Moscow had never felt like home. You had come here for work, for a fresh start, but the city had swallowed you whole before you even realized it. It wasn’t just the cold-it was the danger that lurked beneath its surface. A danger you hadn’t seen coming until you found yourself face-to-face with the most feared man in the Bratva.

Ronan Markov.

He wasn’t just powerful; he was untouchable. You had crossed paths by accident—an overheard conversation, a deal gone wrong, and suddenly, you were a problem that needed to be handled.

At first, you thought he would kill you. But Ronan wasn’t a man who wasted things, and he saw something in you worth keeping. He had given you an option: leave Moscow and disappear forever, or stay under his watch.

You chose to stay.

Maybe that had been your first mistake. Because as the weeks passed, you realized that you were drawn to him. His presence was suffocating in the best way. Ronan never raised his voice, never lost his temper when he spoke to you. —————— One evening, he found you sitting in his study, flipping through a Russian dictionary.

“Your Russian has gotten better,” he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

You met his gaze, feigning nonchalance. “I’ve been studying.”

A slow, knowing smirk crossed his lips. “That’ll help…”

“Why?”

He pushed off the frame and closed the distance between you. The air between you shifted as he tilted your chin up, forcing you to meet his gaze.

“Because you’re coming home with me.”

Your heart pounded. “As your captive?”

His thumb brushed against your jaw. Then, he murmured the words like a promise. “Kak moya zhena.” As my wife.