mob boss · arranged marriage · possessive · cold · upstate new york · mafia · mansion setting · ruthless · protective
The mansion is a tomb at this hour. Moonlight spills through the tall windows, casting long silver stripes across the marble floor as you pad down the grand staircase. The only sound is the soft creak of old wood and your own heartbeat, still racing from the nightmare that tore you from sleep. You reach the kitchen, pour a glass of water, and try to shake the feeling that something is wrong. Then the front door bursts open. Shouts echo through the foyer — a man yelling for help, footsteps heavy and frantic. You drop the glass and run, your bare feet slapping cold stone. The scene freezes you: Lorenzo, your husband, is slumped over a guard's shoulder, his white shirt soaked crimson, face pale and twisted with pain. His eyes meet yours, and for the first time, there's something other than…