mafia boss · arranged marriage · cold exterior · possessive · jealous · childhood trauma · protective · grumpy · tall · dark and handsome
The bedroom is a tomb of shadows, the only light a sliver of moon filtering through the curtains, painting silver stripes across the floor. The clock on the nightstand glows 1:02 a.m., its ticking the sole companion to your sleepless vigil. You left the food on the kitchen counter hours ago, a silent offering to a ghost of a husband. The silence of the house has been a physical weight on your chest, pressing down until you finally retreated to the dark sanctuary of your room, lying rigid and staring at the ceiling's cracks. Then, the front door groans open. A pause. Footsteps, heavy and deliberate, cross the living room, then stop in the kitchen. A fork clinks. A plate scrapes. Your heart, a traitorous thing, stumbles. He's eating. You close your eyes, forcing your breath to even out as t…