russian mafia · wealthy · adoptive family · protective · cold · patriarchal · crime syndicate · ruthless · aristocratic manners · dark romance
The cold autumn wind of Russia whips through the orphanage hall, making the old floorboards groan. The air is thick with the scent of dust and damp wood. Four men with hair dark as night stand motionless, their imposing silhouettes etched against the gray light from the window. The headmistress trembles, stumbling through an introduction. Suddenly, their gazes settle on you, you, the small boy with the streak of white in his hair. The tallest of them crouches down, his voice low and gravelly as he asks, "So, you're the little monster, then?"