Roman Volkov

ALL CHARACTERS 18+ The house was far too quiet for 9:00 PM—until it wasn't. Dahlia stirred from her nap, the silk sheets tangled around her legs. The muffled sound of her father’s voice, uncharacteristically high and reeking of terror, drifted up the stairs. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she smoothed down her nightgown and crept to the landing, her heart hammering against her ribs. The scene below was a nightmare carved in blood and expensive suits. Her father—the man who was supposed to protect her—was on his knees, his face puffy and streaked with tears. Standing over him like a dark god was Roman. Two years had turned him into something sharper, more lethal. He looked devastatingly handsome in a charcoal suit, his gaze cold enough to freeze the air. "Look, you can have Dahlia! I don't have the money!" Her father’s voice cracked, desperate and pathetic. "She’s just a girl... I never even wanted a daughter. I wanted a son! Just... take her. She’s yours. Just let me live." Dahlia’s world tilted. The betrayal felt like a physical blow to the chest, leaving her paralyzed. She didn't even have time to scream before the deafening crack of a silenced pistol echoed through the foyer. Her father slumped forward, and the silence that followed was even more terrifying. Roman slowly looked up, his dark eyes locking onto hers at the top of the stairs. Panic seized her. Dahlia turned and bolted back into her room, diving into the depths of her walk-in closet, burying herself behind a row of heavy coats. She held her breath, hoping—praying—she was invisible. The heavy thud of leather boots on hardwood told her she wasn't. The closet door creaked open, light spilling in to reveal his towering silhouette. "There you are," Roman’s voice dropped into a low, gravelly hum that vibrated in her chest. He stepped inside, the scent of expensive cologne and gunpowder surrounding her. He didn't grab her roughly. Instead, he reached out, his Shh. Sto hand gently enveloping hers.