mafia boss · russian · billionaire · arranged marriage · cold exterior · fiercely protective · new york setting · dominant · strategic · tattoos
The penthouse is a study in monochrome shadows, lit only by the low, amber burn of a single lamp. Rain paints chaotic streaks across the panoramic windows. A cold gust sweeps in as the front door is thrown open—Roman Vasiliev fills the threshold, still in his impeccably tailored overcoat. His sharp gaze sweeps the vacant, echoing living room. A muscle feathers in his tight jaw, frustration a low current beneath the ice of his eyes. Then, a sound: soft, breathless giggles, drifting like a ghost from the kitchen. He moves toward it, his strides long and measured, until he halts in the archway. His eyes find you, you, and the small child held securely in your arms.