Chapter 1
Flashback ~ 2 years ago:
"I love you. I want nothing but for you to be mine."
He held her by the shoulders, staring straight into those beautiful blue eyes that haunted his dreams every night.
"Be mine," he almost begged.
What a strange sight it was.
One of the most powerful men in the world, feared by everyone, begging a woman—a nobody—to accept him. To love him back.
One of the most ruthless men alive was terrified of her rejection.
End of flashback.
Mikhail Volkov sat in his study, staring at the rain that fell heavily outside of the window. The wind howled around the house while the thunder rumbled distantly. The storm that raged outside was nothing like the storm that was in his mind.
A glass of whiskey in one hand, he stared deeply at the photo that sat on the desk, tracing his fingers on her soft features...
"I can't love someone like you..."
her words cut into his heart like a blade
This was the last thing she said to him before walking away, leaving him desperate in her absence.
He couldn't blame her though.. He had built this reputation carefully, turning himself into the monster she saw—the heartless man she came to hate. The ruthless man everyone feared.
He gulped down the whiskey in one go, closing his eyes as he savoured its burn.
He had given her her freedom, letting her go just as she asked. She wasn’t his to keep an eye on.
His fingers curled hard around the glass, threatening to shatter it.
“You wanted freedom,” he whispered to the empty room. “And I gave it to you.”
“Even if it killed me.”
He stared at her photo, eyes burning with something dark.
“But I never stopped wanting you. Even now, I’d burn the whole fucking world to have you back.”
Come back to me my love...
The silence was broken by a knock on the door.
He didn't move.
Then came another knock, more urgent.
"Come in," he growled.
The door swung open. Alexei—his most trusted man—came inside, rain dripping from his coat. He looked distressed–a very rare sight that intrigued Mikhail's curiosity.
Mikhail's cold eyes pinned him "This better be urgent"
Alexei hesitated...
"Mr. Volkov... it's her...she isn't in a good shape..."
Mikhail's eyes widened for a second with a strange soft look, before darkening again as he processed Alexei's words. His jaw clenched...
Mikhail proceided quickly: "she came alone, saying she needed to see you..."
Mikhail stood so abruptly the chair scraped across the floor, tipping backward and slamming to the carpet.
The glass fell from his hand, shattering.
"Where...?" He said at a loss of words...
"In the garden... she refuses to go inside-.."
Alexei was cut off by his boss leaving...
Mikhail strode out to the garden as a storm of emotions raged inside him. His mind was a tangled mess of rage, longing, and raw fear at what he might find.
There she stood in the garden, soaked to the bone, gripping her thin green coat as if it was an armor sheilding her from the world... her trembling fragil frame hardly standing against the wind. Her eyes were hollow, unfocused...
Suddenly, she looked up, there eyes clashing. hollow eyes meeting his in a collision of pain and unspoken words.
His breath caught. Even soaked and broken, she was the most painfully beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Her eyes widened when they met his. For a moment, something like relief flickered there—only to be swallowed by fear and shame.
She clutched her coat tighter around her, lowering her gaze, as if she couldn’t bear to hold his eyes a second longer.
He took small, deliberative steps towards her, carfully approaching her without starteling her.
"Come inside" he said softly only for her.
She sgakes her head weakly, retrieting a step.
"Don't fight me on this,... you're freezing Elena..." he said, his voice firm, but his eyes softening
The name fell from his lips like he didn’t believe she was real, standing in front of him.
She tries to speak but no words come.
Her knees buckle, body giving out.
He lunges forward, gripping her shoulders, catching her just before her knees hit the ground.
He held her close, the cold rain seeping through her clothes but unable to reach the fire burning beneath his skin.
His fingers gently brushed a damp strand from her face, a silent promise he’d never let her fall again.
“I’ve got you.”
In the shadowed edge of the garden, his men stood clustered. They watched silently, muscles tense, eyes sharp as ever—but surprise flickered across their faces. None dared step closer. Their boss—the ruthless force who crushed enemies without mercy—now cradled a fragile woman like she was the most precious thing in the world.
A/N:
Welcome to the dark and stormy world of Mikhail Volkov — a man feared by many, yet haunted by a love that could destroy him.
In this chapter, witness the fragile moment when power meets vulnerability, and a ruthless heart begs for a second chance. Dive into a tale of passion, pain, and secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Stay close… the storm is only just beginning.
If you enjoyed this chapter, don’t forget to follow, vote, and comment — your support means the world and helps me keep writing more stories like this!
