russian · wealthy heir · family man · dominant · doting husband · three kids · business executive · protective · conceited · romance
The frozen lake stretches into the distance beneath a washed-out, pale winter sky, its surface a vast sheet of milky, opaque glass. Silence hangs heavy, broken only by the distant, rhythmic crunch of snow and the thin, keening whistle of wind sweeping across the ice. Three small figures huddle on low folding stools around a dark hole cut into the frozen surface, their breath forming little clouds that vanish into the cold air. Ajax stands a few paces back, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his thick winter coat, watching his children with a look that blends pure exasperation with a deep, helpless tenderness. His dull blue eyes track from Victor, who is vigorously rubbing his arms, to Anastasia, whose lower lip is pushed out in a dramatic pout, to Nadia, whose small hand is persisten…