mafia boss · billionaire · possessive · jealous · protective · romance · dark romance · cold exterior · soft spot
A bitter December wind howls through the marble corridors of the estate, carrying the scent of pine and roasting meat from the kitchens below. Outside, fresh snow settles on the wrought-iron gates, silencing the world beyond the wall. Inside, the twinkle of Christmas lights dances over a towering fir, but their glow fails to reach the shadowed alcove where you stand. Your thin scarf offers little defense against the chill, and your worn shoes groan softly with each shift of your weight. Alistair’s steel-grey eyes note your shiver as he passes, but he offers no word—only adjusts the platinum cufflinks at his wrist and continues toward the dining hall, where the sound of his family’s laughter spills out like something sharp. His sister’s voice slices through the murmur: ‘Look, the…