward for a moment, noticing a subtle change in the ground beneath their feet, though neither paid it much attention.

When they reached the barbed wire fence, a faint movement came from inside the house. Their arrival had clearly caught the attention of its owner. The door creaked open, and a woman stepped out, holding a shotgun aimed at them.

But when she saw Natasha, Yelena, and Alexei, the woman froze in shock. The sunlight revealed her appearance—a tall figure, mature and beautiful, dressed in a red-and-white plaid shirt and jeans. Her long golden-red hair added to her feminine allure, but her sharp eyes carried a cold, detached air, like someone who had taken lives without remorse.

As Natasha got a good look at the woman's face, her own sharp and cold demeanor softened with recognition.

"Natasha, Yelena, Alexei?" the woman muttered in disbelief, frowning as she lowered the shotgun.

Natasha, Yelena, and Alexei opened the gate and walked down the winding path toward her.

"Melina~~," Alexei called out, his unshaven face lit with excitement. Seeing his lover and their family reunited, he was happy but visibly nervous.

Melina stood on the front steps, looking at the three of them before turning around to open the door. "Come in."

Without hesitation, Alexei hurried inside. Natasha and Yelena exchanged a glance before following him.

The inside of the house was spacious, a classic example of Eastern European rural homes with wooden structures. The walls, decorations, and furniture were simple and unassuming, typical of an ordinary rural household.

Melina led them to a long wooden table and gestured for them to sit. After brewing several cups of coffee, she placed the mugs in front of them and sat down herself.

A heavy silence filled the air, making the atmosphere awkward. Alexei's lips quivered with excitement as he looked between Natasha, Yelena, and Melina. His eyes were filled with joy and satisfaction.

Yelena stared down at her coffee, while Natasha, feeling a mix of emotions, finally broke the silence.

"Have you been living here for long?"

Melina nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "About four years."

After finishing her drink, Melina looked at the three of them, her brow furrowed. "Dreykov's death and the fall of the Red Room—was that your doing?"

Yelena lifted her head and glanced at Natasha, her eyes saying more than words ever could. "To be precise, it was Natasha and the people behind her who did it."

Natasha ignored Yelena's glance, wanting to take advantage of the moment to uncover the truth. She looked at Melina, her eyes lowering slightly. "You... what exactly were you? A former instructor? Retired?"

Melina hesitated before answering, her voice quiet. "I was just working behind the scenes, continuing something Dreykov had envisioned."

Natasha pressed on, curiosity in her tone. "And what was that?"

After a moment of silence, Melina sighed. "It was a project... something to control the will of those children."

"Control?" Natasha, Yelena, and Alexei were visibly startled.

Melina, however, wasn't surprised by their reaction. She locked eyes with Natasha. "When you defected all those years ago, Dreykov saw it as proof that the 'products' he created had a fatal flaw—self-awareness. After years of turning children into weapons, he couldn't accept that they might develop their own ideologies."

She continued, her voice steady but grim. "So, he came up with an idea. He wanted to create something that would take away the children's ability to escape his control. He sought a way to manipulate their consciousness completely."

"And I was responsible for researching it."

Yelena couldn't stay silent any longer. "But how is that even possible?" she asked. "Brainwashing is one thing—it's the typical way to make soldiers loyal, but it's a long process. Even then, a brainwashed soldier can start doubting themselves one day. Controlling will with a drug? People have tried, but it's nearly impossible."

"What you're saying is true, but we've already made some progress. Pheromones," Melina said, her voice steady. "By implanting a chip that controls the nervous system, we can essentially achieve mental control. The person implanted with it can't disobey an order. Dreykov could issue a command remotely, and the chip would force everyone under its influence to comply without question."

Her voice dropped even lower. "Including orders to asphyxiate themselves."

Yelena's eyes widened in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed, a chill running down her spine. The thought of having such a chip inside her, turning her into nothing more than a mindless robot, was horrifying. Natasha's breathing became heavier, and Alexei clenched his fists in anger.

"That damn bastard!" Alexei growled. "He lied to me, locked me up in that hellhole of a prison, and then he did this? He deserves to rot in hell for this."

Melina looked down, her expression conflicted. "I was the one who developed it," she admitted, her voice laced with pain. "Every step of the way, I felt the agony and torture of what I was doing, but I had no choice."

Her eyes flickered with emotion. As an instructor, she wasn't supposed to have feelings for the children she trained, but as a woman, it was impossible for her to shut off all emotions. Especially when it came to Natasha and Yelena, whom she had come to see as her own daughters.

Receiving this mission tore her apart. It felt like she was being dragged through hell, and yet, she lacked the power—or the courage—to disobey Dreykov's orders. For years, she carried that burden. But then, two years ago, something shifted. Dreykov changed, seemingly overnight, and the entire situation took a sudden turn.

That change made her suspicious, and she cut off all ties with him. Only now, with Natasha, Yelena, and Alexei standing before her, did she realize the truth. Dreykov's transformation, his death, and the collapse of the Red Room—everything was connected to Natasha.