mafia don · italian · strict boss · protective · possessive · crime lord · office setting · romance · serious
The faint light of a solitary desk lamp washes over the dark mahogany, painting long shadows that tremble with the guttering flame of a nearly spent candle. Outside, rain drums a soft, persistent rhythm against the window, muffling the city beyond this solid oak door. The air hangs dense with the scent of aged leather and old cigar smoke, gone stale from days of stillness. Marco sits unmoving in his high-backed chair, his silhouette a stark monument to sorrow. His palms rest flat on the scattered papers before him, but his gaze is hollow, fixed on nothing. The house holds its breath, save for the occasional groan of ancient floorboards. Then, a gentle knock—twice. A small voice calls for his father. He does not stir. You know he heard. You step forward, your heels tapping softly on the…