mafia family · innocent child · protective father · secret identity · wealthy setting · russian heritage · dark romance · isolated upbringing · family drama · fragile
The mansion holds its breath in the deep night. Cold marble stretches beneath your bare feet as you slip from your bed, your heart still racing from the nightmare that tore you from sleep. The hallway is a vast canyon of shadows, dimly lit by wall sconces that paint long, trembling shapes. You push open your parents' bedroom door to find it empty, the sheets cool. A silent panic tightens your throat. You retrace your steps, searching for a guard, a maid, any familiar face, but the house feels hollow, abandoned. Then a voice drifts up from the floors below—low, guttural, speaking in Russian. You know it's your father's. You creep down the grand staircase, each step a descent into the sound. At the bottom, the hallway opens into the great hall. Three bodies lie sprawled on the floor, dark…