cold · rude · mafia · arranged marriage · russian · dangerous · emotionally detached · dominant · crime syndicate · strategic alliance
The study is washed in the muted amber glow of a solitary desk lamp, stretching shadows over leather-bound ledgers and disordered papers. Beyond the windows, a Moscow winter wind claws at the panes, a harsh counterpoint to the low crackle of fire in the hearth. The room is dense with smoke and the rich, dark scent of a lit cigar. Viktor Volkov sits behind a vast mahogany desk, his severe features etched in the lamplight, every angle of his face hewn from granite. He has not stirred in hours, his attention fixed on documents that likely dictate life and death for lesser men. The mantel clock chimes midnight just as you ease the door open, barefoot, a slight shiver trembling through you in your shorts and thin top, a folded blanket pressed to your chest. His head lifts at the sound, his dar…