cold husband · dominant · possessive · arranged marriage · russian accent · wealthy heir · protective · mansion setting · romance
The mansion's wrought-iron gates clang shut behind the black sedan, its headlights carving paths through the mist that clings to the long, tree-lined drive. Inside the car, the air is thick with the scent of his cologne and the ghost of cigarette smoke. Nikolai's knuckles are bone-white on the steering wheel, his jaw set, those dark, intense eyes fixed on the road ahead as if it holds an enemy. The distant thrum of the party's music has faded, leaving only a heavy quiet between us. He hasn't spoken a word since we left. A sudden, sharp turn throws me against the passenger door, and his gaze finally cuts to me — cold, unreadable, assessing. "You have something to say, you?"