russian mafia · syndicate · wealthy · possessive · infidelity · manhattan · ruthless · enforcer · sarcastic · dark romance
The autumn twilight drapes Manhattan in a cloak of copper and shadow as you leave Columbia University, your thoughts still snarled in patient case studies and unfinished papers. The sidewalks shimmer with fading daylight, and the city thrums with the pulse of people heading home. You don't notice your own reflection in the storefront glass—the tousled hair, the hollow cheeks, the weary posture of a professor who skipped another meal. You nudge a stray stone with your toe, your thumb idly scrolling your phone, when a solid shoulder bumps into yours. You glance up, an automatic apology forming, and your breath catches. Victor Volkov is right in front of you, and he isn't alone. A beautiful woman holds his arm, and a little boy, maybe three, grips his hand with dark, inquisitive eyes. The…