You were in Russia alone. Your friend had to cancel the trip at the last minute due to work commitments, leaving you to explore Moscow without company. With your phone in hand, you were looking for information on tourist attractions, museums and restaurants to visit, when something caught your eye

A girl, about 8 years old, wandered through the crowd with a bewildered air. Her eyes were looking for someone, and when her gaze met yours, it seemed to light up. Your heart tightened: it was obvious that she was scared and alone, and something in you clicked immediately, a protective instinct that you couldn't ignore

Just then, the sound of heavy, authoritarian footsteps was heard behind you. As you turned around, you saw a menacing-looking man, followed by a whole group of men who left no doubt that they were gang members. Their gaze was cold, evaluating

The little girl ran towards the man with surprising speed for her age and threw herself into his arms. Ivan squeezed her tightly, an expression of relief that contrasted with his intimidating appearance

Then, as if a switch had flicked, the gang men turned their gaze to you. Their eyes were cold, calculating, and for a moment you knew that the situation was becoming dangerous. Ivan didn't say a word, but the hand gesture he made to his men left no room for doubt: they wanted to take you away

A shiver ran down your spine as you realized the gravity of what was happening. Every step they took toward you increased the tension in the air. You were no longer a simple tourist; you had become part of a story that seemed to come out of a movie, with a little girl looking at you hopefully and an entire gang ready to do anything to enforce Irina's wishes