"I have an idea," Rowan said suddenly while a faint smile crossed his face
Ulyana looked up at him lazily. "Mmm?"
"Now that it's already around midday… would you like to run errands with me?"
Ulyana immediately brightened. "Sureee!"
That alone made Rowan smile wider.
Not long afterward, Rowan drove the two of them into the city together. Their destination ended up being one of Rowan's major companies: Wolf Security.
The largest security systems corporation across the Hassano Islands and one of the most powerful freight and logistics companies internationally.
The sleek corporate tower stood imposingly against the Silvercrown skyline.
As soon as Rowan and Ulyana entered the building together, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Employees visibly straightened.
Conversations abruptly quieted.
Because firstly, Chairman Volkov had unexpectedly returned to the office after supposedly preparing for overseas travel.
And secondly, He had arrived with her.
Silvercrown's biggest celebrity and now apparently his girlfriend.
The staff internally descended into complete chaos.
Especially once they noticed how naturally Ulyana stayed close beside him while Rowan guided her toward the executive elevators with a hand resting lightly against her back.
"Oh my God."
"Is that actually Ulyana Vasily?"
"She's even prettier in person."
"No because why do they look married already?"
Meanwhile Rowan seemed entirely unbothered by the frenzy erupting around them while Ulyana quietly tried not to laugh at the shocked faces surrounding them.
Eventually the pair reached the executive floor and headed toward Rowan's office together.
Ulyana and Rowan chatted casually the entire way toward his office, their conversation light and easy despite the countless curious stares following them through the executive floor.
When they arrived, Rowan's secretary immediately stood from her desk.
She was young.
Beautiful.
And for the briefest moment—
A flash of clear disdain crossed her face upon seeing Ulyana beside him.
But it disappeared just as quickly beneath a perfectly practiced professional smile.
Ulyana noticed it instantly.
But she said nothing.
Mostly because Rowan seemed entirely oblivious, far too focused on continuing his conversation with her.
Rowan led Ulyana into his expansive office before finally settling behind his desk.
The space itself was sleek and understated much like his apartment.
Minimalistic luxury.
Dark wood.
Floor to ceiling windows overlooking Silvercrown. And enough quiet power in the room to make it obvious exactly who worked there.
Ulyana wandered casually around the office while Rowan loosened his cuffs slightly and leaned back into his chair.
Not even two minutes later, the secretary entered carrying his tablet.
"These are the items requiring your action today, sir," she said professionally while stepping closer to the desk.
Rowan took the tablet without looking up.
"Thank you."
Meanwhile Ulyana quietly continued admiring the office while fully aware the secretary kept subtly glancing toward her.
Ulyana remained perfectly aloof the entire interaction.
Cool.
Polite.
Unreadable.
Though it was becoming increasingly obvious that the secretary was less than thrilled about her presence there.
The moment the office door shut behind the woman, Ulyana turned toward Rowan.
Only to find him rubbing his temples with a faint frown.
"What's wrong?" she asked curiously.
Rowan exhaled quietly. "I hate the perfume she wears."
Ulyana blinked. "Oh."
A mischievous look crossed her face.
"I have an idea," she said carefully. "Because she is very clearly trying to get your attention."
Rowan huffed softly from behind his desk.
"She's useful," he admitted. "And professional overall…"
Then with visible irritation, "But that perfume is unbearable."
Ulyana immediately bit back a laugh.
The secretary continued coming in and out of the office constantly.
First tea.
Then documents.
Then a package Rowan needed to sign for.
Then more files.
It was endless.
Eventually Ulyana leaned down beside Rowan and whispered her idea into his ear.
Rowan immediately looked at her in disbelief before laughing quietly.
"Are you serious?"
Ulyana shrugged innocently. "I mean… she's your employee and seems very comfortable walking in and out of your office whenever she wants."
Rowan was still amused as Ulyana reached over and casually tousled his hair slightly. Then before he could question her further, she perched herself lightly on the edge of his desk.
She loosened his tie slightly and undid the top button of his dress shirt just enough to make him look less perfectly put together.
Rowan caught on immediately and laughed under his breath. "You're terrible."
"Mhm."
Then Rowan stepped between her knees and leaned down, pressing a brief affectionate kiss to her forehead just as the office door opened again.
The secretary entered carrying another stack of files.
And froze.
The files slipped from her hands instantly and scattered dramatically across the floor.
"So— sorry!" she yelped in horror.
She hurriedly crouched down, scrambling to gather everything back together while refusing to properly look at either of them.
Meanwhile Rowan calmly adjusted his tie while Ulyana looked entirely too pleased with herself.
The secretary finally placed the recovered files onto the desk in a rush before awkwardly fleeing the office without another word.
The moment the door shut Rowan burst into laughter.
