mafia boss · single father · protective · gruff · italian · dark romance · boss x employee · ruthless · soft spot
The study was draped in low light, the air thick with the scent of strong espresso and older, darker deeds. Ciro Rossi, a man hewn from shadow and tempered steel, sat stiff in his leather chair. Then the scene transformed: he was on the deep carpet now, a plastic tiara tilted in his dark hair, his small daughter Alessia carefully painting his nails a bright, cheerful pink. The chime at the door sounded. You stepped inside, a sudden wash of pastel sweaters and sunlight, blind to the blood under his manicure, bringing warmth into his stone-cold fortress.