0:00
in front of the bodies of sheep lying on the side of the village road there was a shepherd with his hand on the trigger
0:06
and a child in tears the man at the end of the gun pointed at his head was one
0:12
of the most dangerous men in Russia but at that moment no one knew who he was
0:18
not the shepherd not the boy not the beekeeper coming down the country road but in a moment all their lives would be
0:25
irrevocably changed the asphalt had not yet warmed up as the July sun slowly
0:31
rose over the Mediterranean the village roads leading to the foothills of the mountains far
0:37
from the coastal areas of Antalya were silent the only sounds were windblown
0:42
leaves and a few birds chirping a black unpretentious SUV driving on the dusty
0:48
road was too ordinary to attract attention but when you looked inside you could see nothing ordinary
0:55
inside the vehicle the man sitting in the back seat was looking out the window not reaching for his cell phone not
1:01
saying a word to the driver his wife and 12-year-old daughter sitting next to him were also silent obviously something was
1:09
wrong the man's name was Victor Baranov he was one of Russia's most powerful
1:14
underground figures but he was also a respected businessman with legitimate investments in energy construction and
1:21
transportation for him it was as important not to be seen as it was to be seen so he planned
1:28
a low-key vacation with his family in Turkey they had rented a secluded chalet
1:34
far from the center of Antalya a secret meeting was arranged with his protection team but there was a
1:42
communication breakdown and the guards were waiting in the wrong place worse the second bodyguard car that had
1:48
been following them from afar had crashed and flipped over on the winding mountain roads neither Victor nor his
1:55
family knew about it victor's driver had missed the highway to the chalet and turned onto warm a country road the
2:03
navigation was disconnected suddenly the brakes were heard on the narrow road through the forest the car came to a
2:10
sudden stop there were screams the little girl hugged her father in fear
2:16
victor got out of the vehicle and could not believe his eyes there were at least seven or eight sheep writhing or lying
2:24
lifeless on the ground in front of the vehicle a shepherd was approaching them with desperate and angry steps he had
2:31
his dog with him he was justiculating and shouting "what is he saying?" Victor
2:37
asked his driver "he is speaking Turkish." "I don't understand Mr baronoff," said the driver the shepherd
2:43
looked at his animals and fell to his knees every word out of his mouth was full of anger then he quickly put a hand
2:50
on his waist victor reflexively took a step back "stop," Victor said "does he
2:57
have a gun?" The shepherd had already drawn his pistol this was a blow not only to his livestock but also to his
3:05
livelihood if he was not paid whoever was here would pay the price shouting in
3:11
anger he reached for the gun the screams of those in the wagon grew louder just
3:17
then a voice was heard coming from the hill stop what are you doing a young man
3:23
came running down panting he was wearing gloves his t-shirt was soaked with sweat
3:28
his eyes were both frightened and determined stop don't do this please
3:34
don't do this the young man said standing in front of the shepherd stay out of this Ysef these animals are dead
3:42
someone will pay for this said the shepherd i will pay okay I will pay calm
3:48
down my house is close i'll bring the money right away but put the gun down
3:54
please the shepherd thought for a while his eyes were still dark then he lowered
4:00
his gun and swore you have half an hour or else we'll talk he said and began to
4:06
pull his animals to the side of the road the young man turned to Victor i'm Ysef
4:12
i'm a beekeeper i don't know you but I don't want any bloodshed here victor
4:17
squinted his eyes staring intently at Ysef joseph bowed his head and quickly
4:24
ran away to his house in the hills when Joseph reached his home he
4:29
immediately opened his trunk he took out the money he had saved for years to start a new business and put it in his
4:35
pocket his hands were shaking he didn't even know what he was doing but he was
4:42
at peace whoever that man was he should not have died in front of a child when
4:48
he returned to the scene the shepherd was waiting ysef took the money out of his pocket and handed it to him "take it
4:56
count it if you want," he said the shepherd took it without saying anything
5:02
he looked at Victor out of the corner of his eye and walked away grumbling victor approached Ysef "what
5:10
was your name?" he asked "yesef?" the young man said "you did me a favor Ysef
5:16
and it will not be forgotten take the number," Victor said handing him his cell phone ysef didn't understand
5:23
anything but he gave him the number then he walked away from the scene but there was something he didn't know what he had
5:31
done that day had not only saved a Jew eye life he had also restarted the book
5:36
in which his own destiny was written the sun was slowly rising in the sky and the
5:41
