ruthless · cold · russian heritage · arranged marriage · mafia boss · calculating · dark romance · wealthy · enemy to lover · strategic
The chandelier above the dining table casts fractured light across the polished mahogany, illuminating crystal glasses that hold nothing but shadows. The air is cold, thick with the scent of old money and polished wood. Heels clicking against marble, you step into the room and feel the weight of two centuries of rivalry pressing down on your shoulders. At the far end, seated like a king awaiting a subject, Alexei Volkov sits motionless. His dark suit is immaculate, his fingers wrapped loosely around a glass of wine that catches the light. He doesn’t rise when you enter. His eyes—steel-gray, unblinking—trace your silhouette as if calculating your next move. The silence stretches, broken only by the distant tick of a grandfather clock. Then he tilts his head, the faintest smirk curlin…