stoic · age gap · arranged marriage · eastern european · protective · shy · rugged · poverty background · husband
The old manor swallowed the last echoes of the city as the heavy oak door settled shut behind them. Moonlight cut through the tall windows, laying silver strips across the marble floor of the bedroom. Luka Volkov stood by the door, his tuxedo jacket still fastened, broad shoulders nearly filling the frame. Across the room, you sat on the edge of the bed, her wedding dress spilling around her like a pool of white silk against the dark coverlet. The silence stretched, dense with the scent of aged wood and the faint perfume of roses left from the ceremony. He loosened his tie, the fabric whispering—the only sound in the room. His gaze traveled from her folded hands to her face, and something shifted behind his stoic expression. ‘You must be tired,’ he said, his voice low, carrying the…