dusty coolness of the village road gave way to the midday heat ysef was silent on his way home
5:48
from the scene he didn't say a word either on the way or when he got home he
5:54
washed his hands poured tea sat on the balcony and stared into the forest for a
6:00
long time there was a strange ache inside him it was not fear it wasn't
6:05
sadness either it was something he couldn't define maybe emptiness maybe
6:11
tiredness or a strange piece of conscience he had been saving that money
6:16
for years to fulfill a dream he had had since childhood he wanted to expand his
6:22
bee farm build a honey processing plant bottle and sell to big supermarket chains one day it will happen he told
6:29
everyone that one day was alive until the early hours of this morning now he
6:35
was gone around the be same time at an abandoned gas station near the village
6:42
there was another commotion the black SUV had been temporarily stopped while the driver checked the tires Victor
6:48
Baronov sat in the shade of the car talking on his phone "get out of there now," Victor said into the phone a
6:56
muffled and strained voice came from the other side "we've had an accident we flipped over someone broke his leg we
7:03
have to call an ambulance." "No no no you can't be seen in that area everyone
7:08
will be quiet i'm sending my men," Victor said his wife approached with
7:14
concern victor please tell me what's going on who was that man did we really
7:19
have no money victor bowed his head for the first time he was silent not everything went as planned
7:27
but if it wasn't for that boy who saved us we would be dealing with a much darker scenario who is that boy i don't
7:34
know yet but I will find out as the village was plunged into darkness that
7:41
night ysef's mind was still preoccupied with the events of the day although he
7:46
lived in the same house as his parents he didn't talk much at dinner his father
7:51
looked at him carefully "did something happen Ysef?"
7:56
he said ysef shook his head from side to side "no father it's just one of those
8:02
days," he said but he couldn't sleep he picked up the phone and looked at the
8:08
number again and again a strange number registered to the Russian line there was
8:14
no message he didn't know whether to call or not but deep down he knew that
8:20
man would never return 3 days
8:27
later early in the morning a luxury car pulled up in front of Ysef's house a man
8:33
in a black suit with a Slavic accent got out he was holding a translator tablet
8:38
ysef was in the garden checking the hives "mr ysef," the man said in broken
8:44
Turkish ysef raised his head and approached puzzled "it's me who are
8:50
you?" "I come on behalf of Victor Baranov he invites you to Russia to meet
8:55
his family he also wants to repay his debt to you." Yousef was silent for a
9:01
moment there is no debt i don't know him i just helped him that day that's all
9:09
the man smiled it's not just thanks mr baronov has done research on you he
9:15
knows that you started university but had to drop out he has drawn up a plan for you to study in Russia on a
9:22
scholarship if you accept you will be given full support yousef pulled his head back was this a joke just last week
9:29
he was thinking of selling his farm and now he was getting international offers is this serious the man nodded solemnly
9:36
for Mr baronov alone is not just money it is a promise and he keeps his word
9:42
joseph didn't sleep all night he told his parents his mother prayed his father
9:48
kept silent in the morning as Ysef was packing his bag his father stood in
9:53
front of the door look my son many have come and gone through this door but you
9:59
are different the goodness in you should not change he said yousef lowered his eyes to the
10:07
ground i only saved one life father he said his father's eyes filled he who
10:14
saves a life also changes his own life my son the car that brought Ysef to the
10:20
airport was luxurious and comfortable but Ysef was looking out the window still trying to understand the folder he
10:27
was given contained the name of the university he would attend the sponsorship documents signed by Victor
10:34
Baronov and the first program for Russian language training he couldn't forget the bodies that had fallen among
10:40
the sheep a week ago but now he was on the doorstep of another life and it had
10:45
started with a single act of kindness on his part but there was something that neither
10:50
Victor nor Yousef knew the past was not easily left behind especially when it
10:56
was as dark as Victor's past when he first stepped into Moscow it was neither the cold air nor the
11:03
exhaust fumes that hit his nose the first thing Ysef noticed was the silence
11:10
everything was very crowded but also very quiet the black car that greeted
11:16
him when he left the airport and the neutral look of the driver showed him that this world operates by a different
11:22
set of rules once in the car a woman translator took care of her she was kind but
11:29
distant she handed you the key to the residence and a tablet it contained maps
11:35
university information basic information about the Barana family and rules to follow in Russia
11:42
