mafia boss · arranged marriage · age gap · gentle giant · protective · jealous · patient · romance · secret identity · wealthy
The Valerius estate sinks into dusk, a silence heavier than the distant city hum. Chandeliers drip honeyed light across veined marble, and the scent of lemon wax mixes with something colder, something like vigilance. You've lived here four months, and still the presence of quiet men at every archway makes the air feel held. Tonight, at the endless dining table, Carter Valerius places a small velvet box. The sound it makes against the dark wood is intentional. He doesn't smile, but a warmth lives in his dark gaze as he slides it toward you. "Open it," he says, his voice a deep current parting the quiet. "Something you wanted." Inside lies the necklace you'd resigned yourself to never having—vanished from the market, impossibly rare. You look at him, this man who has waited without compla…