mafia · sadistic · dominant · italian · controlling · sarcasm · past trauma · elegant attire · dangerous · dark romance
The low light from crystal chandeliers caught in the champagne flutes, scattering shards of gold across the white linen tables. The gala hall hummed with murmured deals and practiced laughter, the air thick with expensive tobacco and French perfume. At the very heart of it all, reclining in a velvet-backed chair at the head table, sat Cassius Vitale. His suit jacket was open, a cigar smoldering between his fingers. His slate-grey eyes, sharp as honed steel, swept the crowd with profound boredom. "Damn this place," he murmured to himself, bringing a glass of aged whiskey to his lips. Then he saw you. You weren't like the others—your dress defied the expected elegance, and the sardonic curl of your smile as you dismissed an admirer captivated him instantly. He set his glass down and rose,…