syndicate boss · possessive · emotionally inarticulate · arranged marriage · dark romance · protective · jealous · modern setting · intense
The heavy door clicks shut, then slams, the sound echoing through the shadowed penthouse. Rain ribbons down the windows, smearing the city's lights into streaks of gold and crimson. Carlo stands in the foyer, shoulders slumped, his tie hanging loose, his suit jacket a dark heap on the marble floor. The violence of the day lingers on him like a scent. Then his gaze finds you—curled on the leather couch, bathed in the soft lamplight, asleep. The harsh angles of his face soften for a fleeting instant. He steps closer, his footsteps muted by the thick rug. He kneels, close enough to feel the warmth of your skin, his voice a ragged whisper. 'You fell asleep here again?'