Still laughing softly, Ulyana adjusted her top back into place slightly.
But as she moved Rowan suddenly noticed something near her shoulder. His laughter faded immediately.
"…What—" He looked genuinely surprised.
Ulyana glanced down before realising what he had spotted.
"Oh." She looked oddly casual about it.
"I got that before my brain fully developed," she joked dryly.
Then she shifted her top slightly to properly reveal the tattoo on her shoulder.
Two intertwined dragons inked elegantly across her skin. The artwork was intricate, bold, beautiful and somehow very her.
Rowan stared at it for several seconds.
"You have tattoos?"
Ulyana looked amused now. "That shocked?"
"A little," he admitted honestly.
Then carefully, Rowan's fingers lightly brushed near the tattoo without fully touching it.
His gaze remained fixed on the dragons.
"…It suits you."
Ulyana's expression softened slightly as she glanced down at the tattoo.
"It represents my parents," she explained quietly. "So they're always watching my back and my heart."
Something in Rowan's expression gentled immediately hearing that. Without really thinking about it, his thumb brushed softly against the inked dragons on her shoulder.
The touch was absentminded and almost reverent.
Rowan looked at the tattoo for another moment before finally meeting her eyes again.
"That's actually…" he exhaled softly. "Really beautiful, Angel."
And there was no teasing in his voice at all.
Ulyana suddenly grabbed Rowan lightly by the loosened tie and pulled him down into another kiss.
Brief.
Warm.
Unexpected enough to visibly stun him for a second.
When she pulled away, she looked entirely too pleased with herself.
"I want to see your tattoos again," she said casually.
Rowan blinked once, clearly still recovering from the sudden affection. "…My tattoos?"
"Mhm."
But before he could properly respond, Ulyana had already hopped off the edge of his desk and wandered back toward the couch area of his office like nothing had happened.
Rowan watched her in disbelief for a moment.
A little shocked by how quickly she had moved on afterward.
Meanwhile Ulyana simply sat comfortably on the couch scrolling through her phone again as if she hadn't just completely derailed his train of thought.
Eventually Rowan shook his head under his breath with a faint laugh before returning to the work spread across his desk.
After finishing up at the company, Rowan took Ulyana with him to one of Wolf Security System's major freight warehouses.
The facility had recently undergone massive upgrades and Rowan personally oversaw inspections of the new machinery and approved updated operational procedures himself.
Throughout the day, Ulyana remained by his side effortlessly.
She adapted beautifully to every environment he brought her into.
One moment she carried herself with the poised professionalism expected of a Vasily heiress during meetings and inspections. Then seconds later she'd lean over and whisper something playful to him that nearly broke his composure entirely.
Watching her shift so naturally between businesswoman, socialite, and affectionate partner fascinated him endlessly.
And truthfully, Rowan loved having her beside him.
More than he should already.
By late afternoon, Rowan finally drove them toward the Volkov Estate.
The moment the gates came into view though—
Ulyana noticed the subtle shift in him.
His shoulders tightened slightly.
His expression quietened.
And despite the calm exterior he maintained, Rowan visibly seemed more tense arriving here than anywhere else they had visited all day.
Rowan's POV
Rowan genuinely hadn't expected how much he would enjoy simply having Ulyana accompany him through his day.
But somehow she fit beside him naturally.
Too naturally.
She knew when to speak professionally.
When to stay observant.
When to lighten the atmosphere.
And when to simply sit beside him quietly without demanding anything from him.
It was dangerously easy becoming accustomed to her presence.
But despite that comfort—
Returning to the Volkov Estate always unsettled him.
There were too many memories here.
Too much history soaked into the walls.
His father.
His childhood.
The rise of their empire.
And unfortunately much of their darker underground operations were still managed discreetly from parts of this estate.
Interrogations.
Security operations.
Faction meetings.
Things Rowan never wanted Ulyana accidentally witnessing. The thought alone made his jaw tighten slightly as the car rolled through the estate gates.
Ulyana had spent enough time around Rowan now to notice even the smallest shifts in him.
The tightening of his jaw.
The slight rigidity in his shoulders.
The way his gaze became more distant whenever something was weighing heavily on his mind.
As the car rolled through the gates of the Volkov Estate, she immediately noticed the change.
Without saying anything, she simply reached over and gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
The contact seemed to send a shock through his entire body. Not because it startled him, but because he hadn't realised how tense he'd become until that moment.
Rowan glanced toward her.
Ulyana didn't ask questions, she merely offered him a small reassuring smile as a silent I'm here.
The simple gesture loosened something in his chest. For someone who spent most of his life carrying burdens alone, suddenly having someone notice without needing an explanation felt strangely overwhelming.
Rowan was becoming increasingly aware of a problem.
A very dangerous problem.
