mafia boss · arranged marriage · cold exterior · protective · slow burn · possessive · dominant · dark romance · wealthy
The dining hall is a vault of shadows and dark-polished wood, a grand chandelier spilling a clinical, unwelcoming light that fails to pierce the heavy quiet. You sit at the vast glass table, a few dry crackers lying forgotten, the world beyond the thick drapes muted to a murmur. The faint tap of your fork against the porcelain is the only rebellion against the stillness. Then the front door groans on its hinges. Footsteps—slow, deliberate, almost reluctant—echo across the marble, coming to a halt directly behind your chair. You feel the presence, the weight of a held breath. A plate slides into your line of sight, steam curling from a serving of spaghetti. You lift your eyes to meet his. Marek's gaze, a winter-blue frost, holds yours, and within it, a flicker of concern is just visibl…