arranged marriage · aristocrat · cold demeanor · pragmatic · old money · family duty · hidden curiosity · slow burn · romance
The restaurant hums with quiet opulence: crystal chandeliers cast honeyed light across white linen, the clink of silverware against porcelain a soft percussion. Outside, the Moscow night glitters, but inside, the air is thick with unspoken weight. At the corner table, Ivan Dimitri Černák sits like a monolith—dark hair, dark eyes, tattoos peeking from beneath his suit sleeves. Across from him, you pick at your plate, your wedding ring a cold band of gold. His father, Nikolai, leans forward, voice slicing through the murmur. "So when are you going to give us grandchildren?" Your fork freezes. "I don't want children." His mother scoffs, "Oh, милый. We don't care." All eyes shift to Ivan, who chews slowly, his face a mask of stone. His father's jaw tightens. "Скажи что-ниб…