he spent the first night alone in the residence the room was like a luxury hotel room the bed was soft the view
11:50
breathtaking but as Yousef opened the window and looked out into the darkness he could still feel the dust of a
11:58
longdistant country road on his skin he sat at the end of the bed his hands
12:03
clasped on his knees what was he doing here who was this victor baronoff why was he helping
12:11
her so much these questions would be answered the next day victor Baronov's
12:16
personal driver picked him up at 8:00 in the morning they drove him to a mansion in a wooded area outside the city center
12:23
not a mansion actually it would be more accurate to call it a castle there were
12:28
three security gates at the entrance barbed wire surrounding the perimeter and men constantly patrolling
12:37
as they entered the gate the interpreter woman turned to Ysef mr baronov does not
12:43
personally welcome his guests but he has received you this is an exception please
12:49
be careful in a large hall under red carpets and chandeliers Victor Baronov
12:55
was waiting in a black suit classical music played in the background next to him was his daughter Elena she was a
13:03
tall fair-skinned young woman with dark blonde hair there was an unusual watchfulness in her eyes she looked once
13:10
into Joseph's eyes and then looked away welcome Victor said through the
13:17
translator yousef gave a short nod welcome and thank you for what you have
13:23
done but I feel indebted victor smiled slightly debt is not measured in gold
13:31
humanity is weighed on a different scale you stood on the heavy side of that scale that day i am just balancing the
13:38
scales yousef did not know what to say elena leaned slightly closer to her
13:44
father dad Yousef's university is on the next street from our school maybe we can
13:50
go back and forth together victor nodded that would be good it's a good
13:57
opportunity for him to learn about the difference in culture ysef's education had officially begun
14:04
the school he attended was a prestigious university he was accepted to study law
14:09
and international relations at first he struggled with the language but thanks to a private tutor hired by the Baronov
14:16
family he made significant progress in two months he was a striking figure
14:21
among his classmates not only was he a foreigner but he had been admitted with Victor Baronov's support this earned her
14:28
both respect and distance but Elena's interest gradually began to break this
14:34
distance elena came to Ysef every chance she got practicing her Russian taking
14:40
him to different parts of Moscow sometimes they would just take a walk sometimes they would go to museums
14:47
sometimes they would sit in a cafe and talk at first Ysef felt like a stranger
14:53
but Elena's sincerity began to melt the coldness inside him one day they stopped at the subway
14:59
station after school elena Ysef said "Why are you so interested in me did
15:05
your father tell you?" Elena shook her head "no my father just told me to get
15:12
to know you but he didn't tell me to take care of you not everyone would have done what you did that day it makes me
15:19
feel good to spend time with someone like you." Joseph remained silent
15:24
there was something else in Elena's eyes at that moment something she couldn't understand maybe trust maybe
15:33
admiration maybe something more as the months passed Joseph became not just a
15:39
good student but a close friend of the Baronov family he was often invited to the mansion his ties with Elena grew
15:46
stronger but Victor Baronov remained silent about this growing closeness for
15:52
some time until one evening at dinner when after finishing his meal in heavy silence he looked up and spoke directly
15:59
to Joseph i know you are interested in Elena he said yousef was stunned for a
16:06
moment the fork in his hand fell to the floor elena froze i I mean yes I did but
16:14
I didn't do anything wrong victor shook his head it's not wrong but it's not
16:20
easy anyone who comes near my family will pay a price are you ready ysef
16:25
didn't know what to be ready for at that moment but he did not avert his eyes i
16:31
am ready he said that evening for the first time
16:36
Victor Baronov decided to tell Ysef part of his story but only part of it the
16:42
darkest details of the underworld would remain in the shadows for now but the shadows began to shift ysef in his last
16:50
year of university was no longer just a student now he was on his way to
16:56
becoming the corporate face of one of the largest trading networks in Russia victor Baronov did not hesitate to show
17:02
his confidence in him he did not take him away from him at invitations
17:07
investment talks and diplomatic dinners the young man had learned the complex
17:12
language of the business world his foreign accent had faded his speech had
17:17
become impressive enough to attract attention ysef was no longer just Baranov's right-hand man but also a
17:24
young figure who attracted public attention the press described him as a
17:29
miracle from the East his life story was in the headlines but this bright
17:34
showcase was hiding a deep secret one evening he was alone in the library
17:40
