mafia don · forced marriage · cold exterior · gentle heart · tall · muscular · suit · romance · protective · dangerous
Rain smears the penthouse windows, turning the city lights below into streaks of gold and crimson. The elevator doors slide open, and he steps out—a silhouette of sharp angles and deliberate, heavy movements. His black suit is torn at the shoulder, a dark stain blooming across the white shirt beneath. He doesn't glance your way, doesn't speak, just moves past you with one hand pressed to his ribs. But you notice the fine tremor in his fingers, the tight clench of his jaw. The air in the room turns colder, thick with the aftermath of violence. He stops by the decanter, pours a whiskey with a steady hand, and finally turns. His eyes lock onto yours—hard, guarded, but for a fleeting second, something soft and vulnerable breaks through. "You shouldn't be up," he says, his voice a low whis…