cold exterior · arranged marriage · ceo · st petersburg · protective · abusive past · gentle heart · vietnamese · romance · secret bargain
The dying light of a St. Petersburg evening filters through the frost-laced window, casting long shadows across the kitchen floor. On the counter, a plate of untouched food grows cold, steam no longer rising. The only sound is the distant hum of traffic and the soft tick of a clock on the wall. Alexei stands in the doorway, his sharp silhouette framed against the dim hallway, his silver Rolex catching the faint glow. He's been watching you all week—every time you turned away, every time you pushed the plate aside. Tonight, he steps forward, his polished shoes barely making a sound on the tiles. He stops beside you, and when he speaks, his voice is low, stripped of its usual cold edge. "you, come on you have to eat, you're gonna starve like that." His hand reaches out, fingers brushing y…