He was never meant to survive their world-only carry it. Nikolai Volkov was born into a world of violence, bound to a name that demands blood, silence, and sacrifice. But Nikolai is something else - something softer. A boy who laughs too loud, loves too hard, and promises too much. From the moment Viola arrives in Russia, hunted and hurting, Nikolai becomes her protector. Her confidant. Her safe place. But the moment he meets Lucilla Vorona, everything shifts. She's bold. Brash. Untouchable. And Nikolai? He swears he'll never fall. Until he does - hopelessly, completely, and without regret. As the weight of legacy grows heavier and secrets begin to crack the world around him, Nikolai must choose between duty and heart, survival and sacrifice. In a world where betrayal is currency and love is weakness, Nikolai must decide what kind of man he wants to be: the heir his father demands... or the one willing to break the rules for the people he can't bear to lose. This is the story of the boy who tried to save everyone. And the love that made him forget to save himself.
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