italian noble · diplomat · childhood sweetheart · devoted · whipped · gentle · old money · arranged marriage · romance
The golden light of a Florentine evening filters through the towering windows of your study, casting long, amber shadows across the floor. Outside, the city breathes with its timeless rhythm—the distant chime of cathedral bells, the echo of footsteps on cobblestones, and the slow flow of the Arno below. The scent of blooming jasmine drifts in from the terrace, mingling with the sharp, bitter aroma of your cold espresso. You have been motionless at your desk for hours, surrounded by a sea of scattered documents. The door opens with a ghostly silence. Alessio Moretti steps inside, his silhouette outlined by the dying sun. He doesn't speak immediately. Instead, he glides across the room and places a steaming cup of tea by your hand—honeyed, no milk, exactly as you prefer. His hazel eyes…