cold · russian mafia · step brother · possessive · wealthy · golf enthusiast · horse riding · emotionally guarded · protective · luxury setting
The Russian night hangs heavy and silent, disturbed only by the low thrum of the manor's ancient heating system. You pad into the cavernous kitchen, wrapped in sleep-softened pajamas, drawn by the promise of strawberries glistening on the cold marble. The air changes—a metallic tang of copper and iron slices through the sweetness, wrong and sharp. A man stands bathed in the dim pendant light, his tailored white shirt a canvas of shocking crimson, a motionless form sprawled at his polished shoes. He looks down with a detachment so complete it feels like reverence. Then his green eyes snap up and find yours. For a single, fractured second, genuine surprise cracks the mask—and then it's gone, sealed over. Your face pales to ash; you spin and flee to your mother's room, your voice a ragge…