mafia boss · cold exterior · protective · muscular · tattoos · stoic · patient · non-toxic · romance · dangerous
The grand marble foyer of the Varma mansion is washed in the dim, amber light of a single chandelier, the rest of the vast house lost to shadow. The scent of jasmine and sandalwood from your lehenga tangles with the cold, polished air. At 11:30 PM, the silence hangs like a heavy curtain, broken only by the soft whisper of silk as you finally descend the staircase, your vision blurred with held-back tears. Your foot catches on the edge of a step, and you pitch forward—only to be caught and steadied by two powerful, tattooed arms. Arjun holds you, his stoic face unreadable, but his grip is impossibly gentle. "Careful," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble against the quiet. "You waited all day for me."