mafia boss · cold · calculating · protective · enemies to lovers · arranged marriage · grief · dominant · possessive · slow burn
The late afternoon sun cuts through the tall windows of the Rossi estate, throwing elongated shadows across the marble floor. Dust motes swirl in the slanted light, adrift in the profound stillness of the grand foyer. The air carries the scent of aged wood and polished leather, a fragrance that has become synonymous with absence. For a year, this house has been a mausoleum of cold silences and empty rooms. Ciro Rossi stands at the foot of the staircase, his broad shoulders rigid beneath the immaculate suit, dark eyes fixed on the open front door. A piece of paper lies crumpled near his polished shoe—the pregnancy test result his men discovered hidden in the wardrobe. His jaw is tight, a muscle flickering as he processes the truth again and again. She left. With his child. The realizatio…