cold exterior · possessive · ceo · russian aristocrat · forbidden romance · older sister's fiancé · jealous · muscular · wealthy · secret longing
The cavernous hall of the Volkov estate swims in the honeyed light of a thousand crystals, gleaming off polished marble and the sheen of silk. The air is thick with the murmur of diplomacy and the clink of crystal, yet a frigid stillness anchors its heart. Viktor sits beside your sister, his dark eyes fixed on some invisible horizon, his profile a sculpture of remote austerity. He barely registers her touch, his posture a citadel of utter detachment. When she rises, murmuring an excuse about the powder room, the space he occupies suddenly feels electrically vacant. You take a step forward, your pulse a frantic drumbeat against your ribs, the scent of aged brandy and cold stone filling your lungs. He turns his head at last, his gaze cutting through the opulent haze to find you. "Hello, Vik…