DARYA I was supposed to pay for my father's betrayal, but the Pakhan of the Vetrov Bratva had other plans. Ruthless, dangerous, and utterly destructive, Matvey ripped me from my life and locked me in his gilded cage. There was no escaping the man who saw through every hidden crack in my armor. Living under his roof, the line between captor and captive blurred as my twisted desire collided with his deranged obsession. But as secrets from my past surfaced and threats closed in, my captor became my protector. And suddenly, I had to decide whether to fight for freedom... or surrender to the man who could claim everything, including my heart. MATVEY She was meant to be a simple pawn in my answer to her father's betrayal, yet I knew she was different from the moment I saw her dance.I had waited for the chance to invade her life, for I always take what's mine, and I wanted Darya Andreeva to be mine in every way that mattered. She wasn't the fragile doll she let everyone believe, but fire wrapped in porcelain skin-a ballerina I could never forget. My obsession with her was inevitable, so I vowed to protect, claim, and consume her, no matter the danger or the ghosts of the past. She would see my world, my darkness, my devotion, and in the chaos of blood, desire, and power, Darya would learn that in my world, nothing and no one stood between me and what I claimed. Author's Note: This story is a dark romance with mature themes, including abduction, violence, obsession, and age-gap dynamics. It's not a lighthearted love story so please read only if you're comfortable with morally gray characters and intense situations.