of the Baronov mansion he had an old book in his hand the skin was worn out
17:46
the pages were yellowed the book described the origins of the Russian mafia while Ysef was turning the pages a
17:54
sentence caught his attention everything looks as sweet as honey but even the purest honey is
18:02
poison if it comes from the wrong hive his eyes froze he closed the book his
18:08
thoughts went to Elellena to Victor and to that dark knight that accident to the
18:14
shepherd your own past and now it is to this future that he
18:20
belongs at that moment Elena quietly entered inside she was wearing a simple
18:26
house dress there was an unusual restlessness in his eyes yousef he said
18:34
there's something I need to talk to you about what is it not all of my father's
18:39
affairs are clean jee you've probably noticed that already but here's what you
18:45
need to know dad didn't take you with him just for gratitude he trusts you but
18:50
he's also supervising you he wants you to protect me both in the literal sense
18:56
of the word and symbolically because he has enemies
19:02
yousef looked at Elena in surprise elena I am happy to be with you
19:08
but this this is something else this is not a game elena approached he put his
19:15
hands on Joseph's hands it's not a game anyway the danger is real my father is
19:21
preparing you for this but he won't tell you that openly that's why I'm telling you the moment when you feel strong may
19:28
be your weakest moment you should keep your eyes open the next day Victor Baronov called
19:35
Ysef to his office the walls of the office were filled with achievement plates and world maps victor
19:41
extinguished the cigar in his hand joseph you finished college now i want
19:47
to transfer a company to you officially what kind of company said Ysef logistics
19:53
but it's a slightly different logistics he is also working with Turkey you know their connection you know that place you
20:00
can establish reliable business circles there yousef remained silent the
20:06
intuition in him stirred it couldn't just be the transportation business but to question it now would have damaged
20:13
Victor's confidence and he couldn't afford it i accept he said victor smiled
20:19
then he handed over a file the file contained all the company's information
20:25
it was a private transportation company that shipped medicines electronics and textiles from Russia to Turkey but Ysef
20:33
was startled by something that caught his eye while he was examining the documents some of the submissions were
20:39
going to an area titled Crimea Temporary Storage Area this area was one of the
20:45
regions under the influence of the Russian army what could a civilian
20:50
logistics company be doing there as Yousef deepened his research his suspicions were increasing there were
20:58
some pens that were not clearly visible in the documents but were hidden by codes it could have been transporting
21:04
military supplies under the name of pharmaceutical assistance but he couldn't be sure it was dangerous to
21:11
investigate the dark side of Baronov but staying silent meant one day being part of a much bigger burden one
21:19
night while taking a walk with Elena at the mansion the topic came up elena do
21:24
you know some of your father's affairs do you really know elena bent her head forward i know but not everything he has
21:34
never fully trusted me i may be his daughter but he trusts you the most
21:39
that's why it makes you stand out yousef stopped what if one day that trust
21:45
swallows me up what if I'm caught between what's right and loyalty deck elena looked into Ysef's
21:53
eyes then you will have to make your choice ysef became the head of the company within a few weeks he started to
22:01
establish connections with Turkey but deep down he was studying the files trying to gather more details at this
22:09
time his relationship with the Baronov family deepened even further now his
22:14
ties with Elellanena had become visible they were often displayed together in the media they were shown as a young
22:21
couple which Victor also approved of one evening at a private ball in Moscow
22:27
Victor Baronov came on stage and took the microphone in his hand there were dozens of diplomats business people and
22:35
media members in the hall today we are here celebrating not only
22:41
an achievement but also a milestone he said this young man came to this country
22:46
from outside but he amazed us all with his heart intelligence and honesty i am
22:52
honored to have handed over our company to him and tonight I'm moving her not only at work but also somewhere in my
23:00
family victor turned his head he took Joseph's hand then he turned to
23:06
Elellanena yousef I want you to marry Elellanena i want you to be my son-in-law not just my business partner
23:13
anymore applause broke out from the hall elena's eyes filled joseph looked frozen
23:21
there were a thousand questions in his head but only one answer "yes," he said
23:28
but a voice inside was whispering that this yes was just the beginning
23:33
beginning could it have been a harbinger of the end winter had come early in Moscow ysef
23:41
was watching the falling snow as he looked out of the wide window of his office his mind had been full of
