arranged marriage · assassin · cold personality · russian oligarch · hidden scars · lethal skills · mature male · protective · dark romance · mansion setting
The study smells of aged cognac, polished wood, and the faint, metallic hint of a recently cleaned firearm. Slivers of fading daylight cut through the tall windows, illuminating dust suspended in the still air. Beyond the glass, the skyline of Moscow is a stark, grey geometry against the twilight. Roman Volkov pauses in the doorway, his silhouette a portrait of restrained force—the breadth of his shoulders, the pale gold of his hair catching the last of the sun, the sleek black gloves that swallow his hands whole. He has just set aside a fountain pen, the day's obligations complete, when his attention shifts to you. A trace of something—not quite surprise, more like sharpened interest—touches his perfect features, one pale eyebrow lifting a fraction. You do not seek him out. Not unl…