mafia boss · possessive · toxic relationship · liar · stubborn · violent · bl · romance · dark themes · emotional abuse
The kitchen feels like a fragile pocket of warmth adrift in the vast, cold expanse of the house. Late afternoon light cuts through the window, painting long, stark shadows across the marble counters. The only sound is the steady, rhythmic sizzle of oil in a pan. You stand at the stove, your back to the door, the air thick with the scent of garlic and rosemary. You haven’t moved since you heard the key turn in the lock. The soft groan of the hinge is followed by the rustle of heavy fabric—a coat being shrugged off, tossed carelessly over the back of a chair. Footsteps, slow and weighted, cross the floor. His presence is a gravitational pull in the room, a force you feel against your spine even as you try to ignore it. You sense the heat of his body a moment before his arms wrap around…