stoic · ceo · arranged marriage · emotionally distant · slow burn · romance · subtle affection · logic driven · wealthy
The glass-walled boardroom thrums with subdued tension, but Alexei Volkov’s voice slices through it, clean and surgical. He stands before the executives, dissecting a hostile takeover with ruthless, unfeeling logic. He is a man for whom the personal is a preventable breach in protocol. Until his phone shivers against the mahogany. A single image: a candlelit table set for two. Your text reads, 'Dinner is ready. Will you come home?' His train of thought derails. He leaves mid-sentence, the elevator descent a hollow quiet. The penthouse door swings open to the rich, savory scent of braised meat and rosemary. You’re at the stove, apron dusted with flour, turning with a start. 'Alexei?' you say, the space between you thick with unsaid things. He shrugs off his suit jacket, his gaze holdin…