The tragedy on the cliff, averted only by a miracle and Alexei’s desperate jump, shook everyone. To defuse the atmosphere, he organized a formal dinner. Wine and exquisite food yielded results. When the participants relaxed and passions subsided, Alexei stood up and walked to the center of the hall.

— Gentlemen, — Alexei began, his voice low and authoritative, but without the usual producer’s coldness, — today is not the time for scripts. Today is the time for truth. What happened on the cliff is inexcusable. It was not an element of the show. Your life, your health, your trust—that is what we promised to protect. We broke that promise. And for that, I, as the owner and producer of this project, offer my deepest apologies. I want to address Alina and Maxim. Your courage, your composure, your true trust in each other, displayed at a moment of mortal danger, has become the best proof that this project can be more than just a game. I understand that my words mean little now. I officially declare: Filming will only resume after every piece of equipment is checked three times. I will personally ensure that every rope, every carabiner, every piece of set that could pose a threat is replaced and tested. I am responsible for your every scratch. Such incidents will not happen again.

He turned and looked around at everyone again. In his eyes was not only determination but also the bitter realization of how much his personal dramas had harmed his professional work.

— Tonight is not about the show. It is about restoring your trust in the project and, just as importantly, your peace of mind. Please, relax. Enjoy the dinner. We are here to work, but no job is worth your life.

He raised his glass. A ripple of applause followed.

During Alexei’s speech, Maxim never took his eyes off Alina. His face was tense. It caused him deep pain to see how she listened to her ex with admiration and attention. Maxim understood: with this speech, Alexei was restoring not only his status as a producer but also drawing Alina back into the past that Maxim was so desperately trying to erase. He publicly acknowledged their couple as “genuine,” and himself as guilty. This tactical move made him an even greater hero in the eyes of others than Maxim himself.

Maxim felt he was losing control of the situation and of her. Jealousy and fury churned in him, and his carefully constructed image was collapsing before his eyes. He needed to vent this poisonous anger on someone. And that person, in his opinion, could only be the one because of whom this dangerous gamble got out of control—Karina.

Leaving Alina, who was still looking toward Alexei, Maxim sharply headed for Karina, who was standing by the bar counter.

— Karina, we need to talk. Right now, — he demanded in a quiet but icy tone.

Karina gave a strained smile.

— I thought you’d be accepting congratulations now, Maxim. Did something happen?

— What happened is that my fiancée was almost killed! — he hissed, lowering his voice to a whisper. — You promised a controlled effect, not a catastrophe! What the hell happened? You didn’t tell me the rope was faulty!

— Maxim, calm down! That wasn’t in the plan! — Karina scanned the room. — I’m in absolute shock myself! We checked the equipment. It must have been an incredible accident, a technical failure! I assure you, no one wanted it to go this far.

— An accident? — Maxim mockingly raised an eyebrow. — This “accident” led to Lyosha being the hero now, not me! She admires him, not me. I can’t trust you anymore! Our tandem is over. I don’t need your help anymore. It cost too much. I don’t want this collaboration anymore! I want Alina to be my wife, not to crash onto the rocks. If something had happened to her, you would have been next.

With those words, he sharply turned and, without looking back at the stunned Karina, walked back across the hall.

While Maxim was venting his anger and helplessness on Karina, Alina, feeling the need to express her gratitude, resolutely headed towards Alexei, who was standing slightly apart, pouring himself wine.

— Alexei, — she began, her voice quiet but firm. Alina looked at his wounded hands, and the feeling of guilt burned her more intensely than the heat of the flame the day before. — I wanted to thank you. You saved us. You risked your life, and...

— I don’t need your cheap gratitude. I did it for the sake of the project.

— Why are you humiliating yourself in front of him? If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have gotten into this situation at all, — Maxim’s sharp, crude voice interjected.

He immediately came up to Alina as soon as he noticed her talking to Alexei. His face was tense and distorted by the uncontrollable jealousy he had been trying to hide all evening.

— You are my woman, and if you should thank anyone, it’s me. I’m the one who kept you from falling. Let’s go.

He grabbed her elbow, his grip far too strong.

— Maxim, let go. You’re hurting me.

She sharply pulled her arm away.

— What is wrong with you? — Her eyes flashed with anger. — You’re acting as if I’m your property. I’m a free person and I can talk to whoever I want, whenever I want.

