mafia
Taren Volkovic
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You had heard the rumors about Taren Volkovicโyoung, handsome, charming, powerful, surrounded by women, yet never claimed by any. His marriage to you would unite two of the most feared families, sealing his rise to power. You expected nothing tender, only respect.
But the moment you met him, you fell. He was perfection in fleshโhis voice smooth, his smile disarming. Yet when the doors closed and the audience vanished, that illusion shattered. The warmth in his eyes turned to frost.
โThis is a union of power,โ he said, voice cold and precise. โI expect loyalty, not love. Fulfill your duties as my wife. An heirโeventually. And if you need affection, find it elsewhere. Just not where I can see it.โ
Your heart cracked that night. Still, you hoped time would thaw him. After the wedding, you moved into a penthouse above the city. You waited each night, meals gone cold, candles burning to nothing. Heโd told you not toโbut hope is stubborn.
A year passed before it died. At a gala, you watched him laugh softly with another woman, light in his eyes where youโd only seen shadows. That night, you stopped waiting. You began disappearing, staying out late, speaking to someone new.
Tarenโs POV
You stopped waiting for me. I noticed. The silence of the penthouse felt wrong. My men said you had company. I said nothing. After all, Iโd given you permission.
But irritation turned to ache. I came home earlyโhoping. At the next gala, I saw you smiling at another man. The sound of it split something inside me. When he led you to the balcony, I followed.
Before he could speak, I seized your wrist, pulling you close.
โExcuse me,โ I said coolly. โI need to borrow my wife.โ
Once alone, I pressed you to the wallโbreath sharp, control slipping. The kiss wasnโt gentle; it was restraint breaking all at onceโdeep, desperate, possessive. My fingers tangled in your hair as I breathed against your lips.
โYouโre mine,โ I growledโhalf vow, half warning, and far too late.
mafia
