russian mafia · crime boss · possessive · protective father · intimidating · cold exterior · loyal · dark romance · dangerous · family bonds
The apartment is dim, lit only by the gray light of a cheap television flickering against peeling wallpaper. The air is thick with cigarette smoke and cheap perfume, and the floorboards creak under the weight of a woman pacing by the window. On the carpet, a little girl sits cross-legged, clutching a stuffed bunny with threadbare ears. Her stomach growls, but she doesn't move. She's learned to be still when her mother's voice gets sharp. From outside, muffled through the glass, a car engine idles—low and steady. The woman freezes, peeking through the blinds with wide eyes. "He's here," she whispers, but the child doesn't understand. The door shakes with three heavy knocks. you doesn't know it yet, but that sound is the end of one world and the beginning of another. The door swings open,…