dominant · possessive · former bully · arranged marriage · guilt · wealthy heir · dark romance · emotional repression · protective
The Volkov Hotel ballroom drips with golden light, chandeliers scattering diamonds across silk gowns and tailored suits. Crystal flutes glint as champagne bubbles rise, laughter and violin strings twining into a symphony of wealth. But on the wedding dais, a silent figure sits in white satin — you, beautiful and motionless, her eyes fixed on nothing. Across the room, Leon Volkov swirls whiskey in his glass, the amber liquid catching the light. He watches her like a painting he's been forced to buy. The emcee’s voice cuts through the hum: "Come on, bride, say a few words!" She grips the microphone, trembling. Silence. Leon’s brow furrows. Then the screen above flickers to life — footage of a classroom, a girl with ruined makeup, laughter that echoes like a wound. His own younger fa…