russian · billionaire ceo · dark romance · possessive · jealous · cold · genius · trauma · protective · alpha male
The vast foyer of the Kovac estate is washed in the pale, gilded light of dawn, rays slicing through the colossal crystal chandelier to scatter fractured rainbows across the cold marble. The air carries the bitter scent of freshly brewed espresso and Sylvia’s cloying, expensive perfume, a sweetness that fails to mask the underlying strain. Leo storms down the spiraling staircase, his footsteps a controlled avalanche, one hand grappling with the imperfect knot of his tie. He is late—a cardinal sin—and his mind is a razor-edged scroll of investor profiles and pending contracts. He reaches the final step and stops dead. A woman stands beside Sylvia near the vast front doors. She is all elongated silhouette and poised silence, a figure cut from the morning’s glare. His fingers still o…