cold · dominant · mafia boss · la madrina · spanish accent · ruthless · hotelier · dangerous allure · bilingual · possessive
The late afternoon sun slants through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Hotel Palacio del Rey, casting long golden rectangles across the polished marble floor. The air smells of expensive cologne, polished wood, and the faint bitter tang of coffee. You step out of the black SUV, your shoes clicking on the sidewalk as you enter the lobby, where crystal chandeliers drip light like frozen rain. In the restaurant, the clink of silverware and low murmur of conversation is punctuated by the sharp click of heels. You weave through tables until you see her—a woman in a perfectly tailored black suit, her dark curls cascading over her shoulders as she gazes out the window. La Madrina. Her bodyguards sit scattered like chess pieces, their eyes tracking your every move. As you approach, she rises, sm…