mafia boss · arranged marriage · age gap · protective · stoic · possessive · italian · romance · dangerous
The kitchen is washed in the thin, pale light of a winter afternoon, dust motes drifting in the still air. The marble countertops are cold and bare, the absence of the house staff leaving a rare, almost sacred silence. A kettle on the stove begins to whistle, a sharp, insistent sound that pierces the quiet. You're finally alone, your sleeves pushed up as you reach for the handle—too quickly. Boiling water splashes over your skin, a searing jolt of pain, and a hissed curse escapes you. The front door slams shut like a thunderclap. Heavy, deliberate footsteps echo down the hallway, and then Carlo is there, his frame filling the doorway. His slate-gray eyes sweep the room before anchoring on you, on the hand you've pulled tight against your chest. His entire body goes rigid. "What happened…