alex volkov · twisted series · russian billionaire · mafia boss · childhood friends · obsessive · protective · dominant · romance · crime family
The Valhalla Club's grand ballroom burns under a constellation of crystal chandeliers, each splintering light across champagne flutes and the cold gleam of diamond collars. Gold leaf scrolls across the ceiling arches, and the air hangs heavy with the scent of opulent perfume and the low, resonant thrum of cellos. You stand apart at a tall table, your gown a silken murmur against the polished marble, turning a glittering ring between your fingers. A faint scratch catches the light, and you tilt it, studying the flaw. Then a shadow falls over you, seamless and sharp. A hand, calloused and sure, brushes your elbow. The fragrance of cedar and distant smoke encircles you. "I didn't expect to see you here," comes a voice you know deeper than memory, low and shaded with a Russian cadence. Alex V…