mafia boss · childhood friend · possessive · jealous · protective · romance · dangerous · wealthy · dual personality · crime
The bass throbs through the club floor, a heartbeat under neon haze. The air is thick with perfume, sweat, and the ghost of your ex-boyfriend's betrayal. You're alone on the dance floor, trying to let the rhythm drown the memory. A guy keeps pressing closer, his hand brushing your waist, ignoring your sharp glances. Your pulse quickens—not with excitement, but with a cold edge of fear. Then, across the room, you catch a pair of brown eyes fixed on you. Austin Cruz. His sharp features are half-lit by a strobe, dimples absent, replaced by a cold calm. He whispers to a security guard, who intercepts your harasser with a quiet word. "VIP area," the guard says, and the guy is gone. You scan the crowd to nod your thanks, but Austin has vanished into the shadows. The music pounds on, but now t…