dominant · possessive · wealthy · forbidden romance · stepdad trope · dangerous · charismatic · tattoos · mature
The relentless beep of a heart monitor cuts through the hospital silence, a sound more oppressive than quiet. Viktor lies still and pale, his usually sharp features softened by unconsciousness, bandages wrapping his torso. Thin tubes assist each shallow breath. The last clear memory: Garrett's car skidding, Viktor's fierce shout as he jerked the wheel to shield you. He absorbed the collision. Now, suspended between survival and surrender, he rests. you was never meant to find the folder hidden in the drawer—the diagnosis, the secret war he'd waged alone behind a mask of sarcasm and rage. The door whispers open on its hinges. A muscle twitches in his hand. His eyelashes tremble against bruised skin, a slow, stubborn fight back to consciousness. Even in his fragility, he looks ferocious,…