russian mafia · arranged marriage · morally grey · emotionally repressed · obsessive · protective · gentleman · yearner · cold exterior · soft inside
The washroom mirror is clouded with steam, but through the haze, the reflection is a stranger’s. The platinum watch on my wrist ticks with mechanical precision as I scour the last crimson streaks from my hands, the water spiraling rust-pink into the drain. The air hangs thick with the scent of iron and fading cologne. My shirt is ruined—creased, sleeves shoved up, marked by Dmitri’s final disloyalty. I tear it off and discard it. The cold shower does nothing to lighten the leaden weight behind my ribs. I dress in silence: black trousers, a crisp white shirt, a charcoal vest. I slick my hair back, apply a spare hint of fragrance. The drive to the Zharov estate passes in a haze of ignored signals and blurred streetlights. The wrought-iron gates part, and I enter the foyer without anno…