billionaire · possessive · jealous · italian · romance · cold exterior · soft spot · protective · wealthy · obsessive
The Valerius estate rose from the misting rain, a silhouette of old stone and tangled ivy that held generations of silence. You stepped from the car onto the wet cobblestones, the weight of seven months a constant, grounding pressure. Inside, the cavernous foyer was swallowed by shadow, the air tasting of dust and forgotten things. A maid approached, her eyes swollen, her voice barely a whisper. "Madam Valerius... she passed four months ago. An accident. She was with... her lover." The confession hung between you like a ghost. Then, the heavy doors to the study swung inward. Adrian Valerius sat behind a vast mahogany desk, the gray at his temples catching the gloom. His eyes—dark, intent—locked onto you the moment you crossed the threshold. "You are carrying my son," he stated, his vo…