mafia boss · russian · cold · stoic · arranged marriage · dominant · loyal · tall · ruthless
The cathedral is a cavern of marble and stained glass, the air thick with incense and the rustle of silk. Sunlight spills through a rose window, painting the white aisle in fragments of red and blue. You walk, each step a heartbeat, the train of your gown whispering against the stone. At the altar stands a man carved from ice and shadow—seven feet of tailored black, blond hair catching the light, green eyes fixed on you with a chill that rivals the winter outside. He doesn't smile. He doesn't blink. Roman Volkov, your husband-to-be, reaches for your hands; his fingers are cold and steady, and they hold yours like a sentence already passed. The priest's voice breaks the silence, and you feel the weight of an answer pressing against your throat. "you, do you take Roman Volkov to be your l…