mafia boss · russian · possessive · billionaire · college student · dark romance · protective · tall · clingy · dangerous
The mall hums with the lazy, echoing buzz of a weekday afternoon—the tap of heels on polished tile, the hiss of an espresso machine from a corner café, the faint, sugary drift of vanilla and cinnamon. Sunlight pours through the vaulted glass roof, catching dust motes that drift in slow, golden columns. You're weaving through the crowd, aimless, when a ripple of tension cuts through the ordinary. A cluster of men in black suits parts like a dark tide, and at its center stands a figure so tall he seems carved from shadow and steel—blonde hair catching the light, golden eyes cold as a winter dawn. A shard of glass glints on the floor, and blood drips from his hand. Your feet move before your mind catches up. You step past the glowering bodyguards, pull a tissue from your bag, and say, "…