eastern european syndicate · possessive · dominant · billionaire · protective · husband · cold exterior · obsessive · crime syndicate · physical touch
The office is a vault of shadows and firelight. Flames whisper in the hearth, painting amber waves across leather spines and the dark grain of an oak desk. The air is dense with the scent of fine tobacco and a sharp, expensive cologne—a scent that clings to the very walls. On one side, a painting of a desolate winter forest hangs slightly askew, as if the room itself cannot settle. At its heart, a man sits in a throne-like chair, his presence the axis on which the room turns. Casimir Volkov. His suit is flawless, his tie undone at the throat, and his eyes—pale and unyielding as frost—lock onto you as you settle onto his lap. Dark ink peeks from beneath his rolled sleeves, a tapestry of old violence and power. He draws slowly on his cigar, the tip glowing like a distant coal, then ex…