«Again, you?» Ivan Petrovich, the baker, asked, noticing the girl. Ivan Petrovich was already an old man, his hair gray. The girl stood as if rooted to the spot. Her eyes were drawn to the fresh golden buns on the counter. Anna looked at the baker and, after a deep sigh, nodded to him. «I’m […]
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Philip had loved Elizabeth since school, and they planned to get married in the future. Philip’s mother, Angelina Semyonovna, who managed a maternity ward at the hospital, disapproved of her son’s choice. She had long favored a nurse named Christina and hoped her son would marry this girl, who was liked not only by the […]
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Andrey, a young chef with great talent and even greater ambitions, always dreamed of freedom. He wanted to create, to experiment, to break the rules. But working in a prestigious restaurant, where at first glance everything was in place—a good salary, a well-known name, and customers willing to pay any amount for dinner—turned out to […]
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It was an oppressively hot day, and the bus Olga rode was like a furnace on wheels. The open hatches and windows did little to alleviate the suffocating heat, much to the dismay of the weary passengers caught in a relentless traffic jam. Olga, returning from her job as a veterinarian, distracted herself with thoughts […]
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Irina stared blankly, seeing through the window the blurred edges of snowflakes descending in St. Petersburg. On the other end of the phone, her husband’s voice, a tone she knew too well, filled her with a routine emptiness. Yura was in Moscow, on another «business trip.» Their conversation, like their last dozen calls, was about […]
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«Anya, I’m home,» called Vera as she entered the apartment. A thirteen-year-old girl emerged from the room. «Mom, you’re home early today.» «Yes, I came home a bit early. Next week I’ll need to work a couple of hours more. How are you? How’s school?» «Fine, nothing new.» «You look a bit pale. You should […]
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Kirill was long accustomed to nighttime drives. He loved the silence of empty roads, the lulling rhythm of the tires, and the time alone with his thoughts. During such hours, even the most chaotic thoughts seemed to order themselves, as if the road helped align them. But that night, something was off. The forest he […]
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«— You understand that I don’t need you hanging around here, right?» Maxim said to his wife. «So, I can suggest you move to the village.» «What village, Maxim? What are you talking about?» Tamara no longer cared. She had been betrayed by the person closest to her. They had started their work from scratch […]
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While reviewing documents, Vadim muttered under his breath and occasionally glanced sideways at his deputy. The latter fidgeted in his chair, unable to understand what was expected of him. Finally, tired of the silence, he asked discontentedly, «What’s wrong, Vadim Olegovich? You haven’t said a word for half an hour, and I still have work […]
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«Ver! Can you hear me?» Alexey called out even before he crossed the threshold of their home. «I can hear you,» Vera responded, her gaze fixed on the screen she manipulated with a stylus. «Igor, along with his wife and daughter, wants to stay with us!» Alexey announced. Vera was familiar with Igor—her husband’s younger […]
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