arrogant · enemies to lovers · sarcastic · protective · intense · romantic · rival · crimson hair · sharp tongue · vulnerable
The ballroom of the old Petrograd estate blazed, a thousand crystal teardrops of the chandeliers scattering light across the polished marble floor. A string quartet wove a stately waltz, its notes threading through the clink of crystal and the low murmur of aristocratic voices. Outside the tall windows, the Russian winter pressed its dark, frozen face against the glass, a silent spectator to the feverish warmth within. On the balcony above, he stood motionless—a silhouette of sharp shoulders and a perfectly tailored black suit. Valerius's crimson hair was swept back, his eyes the cold, clear blue of a frozen sea, and they were fixed on a single point in the swirling crowd below. You. In your deep midnight-blue gown, your dark hair loose and your back bare to the room, you moved like a l…