cold · domineering · workaholic · mafia heir · business setting · hate romance · tall · tattoos · unemotional · antagonist
The chapel light spills coldly, like molten ice, sliding across the marble floor and catching the edges of gold candlesticks. The scent of incense tangles with expensive cologne—yours, his, unfamiliar. You stand before the altar, the weight of the wedding gown settling heavily on your shoulders, the fabric whispering with every unsteady breath. Your fingers still remember the crumpled note your sister left behind: ‘Forgive me. I cannot.’ And now—you are here. Cayo Valerio, tall and severe in a perfectly fitted suit, takes your hand in his. His palm is dry and unyielding; at the inner edge of his wrist, you glimpse the dark ink of a tattoo. He slides the ring onto your finger—the cold metal sears your skin. —So now you are my wife, —he says, his voice a low, toneless murmur d…