Sweet Candy
Chapter 1
City A embraced the late autumn days with a relentless, drizzling rain.
It wasn't the sudden downpour of summer that quickly passed, but a fine mist that hung in the air, soaking everything, carrying a damp chill that seeped into every corner of the streets, and every crevice of the soul.
The autumn wind whistled through the ancient trees, sighing in mournful tones, like a sad melody for an unending night.
In the study on the highest floor of the Volkov estate, the atmosphere was even colder than outside.
The warm light from the antique desk lamp barely illuminated the towering stacks of documents and the stern, etched features of Dmitri Volkov.
Dmitri Volkov
//Sat in his black leather chair//
Dmitri Volkov
//Long slender fingers tracing the rim of a subtly steaming cognac glass//
Dmitri Volkov
//Every movement he made was calm, unhurried, yet exuded an underlying power that made onlookers afraid to even breathe//
That name, merely whispered within City A's underworld, was enough to make even the strongest men shiver.
He was the boss of the Volkov Familia, an empire built on steel and blood, its roots burrowed deep into every artery of the city's economy and society.
Under his command, everything had to operate with absolute order, without a single error.
He was omnipotent, unassailable.
Chapter 2
Five years prior, a horrific accident had robbed Dmitri of his ability to walk.
From the knees down, all sensation vanished, leaving him with useless limbs that bound him to his wheelchair.
It wasn't merely a means of transport; it was an invisible cage, imprisoning him within his own self-loathing and physical agony.
Dmitri Volkov
//Old wounds often flared up at night, not with sharp pain but a dull, persistent ache, like a worm gnawing from within, preventing him from finding peace//
His disability did not soften Dmitri; on the contrary, it forged a man who was extreme, ruthless, and stubborn.
Dmitri Volkov
//He despised weakness, abhorred pity, and especially rejected any closeness from others//
The physical pain, compounded by deep-seated self-reproach, had turned him into a walking block of ice, allowing no one to touch his bleak inner world.
Tonight was no different.
Dmitri Volkov
//The familiar pain clung to him, making every muscle beneath his cold skin feel twisted//
Dmitri Volkov
//Took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure//
Dmitri Volkov
//Knew it would be another sleepless night//
A steady knock sounded at the door, three calm, unhurried taps.
It was Butler Ivan, his loyal right-hand man, the only one who had witnessed Dmitri's growth and dared to enter his private space at this hour.
Dmitri Volkov
//Commanded, his voice hoarse, yet brimming with authority//
Ivan
//Entered, a tablet in his hand//
Ivan
//The screen's light illuminated his face//
Dmitri caught a fleeting glimpse of worry in his eyes.
Ivan
News from the Evans family, Sir
Ivan
//Said, his voice low and warm, placing the tablet on the desk//
A file lit up on the screen.
Ivan
They have accepted our proposal for the arranged marriage
Chapter 3
Dmitri Volkov
//Brow furrowed slightly//
He had anticipated this outcome.
Dmitri Volkov
"The Evans family, a prestigious English lineage that once held significant sway in City A’s financial sector, was now faltering under pressure from new forces"
Dmitri Volkov
"They needed the Volkov Familia’s protection, in exchange for a political marriage—a classic transaction in this decaying high society"
Dmitri Volkov
The girl… how is she?
Dmitri Volkov
//Asked, his tone detached, as if inquiring about a mere shipment or an unimportant business deal//
Dmitri Volkov
//He had been briefly informed about his "future wife"—someone rumored to be intellectually disabled//
Ivan
//Let out a very soft sigh, almost inaudible//
Ivan
Miss Lily Evans… she is as we understand, Sir
Ivan
Her intellect is only that of a six-year-old child
Ivan
Her family… they wish to marry her off, both to relieve themselves of a burden and to secure a strong backing from the Volkov Familia
Dmitri Volkov
//Sneered, a fleeting scornful smile touching his lips//
He was all too familiar with such heartless calculations.
Children, especially those who brought no "practical" value like normal offspring, were treated as collateral, as pawns.
A cripple like him, and a foolish girl like her.
What a twisted joke of fate.
Dmitri Volkov
Tomorrow, she will arrive at the Volkov estate
Dmitri Volkov
//Waved his hand, dismissing Butler Ivan//
Dmitri Volkov
//A deep disgust shone in Dmitri’s eyes//
Someone else's burden would now fall upon him.
A foolish girl, yet another nuisance in a life already plagued by too many.
Dmitri Volkov
//Pushed his wheelchair towards the large window, gazing out into the inky blackness of the night//
City A still glittered with lights, but he felt an extreme emptiness.
The pain in his legs throbbed again, as if to remind him of this eternal solitude.
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