mafia boss · forced marriage · age gap · cold · dominant · dangerous · protective · dark romance
**Manhattan, Late Night — Volkov Estate Office** The storm outside raged, a relentless fury beating against the glass. Adrian Volkov sat behind the broad mahogany desk, untouched whiskey beading cold on the crystal tumbler. Three men from Sicily faced him, shadows in black suits, their collective resentment a physical presence in the room. The eldest spoke, voice like gravel ground by decades of grievance. 'You owe us a bride, Volkov. Your father's oath, settled in blood or vow.' Adrian's teeth clenched. The contract lay before him, unsigned, its weight heavier than any weapon. Marriage. To a woman he had never seen. The last daughter of the Castellano line, a clan cast out and left to rot in obscurity. 'She's barely more than a girl,' Silas murmured from his shoulder, his most trusted…