Maxim’s face darkened. He realized that in the heat of jealousy, he had crossed a line, and now his carefully constructed image as the perfect partner was crumbling. He gritted his teeth. He couldn’t afford any more aggression. He needed to calm down quickly.

— Fine! Play your independence game! — Maxim sharply turned around and, without looking back, quickly walked away from the party, narrowly missing a waiter.

— The perfect couple broke up, — Alexei drawled, pouring wine into a glass. Ironic mockery laced his voice. — What a pity.

Alina, clenching her teeth, turned to leave.

— Where are you going? — Alexei stopped her and offered the wine glass he had poured. — Stay. Drink, calm down. Everyone came here to relax. There’s been enough tension for today.

Alina, without moving, cast a look full of resentment at him.

— Suit yourself, — Alexei said, carelessly putting the glass on the table, and walked away.

Alina was left standing alone, humiliated by Alexei and struck by Maxim’s rudeness. It was the perfect situation for Eva’s new plan to eliminate her annoying rival.

— Alina, — she approached her, her voice soft and penetrating. — I’m glad everything ended well today. I apologize if I was harsh with you earlier... After what happened on the cliff, you know... it seems you and Maxim truly proved your feelings.

— It’s fine. I’m not offended.

Alina looked away, watching Maxim’s retreating silhouette, which had already disappeared down the corridor. Her momentary inattention—and it was enough. Eva quickly shook powder from a capsule clenched in her palm, sprinkling it into the glass of wine that Alexei had poured. This stimulant, which causes distorted perception and uncontrolled craving, Eva had brought with her for an “emergency”—she planned to use it on Alexei to compromise him and gain power over him. But now that Alina was alone, humiliated and emotionally drained, this powder was “just right” for eliminating her rival. The stimulant instantly dissolved in the red liquid. “Let her show everyone how ‘sincere’ she really is,” Eva thought with a predatory smile. When Alina turned her head toward Eva, she quickly thrust the glass of poisoned wine into her hands.

— Then I suggest we seal our reconciliation with a glass of exquisite wine, — Drink. You need to relieve the tension after what happened. Enjoy the evening, — she advised softly, casting a triumphant, predatory glance at Alexei, who was talking to one of the directors.

Suspecting nothing, Alina took the glass that Alexei had poured for her and drained it in one gulp. Volodya watched the women’s strange interaction from an observer’s perspective. He sat in a corner, crushed by his recent argument with Eva, but still watching her closely. Knowing her nature, Volodya suspected she wouldn’t give up so easily. And he was right.

The stimulant took effect. Alina felt a sudden dizziness. Colors became too bright, sounds—too loud. She felt unwell, and she struggled to maintain her balance.

— Oh, my dear, I see you don’t handle alcohol well. Wait a minute, I’ll help you now.

Eva intercepted the first young waiter she saw. Slipping a large sum of money into his hand, she whispered quietly.

— See that girl in blue? She’s had too much. Carefully take her to the restroom. Take a few photos... you know, compromising ones. And you don’t have to hold back.

— What makes you think I’ll agree?

— Why would you refuse? Where else will you earn so much money so quickly? You’ll leave the villa after the party. And in the morning, she won’t even remember anything. I’ve taken care of that.

Looking around and making sure no one heard them, the waiter nodded in agreement. Hiding the money in his pocket, he quickly approached Alina and led her out of the hall by the arm. Alina, whose mind was foggy, did not resist, perceiving him as a vague image of help.

Sensing that something was wrong, Volodya followed them. He arrived just in time and prevented the struggling Alina from being dragged into a dark room at the end of the corridor. Volodya often hung out with Eva in nightclubs, where such incidents were not uncommon. Seeing Alina’s glazed, unfocused eyes, her confused, hot breath, and inability to walk straight, he immediately understood what was going on.

His anger was instantaneous and furious. With one yank, he threw the waiter away from Alina. After receiving several blows to the jaw, the waiter recoiled against the wall, covering his face.

— Did you spike her with that crap?! — Volodya demanded an answer, pinning the waiter against the wall, his voice low and threatening.

— No. I already found her in this state, — the waiter wheezed. — It wasn’t me. It was her friend.

— Get out! Or I’ll call the police!

Volodya didn’t need an explanation of which friend he was talking about. The situation was delicate for everyone, including Eva. No one could allow it to become public, especially after the morning’s incident with the rope. Therefore, Vladimir allowed the waiter to simply run away.

