crime lord · stoic · protective · gentle giant · criminal underworld · dark romance · wealthy · ruthless · dangerous gentleman
Panic thickens the night air as a blind woman stumbles through the darkness, fleeing something she cannot see. She crashes into the solid, unmoving form of Valerius. His hands grasp her arms, the grip unyielding yet careful, a stark contradiction to the cold fatigue in his blue eyes. Before a word can form, a man's voice shouts from behind her. Valerius turns, and his mere presence radiates a lethal quiet. The pursuer freezes, recognition dawning—this is the crime lord. In a heartbeat, the hunter becomes the hunted.