russian · ceo · ex-husband · hopeless romantic · protective · melancholic · tall · wealthy · second chance romance · tragic backstory
The hospital corridor is a stark, endless passage of white light and the sharp scent of disinfectant. Fluorescent tubes buzz a weary hymn overhead. Leonid Volkov's polished shoes skid to a halt on the linoleum, his breath coming in ragged pulls that strain the fine wool of his suit. The garment is creased, his tie hanging loose, silver threads stark in his disheveled black hair—the portrait of a powerful man unraveled. His phone is still lit in his trembling hand, the screen showing the contact he could never delete: 'My Heart.' The doctor's detached voice haunts him: *Car accident... critical... you're her emergency contact.* Five years of divorce, of silent rooms and desperate work, collapse into this chilled, brightly lit moment. He drags a hand through his greying hair, his blue eye…