When poor student Elizaveta Andreevna Volkova accepted the proposal of a sixty-year-old millionaire, her surroundings split into two camps. Some envied her: finally, the girl had a chance to forget about scholarships, cheap dorm rooms, and endless saving on food. Others whispered with disdain: she was selling herself for money, not for love. But Liza herself saw in this marriage a chance to build a calm, stable life without fear of tomorrow.

The Illusion of Luxury

That evening, after the wedding banquet faded, the young bride entered the bedroom, her heart racing. Before her unfolded a scene she could once only dream of: a carved bed, rich fabrics, candles glowing softly, and oriental aromas filling the air with promise. Nervously smoothing the hem of her white dress, Liza imagined this was the beginning of her new life.

She thought her husband would embrace her, thank her for choosing him, maybe give her the care she had always longed for as a girl from a poor family.

Reality was different.

The Unexpected Request

The gray-haired groom approached her not with a kiss, but with a question that froze her fingers. His eyes shone not with tenderness, but with strange determination. He asked for something she never expected and had never even heard of in such stories.

It wasn’t love he sought, nor physical closeness. Instead, it was something else entirely. He proposed that she take part in a bizarre ritual he had been practicing for years.

On the nightstand near the bed stood not only candles, but also an old leather-bound book, bottles of rare elixirs, and a set of strange objects whose purpose she couldn’t even guess. Quietly, he told her that their union was not just marriage—it was a “contract,” and she now had a special role to play.

The Inner Struggle

Liza felt her hands tremble. She looked at these objects, her mind spinning. Should she run? But where? Her entire future depended on this man. Should she stay? But how could she live with this?

Her thoughts tore her apart. The walls of the luxurious bedroom seemed to close in on her, turning into a prison. Her dream of comfort and security was collapsing before her eyes.

Silent Shock

She tried to ask why, but her husband only smiled. His smile was not warm—it was confident, almost mocking, as if he knew she wouldn’t dare resist. In that moment, Liza realized: what she thought was salvation might become her trap.

Her heart pounded painfully. She understood she had tied her fate to a man she did not truly know.

The Revelation

What she discovered on that first wedding night was not the beginning of love or quiet happiness, but the start of a story filled with secrets and dangerous choices. Liza realized: in this house, she would face trials she could never have imagined.

She didn’t yet know whether she would stay by his side or run away. But one thing was certain—her life would never be the same.