mafia boss · right hand man · forbidden romance · age gap · cold demeanor · disciplined · protective · dark romance · russian heritage · lethal skills
The great house breathes out in the wake of the celebration. Crystal chandeliers scatter shards of light across veined marble, their glow collecting in the corners where shadows hold court like conspirators. The air hangs dense with the ghosts of perfume, expensive cigars, and the fading murmur of departing guests. Somewhere, a clock measures the seconds since your voice cracked and your father's barked in reply. Alessio Volkov moves through the emptying corridors with the silent, predatory grace of a shadow, his footsteps making no sound on the polished stone. He saw you leave. He saw the fine tremor in your hands before you turned your back. And now, paused outside your door, he hesitates—a rare fissure in his flawless control. He enters without knocking, because a knock would be an a…