— Alina? How are you?

— Volodya, help. My body isn’t obeying me.

— Don’t worry. You’re safe.

Quickly taking Alina into his arms, Volodya carried her to her room. He hurried as fast as he could, trying to avoid being seen by anyone. He couldn’t let Eva use the situation for her own gain and make a mockery of Alina. And his fears were not unfounded.

Waiting about fifteen minutes after the waiter had led Alina away, Eva began her performance. She approached a group of participants and, in a deliberately loud, concerned tone, addressed them:

— Have you seen Alina? She looked so unwell. And after she drank that wine... Maybe she’s feeling really sick? Did anyone see her?

Eva’s words drew Alexei’s attention. The goal was achieved. Alexei, without saying a word, rushed into the corridor. It was enough for him to know that Alina was alone and might be unwell. Seeing his concern, a joyful smile appeared on Eva’s face. In her imagination, she had already pictured the scene of Alexei catching Alina in the arms of the waiter and throwing her off the project.

While Alexei was running through the halls searching for Alina, in the room, Volodya was trying to bring Alina around. He soaked a towel in ice water and gently applied it to her forehead.

— Alina, you must drink water! Please, it will help, — his voice was full of genuine care.

She pressed against his chest, her feverish heat burning him. Her eyes were clouded, her consciousness struggling against the stimulant’s effects.

— No... I can’t... I’m hot, — she whispered. She tried to push him away, but every movement looked like a plea, a desperate invitation. — Go away, Volodya! Go away! — she moaned, fighting herself.

At that very moment, Alexei approached the door. He saw the light under the crack and, without knocking, pushed the door open slightly. The scene that greeted his eyes was an explosion: Volodya standing over Alina, her hands, trying to push him away, appearing to be embracing him from the side, and her blouse unbuttoned, exposing a thin strap. It seemed to Alexei that Volodya was trying to rape her.

— Bastard!

A second later, Volodya fell to the floor from the blow.

— I was trying to help! She was drugged! — Volodya shouted back.

— Who?! Who did this?!

— I don’t know. I found her in this state.

Alexei immediately rushed to Alina.

— I was trying to bring her around.

— You can go. I’ll take care of her. And keep your mouth shut. No one must know what happened.

— I understand.

When the door closed behind Volodya, leaving them alone, Alexei went to Alina. She was sitting on the bed, her blurred eyes looked at him.

— You haven’t changed at all, — he said bitterly. — You’re willing to drug yourself... but for what? What goal are you pursuing?

— I’m not pursuing anything. I didn’t do anything, — Alina barely managed to say. Her voice trembled, she clung to the last remnants of clarity. — I’m so hot. Help me.

Inside Alina, a desperate, agonizing struggle was taking place. A sober, guilty part of her screamed for him to leave, but waves of unnatural heat caused by the stimulant overwhelmed her, focusing all her wild, uncontrollable attraction on the only man who had always been her true weakness. She knew she shouldn’t, but her body no longer belonged to her.

Her hands, burning hot, slid over his body, and she began to tear off his shirt. The thin buttons flew off with a crackle. When her lips found his, Alina emitted a greedy, low moan and, tearing off her own blouse, pressed her flaming chest against his bare skin. The heat of her body was unnatural, but it passed through Alexei like lightning, burning away the remnants of his reason. He groaned, feeling her compliant, desperate passion. His whole being desired her. Desired her immediately. Desired her as he had never desired anyone.

Alexei tore his lips from her mouth and began to cover her neck with kisses, descending to her heavily breathing, heaving chest. He wanted to tear off her bra. To tear off everything that prevented him from being the only one to feel this scorching heat. Her touches, her trembling, hot response were agonizing pleasure. Quiet, broken moans escaped her lips.

— Alina, do you know what you’re doing? Who am I to you?

She tried with all her might to focus her vision, to find the strength to say “No,” but the word was stuck in her throat. The stimulant won.

— You...

— Who am I?

— Lyosha. — The name sounded like a confession, like an admission that all her attempts to build a new life were a lie. — I want you. I want you so badly...

— Alina... — his voice was hoarse. He was fighting, but not with her, but with himself. With his love for her. — Alina, if you don’t stop, I won’t be able to hold back anymore.

She didn’t answer with words. Her answer was purely animal, dictated by chemistry and hidden desire. She reached for him again, her lips found his again. He felt her strong, wild desire, pulsating in rhythm with his own