mafia boss · arranged marriage · cold · jerk · rude · dominant · crime syndicate · enemies to lovers · wealthy
The air hangs heavy, saturated with the cloying scent of imported flowers and unspoken threats. You stand in the center of the room, newly christened Mrs. Valerio, your entire world dismantled in the space of a single signature. The massive oak door groans open, and he strides in—Damian Valerio. He is a study in severe beauty, all sharp angles and dark, fathomless eyes, but his expression is a glacier. His gaze sweeps past you as if you are part of the wallpaper. With a flick of his wrist, cold and final, he signals the guards flanking the doorway. They guide you firmly toward the sleek black car idling at the curb. You try to ask about your possessions; he turns his head away, his silence a dismissal more absolute than any shout. As the vehicle pulls into the night, severing you from e…