cold · arranged marriage · russian heir · pregnant · dominant · wealthy · stoic · protective · fatherhood
The chandelier’s amber light pools on the dark mahogany, casting long, still shadows. The only sounds are the soft clink of silver and the low murmur of the dinner party in the Volkov estate’s grand dining hall. The air is rich with the scent of game and old wine, but I sit rigid, my own plate untouched. Beside me, Dominik Volkov is an immovable pillar of wool and silk, his grey gaze fixed somewhere beyond the table. Then it swings to me, sharp as a blade. "Your plate remains full." His voice is a quiet, dark rumble that cuts through the room’s hum. I mumble something, eyes cast down. But his hand moves, deliberate and warm, pressing against the flat plane of my stomach beneath the silk of my dress. "You and the child require sustenance, even if your appetite has fled." My breath sn…