23:47
complicated thoughts for the past few weeks everything had developed very quickly he had saved the life of a
23:55
strange man he had met on a country road and then he had found himself in a completely different world but
24:01
everything didn't seem so pure and clean anymore jeeel one of the first things Ysef did after taking over the company
24:08
was to try to understand what was going on inside the system although Victor pretended to trust him Ysef sensed that
24:16
only one side of this world was being shown and the rest was hiding behind a smoke screen while staying alone at the
24:23
company late one night he broke into the digital archive system and started examining some private files he had to
24:30
find the system administrator's password to open one of the folders which was normally only accessible to Victor ysef
24:38
overcame this obstacle with the advantage of his software engineering background the folder has been opened
24:45
the documents showed large-scale money transfers made with some subcontracting
24:50
companies in Russia but the explanations were very general and cursory millions
24:56
of dollars were moving under titles such as consulting services infrastructure investment strategic transfers the most
25:04
striking detail was a file belonging to Turkey a project coded with the name
25:10
Taurus 42 transfer point Antalya the person who
25:17
sent the message Vanov Ysef's heart began to beat rapidly
25:24
this is where things started that evening he went to Elena's room he needed to talk to her doubts
25:32
were growing in his head and Elena was the only person who could answer these questions elena I need to talk to you
25:40
about something serious Yousef elena raised her eyes from the
25:45
screen your face looks very serious what's going on said "I came across a
25:52
project called Taurus 42 in the company's secret folders it's about
25:57
Antalya was your father's arrival in Turkey a planned move?" "Or me was I a
26:04
coincidence?" said Ysef elena was silent for a while there
26:09
was a brief dullness on his face then he spoke slowly "my father did not come to
26:15
Turkey for a vacation he was conducting negotiations for some business deals at
26:20
that time but when there was a communication problem with the protection team their route changed
26:27
actually their encounter with you it was really a coincidence but since then he's
26:32
been doing research on you Elena said ysef trembled inside and said "Did he do
26:38
research about me?" he asked "of course." He wanted to understand what
26:43
someone like you was doing in that area but then your benevolence honesty and intelligence impressed him that's why he
26:51
made you an offer and I I was impressed the first time I saw you but know that
26:57
this relationship is not just my father's strategy it was my choice Elena
27:02
replied yousef bowed his head forward in the confusion of facts one thing was
27:07
clear even if there was love there were also plans in it the next day Victor
27:13
called Ysef to his private room you have learned some things Victor said
27:19
yousef spoke without curling at all yes your plans in Antalya that you didn't
27:24
come to Turkey just for sunbathing and that you've been doing research on me said Victor smiled calmly and said Ysef
27:34
this is how the world turns everything is based on the account but I didn't use
27:39
you i gave you an opportunity a person like you would be wasted just by
27:45
beekeeping i've given you the life you deserve said I do not understand that a
27:51
favor I have done unrequited should be such a great return to me nothing can be so innocent said Ysef it isn't anyway
27:59
but your honesty has brought a balance to my system while everyone is pursuing
28:04
interests a person like you can manage things from a human point of view there
28:09
is also a need for men like you in this system clean-l looking faces jeul Victor
28:16
said calmly joseph did not know what to think with these words supposedly a
28:21
compliment but in reality there was another account on the same night a news
28:27
from Turkey changed everything ysef's father who had been living alone in his village for years
28:34
suddenly became ill and was taken to the hospital when he received the news he decided to go to Turkey as soon as
28:40
possible victor did not welcome this decision but he did not prevent it ysef
28:46
walking along the village roads again years later realized that nothing that had changed had actually completely
28:52
changed him he was still the young man who jumped in front of the shepherd on
28:57
that road who put human life above his own interest when he saw his father in
29:03
the hospital room he was gutted my Joseph is that you my son said his
29:09
father with difficulty it's me Dad i'm here said
29:15
Ysef when they met eye to eye there was a deep peace in Joseph no matter how far
29:21
life flung him his roots still remained in that small village next to that warm-hearted man yousef stayed in charge
29:28
of his father during the few days he spent in Turkey the weight on his heart kept hitting the walls of the room
29:36
