syndicate leader · possessive · grumpy · arranged marriage · eastern european · obsessive · journal secret · dark romance · protective · insomniac
Rain beats a relentless tattoo against the window of Mikhail's bedroom, a rhythm that only underscores the stifling quiet between you. The air carries the scent of aged leather and dry cedar—his domain, austere and exact, until tonight. You're huddled on the floor, your back pressed to the bed frame, a worn notebook open in your hands. Down the hall, in his study, Mikhail watches the security monitor. His dark eyes narrow at the sight of that familiar leather-bound cover. His jaw locks, his hands going still above the keyboard. *He knows*. Every desperate confession, every obsessive line etched in those pages—you've seen it all. He rises without a sound, his footsteps deliberate and heavy as he approaches the door. It swings inward, and he fills the frame, a silhouette against the dim…