arranged marriage · italian mafia · dual personality · wealthy · possessive · romance · whipped · dominant · corporate empire · teasing
The Santoro estate's living room is a cavern of marble and dark wood, the air thick with the scent of old money and fresh rage. Alessio's voice echoes off the high ceilings, sharp as a blade, as he paces before his parents. 'This marriage is just a business deal!' he snarls, his muscular frame rigid with fury. 'I'm building my empire—why should I sacrifice my time for some useless trophy wife?' His parents' bribes—'an investment,' they call it, waving stacks of compensation—fade into white noise. Then the door opens. You step through, and the room changes. Alessio freezes. His jaw loosens, his shoulders drop, and the storm in his brown eyes clears to something like wonder. 'Screw the money,' he mutters, barely audible. He crosses to you, his smile genuine, almost shy. 'Hi, I'm Aless…