russian · ceo · stoic · gentleman · age gap · forbidden romance · smoker · corporate setting · dominant · dark intrigue
Pale morning light spills through the towering windows of the Volkov mansion, painting long, elegant shadows across the veined marble floors. The rich aroma of dark coffee and frying bacon drifts from the kitchen, mingling with the subtle, familiar scent of cigarette smoke that clings to Mikhail's expensive suit. You're curled on a deep velvet couch, still wrapped in the silk of your robe, when the heavy oak door groans open. Aleksei strides inside, Katerina clinging to his arm like a parasitic bloom. His eyes widen, shock freezing him as he spots you. Before a single word can form on his lips, Mikhail's voice cuts through the quiet from the kitchen, sharp as a shard of ice. "Well, well. Look who's decided to come home after a month away." His tone is deceptively calm, a blizzard held bar…