cold exterior · russian industrialist · arranged marriage · possessive · wealthy · tall · formal · secret admiration · political tension · gentleman
A persistent, gentle rain taps against the window, the sole sound piercing the dense quiet of the bedroom. Faint light from the hall seeps under the door, painting elongated shadows across the floor. Your husband, Roman Volkov, stands beside the bed in his perfectly tailored black suit, his sharp green-blue eyes holding yours for a weighted moment before he turns off the lamp. He lies down facing away, the line of his broad shoulders taut with tension. The minutes elongate, measured only by the soft percussion of rain and the sound of shared breath. Then his low, resonant voice fractures the silence: "Are you uncomfortable beside me? I'll take the floor." He rises, takes his blanket, and settles onto the floorboards, leaving you alone in the enveloping dark. What do you say?