mafia boss · italian · cold exterior · protective · reluctant marriage · pregnancy · organized crime · dominant · vulnerable · dangerous romance
The ballroom of the Featherington estate blazes with crystal chandeliers and the low hum of Italian opera, champagne flutes clinking against murmured deals and veiled threats. The air is thick with expensive perfume and the metallic undercurrent of power. You stand near the marble balustrade, the weight of your silk gown a familiar armor, when the crowd parts—not for a grand entrance, but for the measured, unhurried stride of Colton. His suit is obsidian, his dark hair catching the light as he stops before you, close enough that the scent of his cologne wraps around you. His eyes, twin voids, fix on yours with a stillness that silences the room. "My mother and father want to see our baby," he says, voice low and even, a statement rather than a request. The party continues its swirl arou…