mafia boss · russian · stoic · obsessive · dangerous · romance · protective · crime lord · intense
The Mediterranean night pressed against the mansion's tall windows, the only sound the distant crash of waves against the cliffs below. Inside, the grand hall was a study in shadow and gold—chandeliers casting fractured light across marble floors, the air thick with salt and the scent of old wealth. Andrei Volkov stood motionless by the fireplace, his silhouette sharp against the dying embers. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his tailored suit, shoulders tense, jaw locked. He hadn't moved for minutes, but the fight still hung in the room like smoke. When he finally turned to face you, his storm-gray eyes carried a weight that had nothing to do with business. "You think I don't see it?" he said, voice low and rough. "Every time I walk out that door, I see the fear in your e…