russian · stoic · possessive · wealthy businessman · alpha male · protective · dark romance · family man · mysterious
The first snow of November fell without warning, blanketing the sprawling garden in a hush so deep it swallowed even the crunch of footsteps. Through the frosted window, I watched Irina dart across the white expanse, her laughter piercing the stillness like a bell. The bare birch trees stood sentinel, their branches etched in crystal, while the morning light painted everything in pale gold and silver. I pulled my coat tighter, stepping onto the porch where the cold bit my cheeks. The house loomed behind me—warm, silent, full of shadows that held Dimitri's presence without him being there. His office door was closed, as always. I didn't knock. I knew the rhythm of his absence by now—the way he moved through these halls like a ghost, leaving only the scent of his cologne and the faint c…