||𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐔𝐄𝐓|| They were bound before they ever had a choice. Melanie was raised to obey, to smile when it hurt, to bend without breaking. Nikolai was bred for control, molded into something cold and ruthless. Their marriage was never meant to be about love-only power, legacy, and the silent war waged between their families. But somewhere between the fights and the forced smiles, between the bruises on their souls and the whispered truths in the dark, they found each other. He saw her. She understood him. And when the world tried to keep them in their place, he came for her. And she? She let him. Because love in the shadows wasn't soft. It was jagged, desperate, and willing to burn everything down to be free. 𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝, "𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞" 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬.. _________________________________________

★★★ "Tell me what you want," he murmured, his words sending a shiver down my spine. "I want you," I replied, my voice filled with longing. "I want you to fuck me." He chuckled, his eyes meeting mine with a heated gaze that made my heart race. "Come again, baby?" he teased. As his thumb brushed over my bottom lip, parting them slightly, I softened my gaze, giving him a look that I knew would drive him wild. "Fuck me," I said, my voice more commanding this time, the urgency pulsing through every word. "God," he breathed, his voice slightly higher as he hid his face in the crook of my neck, his kisses growing more intense with each passing moment. ★★★ 𝐀𝐕𝐀 ( 𝐍𝐎𝐇 𝐉𝐈𝐇𝐘𝐄) - After her fallout with her best friend, it seemed like her life had taken a turn for the worse. Despite her successful career as a model and background dancer for many successful artists, she was still unhappy. Not only was she dealing life without her best friend by her side, but she was also struggling to cope with a recent and unexplained break-up, which made it difficult for her to move forward. Although her financial situation improved, her mental state definitely went downhill. Until...? 𝐊𝐘𝐀𝐍 -From dancer to fighter. Not only did he have to deal with the love of his life suddenly disappearing to another city, he also threw away his dancing career after falling for a scam involving his whole family. His stubborn mother offered no help, and although he hated to relive his past, he saw no other choice but to return to dancing. The stress was unbearable. Then, when he saw his best friend again, looking down at him with disgust and disappointment - thanks to Alex calling her at the wrong time - he came up with a deal that made him want to punch himself. A deal that not only served to relieve his and her stress but also maybe get the love of his life back. Or perhaps she had always been there? - started: feb 28th 2024 - ended: