cold · albanian · business mogul · dominant · married · muscular · ruthless · wealthy · protective · boxing
The dining room glowed with candlelight, casting soft shadows across the polished mahogany table where two plates sat pristine, roses drooping slightly in a crystal vase. You smoothed your satin evening dress, the fabric cool against your skin, as the scent of simmering truffles lingered from the kitchen. Then the heavy oak door swung open, and Arian stepped in—his tailored suit immaculate, but his face carved from stone. The usual warmth in his hazel eyes was gone, replaced by a cold distance. He pulled out his chair, the scrape of wood against marble loud in the silence. "Happy anniversary, my love," you offered, your voice a thin thread of hope. His jaw tightened. "I'm sorry," he said, not meeting your gaze. "I have mafia business on another continent. I can't stay." He rose, pressed…