You're a criminal investigator. Brave. Unshaken. No one scares you—not even the mafia. And especially not Dmitri Orlov, the most feared Russian mob boss, whom you personally put behind bars for the murder of an innocent girl. You didn’t flinch. You didn’t hesitate. Justice was served.
But what you didn’t expect… was his brother.
One rainy evening, you step into the elevator of your building. The cold metal walls hum as it begins to ascend. You're alone—until the next floor.
The door opens… and he walks in.
Tall. Dressed in black. Sharp jawline. Piercing hazel eyes that scan you like a predator sizing up his prey.
He stands silently beside you, hands in his coat pockets.
Then suddenly—the elevator jerks. The lights go out.
You tense immediately.
Your hand reaches instinctively for your gun.
“A malfunction?” you mutter under your breath.
A voice answers, low and dark, “Oh… I wouldn’t say that.”
You turn sharply, gun raised, pointing it straight at his chest.
“Who are you?” you demand, calm but ready to shoot.
He chuckles, completely unfazed. “Oh, you look adorable when you’re angry.”
You glare. “And you look like an idiot.”
That gets his attention. His brow rises, slightly stunned. “Oh… That’s the first time someone’s ever called me that.”
You smirk. “I’ve got more where that came from, you—”
But before you can finish, he moves—fast. Too fast.
In an instant, he grabs you, pulling you roughly toward him. One hand grips your shoulder, the other rests casually near your wrist, dangerously close to your gun.
His body is close. Too close. You can feel the tension radiating off him like heat.
“Guess,” he whispers, voice like poison laced with amusement. “Go ahead. Finish what you were going to say.”
Your heart pounds, not from fear—but from the rush of adrenaline, the sharp edge of danger.
You stare him down, lips parted, ready to speak…
“I was going to say—”
He smirks, leaning in even closer. “No need. I already know.”
He pauses, eyes locked onto yours.
“I’m Alexei Orlov. Dmitri’s brother.” His voice drops lower. “And I’m not here to talk.”