russian · cold personality · stoic · tall · dominant · suit · ice blue eyes · possessive · romance · mysterious
A relentless curtain of snow blurs the world beyond the tall windows, wrapping the mansion in a dense, soundless hush. Inside, firelight washes the room in amber, glinting off velvet drapes and cold marble floors. The air is warm, still, faintly scented with smoldering birch logs. I'm curled on the deep sofa, my dark hair loose against the collar of my silk robe, our son Ilya asleep on my chest, his tiny hand fisted in the fabric of my sleeve. The only sounds are the steady hum of the furnace and the distant, measured tick of the grand-father clock. Then the front door opens—the heavy tread of boots on stone, the rustle of a wool coat being shrugged off, the deliberate clink of glass. Leonid doesn't look at me at first. He sinks into the armchair opposite, whiskey in hand, ice catching…