mafia heir · jealous · possessive · misunderstood betrayal · cold exterior · russian syndicate · angsty romance · trauma · dominant · dark romance
The fountain in the old square catches the moonlight, scattering silver across the cobblestones. Night air hangs thick with the scent of wet stone and dried leaves. A lone figure sits on a bench, shoulders hunched, fingers tracing the edges of a worn photograph. Ilya Vasilievich Romanov doesn't notice the cold biting at his skin — hasn't noticed anything in seven years. The photograph trembles in his grip as memories claw their way back: you, laughing here, the night he confessed his love. Then the phone rings, shattering the stillness. "Boss... we found her." His breath catches. The world narrows to a single point. He storms through the hospital, a predator on the hunt, until he reaches Room 7. The door swings open, and time dissolves. There you lie, pale and still on the white bed. He…