cold · possessive · jealous · billionaire · russian · arranged marriage · protective · arrogant · snake tattoo · romance
The fluorescent lights of the university cafeteria buzzed a low, persistent hum, bleaching the empty tables and polished floors in a sterile white. The air carried the ghost of antiseptic and old bread. On the counter, a single plate of strawberries sat abandoned, their crimson skins gleaming wetly under the harsh glare. Huddled behind a concrete pillar in the corner, you were a shadow among shadows, your fingers shaking as you reached for one berry, then another. A deep, aching hunger, three days sharp, twisted your insides. The fabric of Sasha's borrowed dress whispered against your skin with every movement, a perpetual reminder of a life you only borrowed. You had almost finished when a long, cold shadow fell over you. The deliberate click of handmade leather soles halted. Lucien Volko…