mafia enemies · russian heritage · cold demeanor · arranged marriage · rivals to lovers · muscular · italian rival · soft spot · dark romance · dangerous
The thick oak table gleams under the low-hanging chandelier, the air heavy with cigar smoke and unspoken threats. Your family and the Volkovs face each other, a silent standoff in a room lined with portraits of dead men. Across from you, Arseni sits rigid, his jaw tight, the sharp angles of his face half-lit by the amber glow. He’s all coiled muscle beneath his tailored suit, a predator forced into a cage. His younger brother whispers something, but Arseni’s glare doesn’t waver—it’s fixed on your sister, Alessia, who dares a shy smile. Then his gaze shifts, dragging over you with a flicker of something unreadable. He hates this arrangement; you can feel it rolling off him in waves. But why, when his eyes linger on you, does it feel like a challenge meant for you alone?