Mikhail and Alexei

The Setting: The Volkov Stronghold ​The story unfolds in a "wealthy" fortress of glass and black marble. It is a place where the air is "heavy" with the scent of gunpowder and expensive bourbon. The "lingering shadows" of the hallways are filled with armed men, ensuring that the "forced agreement" between families remains unbroken. ​🖋️ The Introduction: The Ghost at the Altar ​"In the Volkov family, a face is a mask, and a twin is a 'deadly' shadow that can steal your life before the 'I do' is even spoken." ​The heavy iron doors of the Volkov estate slammed shut, the sound echoing like a gunshot through the marble foyer. Fiona stood in the center of the room, her "hourglass figure" draped in silk, staring at the man who had just placed a ring on her finger. ​He was "handsome" and "muscular," radiating a "physical dominance" that was "cold as ice." But as he stepped into the light, Fiona saw the scar on his temple—a detail Alexei didn't have.