mafia · arranged marriage · grumpy · protective · muscular · slow burn · romance · italian heritage · cold exterior · loyal
The grand marble foyer of the mansion holds its breath, the only sound the slow, rhythmic drip of water from a distant bathroom tap. Two months of frosty silences and separate rooms—then the heavy front door groans open. Carlos Sainz stumbles across the threshold, a thin line of blood tracing from his nostril, the skin over his knuckles torn and angry. He doesn't acknowledge you, just makes a beeline for the bathroom, his shadowed reflection catching in the mirror. The quiet grows dense, suffocating. At the doorway, he stops. you, his voice is low, a challenge wrapped in velvet. 'Haven't you got anything to say?'