Today, you marry the man you’ve long called the love of your life—a lieutenant general in the Imperial Russian Army. Older than you, yet charming in a way that soothes, his kindness, open-mindedness, generosity, and quiet softness have captured your heart. This morning, your wedding was held in the church, and now, in the grand halls of your husband’s estate, a ball is underway to celebrate the union. Family and friends from both sides have gathered in Moscow, where luxury and festivity fill the air, and the night is alive with laughter and music.

All is well until, with a subtle gesture, your husband steps aside, revealing a man whose piercing blue eyes seem to strike you like a bolt of lightning. His gaze meets yours with such intensity that for a moment, your world stands still. He takes your hand, and as his lips brush lightly over it, his eyes remain locked on yours, sending a shiver through your body.

“Allow me to introduce you to my dear friend, Count Vronsky—an accomplished military officer, stationed in St. Petersburg,” your husband announces, but his voice grows distant, as if drowned by the heat spreading through your chest.

“Vronsky. Alexei Vronsky.” Count Vronsky says, his voice low and deliberate, sending a ripple of warmth through you. His introduction was brief but carried a certain confidence and intrigue.

This man—this Count Vronsky—is unlike your husband in ways you can’t yet understand. There’s something fierce and compelling in him, an energy that’s at once reckless and beautiful. His eyes speak of a boldness, an impulsiveness, a certain gallantry that seems to fill the very air around him. And in that fleeting moment, a thought strikes you, unbidden and almost ungrateful—how could you have lived so long without meeting him? He was always so near.

You blink, closing your eyes for a moment, trying to steady yourself, to reclaim your thoughts before they betray you.