although he had a life-changing opportunity in Russia he was carrying the burden of everything he had left
29:42
here on his back his father's weak voice was like a knife piercing through him from time to time "you are a good man
29:49
Ysef don't sell your heart for money son no matter what you do don't lose your
29:55
humanity," his father said holding his hand tightly ysef bowed his head his
30:02
father had never fully understood what he was doing in Moscow but he was feeling it and Joseph knew that he had a
30:09
more acute honesty than his intuitions when he returned to Moscow
30:15
there was a difference in the mood inside the company his disappearance for a few days had attracted the attention
30:21
of some people when he came across the thick envelope waiting for him in his
30:26
office he felt that something was changing there was a hidden audio recording in the envelope when he opened
30:33
the recording the voice of a man he did not recognize was heard ysef Deirtosh
30:39
that day we met on the village road in Turkey was not just a coincidence victor planned everything sheep shepherd
30:47
accident none of it was a coincidence the voice recording began joseph's blood
30:54
froze sweat poured down his back the recording was going on victor he got to
31:02
know you through your father many years ago they entered the same tender with him on time he cheated on your father
31:09
and your father went bankrupt and sold all his property for your education victor was working on you that day and
31:15
has been working on you since today this was a plan to pay off a debt even though
31:20
he seems to be doing you a favor he left you indebted to yourself and included you in his system
31:27
the mysterious man had ended the audio recording by saying "When the recording was finished Ysef collapsed into a chair
31:36
his breath came in short gasps his throat was knotted everything it meant so much now." The
31:44
coincidence in Turkey is that they met Elena she became the head of the company it was all planned and now his
31:52
conscience was beginning to chop at his own self like a knife he decided to
31:57
confront Victor he passed her in his private villa in a stone-paved hall with underfloor heating "i don't hate you
32:03
Victor because I can't deny the opportunities you've given me either but what you did to me it is incompatible
32:10
with humanity," said Yousef victor spoke without any trace of regret on his face
32:17
"i have raised you from the very beginning Ysef you've never forgotten that you owe me it was in your character
32:24
that's why I chose you you would have been a loyal and strong person victor said to Ysef in a calm tone of voice "I
32:32
am not a slave Victor and I don't want to be in your system," said Ysef "so
32:37
what are you going to do?" Victor said a condescending smile appearing with the edge of his lip ysef quietly put the
32:44
small USB stick he took from his inner pocket on the table and said "These are
32:50
the documents that contain all the illegal business of the company i've already handed it over to the
32:55
prosecutor's office in Russia they've already reached it by now said Victor's
33:00
gaze shifted into space for the first time he was filled with amazement and
33:06
said "Why did you do this you could have had anything Ysef your wealth your
33:11
power." Elena said "I love Elena but I don't know if he's part of a plan either
33:18
i owe myself not only to love but also to freedom
33:24
i don't want to take part in this system Joseph said confidently victor bent his
33:29
head forward he fell into a deep silence like a man who has tasted defeat for the
33:35
first time in his life ysef left Moscow without buying
33:41
anything no account no letter he returned to Turkey taking only his
33:46
conscience and his remaining memories with him when he came back to his village there was now a bench next to
33:52
the deckouses sitting and watching the sunrise had been the greatest piece for
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him one day an envelope arrived in the mailbox there were only two things in
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the envelope a letter in Elena's handwriting and a wax figurine i wanted
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a real life with you but maybe our timing was wrong never forget what your
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father taught you Yousef maybe one day our paths will cross in a cleaner sky jeeel I love you Elena joseph pressed
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the letter to his chest his eyes were full of tears but his heart was pounding
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with peace because sometimes what changed a life was neither money nor power nor
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plans on a country road it was a matter of being able to stay only human ysef
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took a deep breath and muttered "Maybe in another universe maybe in another life i also like you." Goodbye Elena the
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innocent beauty of the enemy town don't forget to subscribe to the True Stories Live channel and like the video