He had become protective of Ulyana far faster than he ever intended. Far faster than was reasonable and every day it seemed to get worse. The thought made him almost laugh to himself.
Because if this was how protective he felt now, then what would happen if he actually fell in love with her?
The answer came far too quickly; he'd probably burn the world down.
The realization wasn't romantic.
It was concerning because Rowan knew exactly what kind of man he was beneath the polished businessman exterior. And he knew how far he was capable of going for the people he cared about.
The car finally rolled into the estate's private underground garage.
The engine fell silent.
Then Ulyana's gentle voice pulled him from his thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"
Rowan blinked and turned toward her. For a moment he considered telling her the truth.
Instead, he gave her a small smile.
"Just about you."
Ulyana tilted her head curiously. "Me?"
Rowan nodded. "Well…"
His smile softened slightly. "Having to leave you for a while."
The confession came more honestly than he intended.
And judging by the look in Ulyana's eyes she understood exactly what he meant.
- -
Rowan's POV
The remainder of the afternoon passed quietly.
Thankfully.
After arriving at the Volkov Estate, Rowan kept Ulyana close while he worked through the final items on his schedule before departure.
Contract approvals.
Freight manifests.
Security reports.
Personnel transfers.
The endless administrative tasks that came before any major overseas operation.
To her credit, Ulyana had remained engaged far longer than most people would have.
She had wandered through his office, asked questions, stolen his pen twice, taken over one of his chairs, then eventually settled on the large couch positioned beneath the windows.
At some point the questions stopped and the room grew quiet. And when Rowan finally looked up from a report nearly forty minutes later, he found her asleep.
Laying flat across the couch with one arm dangling over the edge. Her hair had spilled everywhere, draped across the cushions like dark silk.
A faint smile tugged at Rowan's mouth.
She had fought sleep for most of the day.
And lost.
Predictably.
The sight was distracting enough that he found himself staring for several seconds longer than necessary.
A soft knock interrupted him. "Come in."
The office door opened and Hak stepped inside carrying a tablet. He immediately stopped, looked at the couch, then at Rowan, then back at the couch.
"…Seriously?"
Rowan didn't even look up from his paperwork. "What?"
Hak pointed toward the sleeping woman occupying half the furniture.
"You brought her here?"
"She wanted to spend time with me before I left."
Hak looked unimpressed. "You've got meetings, logistics, security briefings and an overseas operation starting in less than twelve hours."
Rowan finally looked up. "And?"
Hak sighed. "Nothing."
A pause.
"Actually, no. Something."
He walked further into the office. "How exactly are you planning to manage this?"
Rowan knew immediately what he meant. His gaze drifted back toward Ulyana. Still asleep and still completely unaware they were discussing her.
Hak lowered his voice. "Ro."
The use of the nickname told Rowan he was speaking seriously.
"You've got enough on your plate."
"I know."
"You'll be overseas."
"I know."
"You'll be dealing with this faction problem."
"I know."
Hak folded his arms. "And somehow you're going to maintain a relationship with a woman who misses you after not seeing you for a week?"
Rowan almost smiled. Because Hak's assessment was painfully accurate.
Hak's expression softened slightly.
"I mean it."
His eyes drifted toward Ulyana. "She's not like us."
The room fell quiet, Hak continued carefully. "She's got a good heart."
Rowan's expression became unreadable.
"I know."
"You disappear for work."
"I know."
"You throw yourself into problems until they consume you."
"I know."
Hak sighed. "My concern is that eventually you'll hurt her."
The words hung heavily in the room.
For several moments Rowan said nothing, then he looked toward the couch again, toward the woman sleeping peacefully in his office as if she trusted him completely.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm. Certain.
"That won't happen."
Hak raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully confident."
"No."
Rowan leaned back in his chair his gaze never leaving Ulyana. "I'm terrified of it."
That answer surprised Hak, because it was honest. Painfully honest.
Rowan continued quietly. "I think about it constantly."
Hak remained silent.
"I know what kind of life I lead. I know the risks. I know the things I've had to become."
His jaw tightened slightly. "But if there's one thing I'm absolutely certain of…"
For the first time Rowan looked directly at Hak.
"I would rather walk away myself than knowingly become the reason she's hurting."
The office fell silent.
Hak studied his uncle for several moments, then slowly nodded. For the first time since all of this had begun, Hak believed him.
Not because Rowan sounded convincing, but because Rowan sounded afraid and that was far rarer.
Eventually Hak exhaled. "Good."
Then he tossed the tablet onto Rowan's desk.
"Now stop staring at her and sign those manifests."
Rowan looked down at the paperwork, back at the couch, then at Hak. "I'm not staring."
"You're absolutely staring."
"I was thinking."
"You've been thinking about her for three weeks."
Rowan rolled his eyes.
Hak smirked.
And the tension between them eased.